"PHARMA HUNT" Online Uncommon Medicine Finding System

76 “PHARMA HUNT” Online Uncommon Medicine Finding System R.W.M.R.Dharani Rajasinghe1, D.Dilki Sasikala2, W.Mahesh Fernando3 Department of Information Technology, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, 1dharaninirasha[email protected]m, 2dd[email protected]m, 3ma[email protected].lk Background Organization and Business Domain Finding and obtaining medicine from a pharmacy for rare and unusual disorders is a difficult undertaking in Sri Lanka. Even though certain pharmacies sell a variety of uncommon drugs, patients in need of uncommon medicines may not have the right systems in place to find such medicines quickly. Usually, government hospitals have pharmacies that supply common medicines for doctor prescriptions. In the same fashion private healthcare centers across the country are normally equipped with private pharmacies that can provide common medicines for doctor prescriptions. However, both government and private pharmacies typically do not stock unusual medications. Sometimes the patient needs to find the required drugs from multiple pharmacies and faces many challenges figuring out which pharmacy has what medicine, especially during the present situation in the country. Even found the pharmacy that the medicine is available, the location of the pharmacy is also a matter as travelling a long distance to get the medicine or getting the medicine currier to the doorstep is an additional cost if the closest pharmacy is not selected. Currently there are a few computer applications have been developed to overcome those difficulties, however none of them address all the difficulties and equipped with functionalities in a single application such as finding the required uncommon drug at the nearest pharmacies to the users current location, ordering, making the payment, and get it delivered to the user's location. 77 Overview of the Existing System There are few systems operate in Sri Lanka with similar focus. Following are two most common examples with their functionalities and major issues identified in those systems. • Kapruka Online Pharmacy The system requests user’s name, phone number, email address, and an image of the prescription. The system starts the process by giving user a price quote for the portion of user’s prescription that is currently available. System has partnership with some pharmacies in Sri Lanka to obtain medicine at the lowest possible cost. If the drug is available at any of the collaborating pharmacies, it will be delivered to the user once the order has been processed. The user cannot search for the nearest pharmacy where the drug is available or be notified whether the nearest pharmacy has it in their inventory stock or not. • Order Medicine Online | eChanelling Sri Lanka The system requested users to include the patient's name, location, pharmacy, and phone number, as well as an image of the prescription. If the medication is available at an online pharmacy registered with them, the system arranges delivery to the patient. The user is not notified whether the medicine is available at the nearest pharmacy and whether the medicine is available in their inventory stock or not. Problems with Existing System: The Kapruka Online Pharmacy and eChanelling systems have a major flaw in their methodology, indicating a lack of a comprehensive perspective that affects their usefulness. These systems work in different barriers, failing to interact effectively and providing users with fragmented healthcare options. The lack of a unified strategy not only degrades user experience but also exposes a fundamental problem in their design. This fragmented nature results in inefficiencies, making it difficult for consumers to switch between online pharmaceutical services and medical appointment scheduling. In an 78 environment where integration is critical for efficient healthcare experiences, these technologies fall short, resulting in a less-than-optimal user trip and casting doubt on their overall usefulness. In the field of healthcare technology, almost all the current available systems, lack one critical component: an uncommon medicine locator capable of tracking pharmacies with available stocks near the user's location. This feature gap emphasizes the significance of an integrated system that smoothly connects consumers to nearby pharmacies, ensuring quick access to critical prescriptions. In a society where convenience and efficiency are key, such a tool would not only improve the user experience but also dramatically increase access to healthcare services. As a result, the proposed system came up with the idea of addressing these issues and designing a web application to search for uncommon medicines at the pharmacy most closest to the user location, ordering, paying online, and having it delivered to the user’s doorstep. As an added feature, smallscale pharmacies allowed to access to a digital inventory management system via this web application, as all pharmacies will eventually be registered through it. System Analysis Problem Analysis The first step of the online medicine finding system project is the problem analysis. The problem analysis aims to identify the existing obstacles in finding medicines that are prescribe by a doctor and procurement. The main concern is the time-consuming procedure that patients/relatives of patients and caregivers go through in locating the necessary medicine from physical pharmacies. The time taken to locate the available place to buy the medicine may results delays in treatments and potential threat to the life of the patient. The time taken to find an uncommon medicine is critical compared to find a common medicine. On the other hand, due to the lack of literacy of various medicines and unavailability of trustworthy drug information repository people those who are searching for an uncommon medicine usually face difficulties in getting correct details such as dose directions, potential adverse effects, and viable alternatives. This may lead to relay totally on the instructions of the pharmacist (or usually a helper in the pharmacy) and have reported various incidents of issuing incorrect 79 medicine by the untrained pharmacists. This situation not only jeopardizes patient safety but also contributes to healthcare system inefficiencies. Furthermore, the rise of counterfeited and inferior pharmaceuticals on the market poses a significant hazard to public health, since individuals may acquire treatments that are ineffective or contain harmful ingredients unknowingly. The lack of a reliable medicine verification method exacerbates the problem, demanding a solution that ensures the legitimacy and quality of medicines supplied through the system. Furthermore, the existing landscape does not provide personalized support and guidance to users, particularly those with specific medical problems that need uncommon medicines during the pharmaceutical choosing process. Requirement Analysis Functional Requirements 1. The system should allow the user/patient to search for medicines according to the name or condition it treats. 2. The system should provide location details of the pharmacies that have the searched medicines in stock. 3. The system should allow the user to create profiles to save address and credit card information and keep track of delivery information. 4. The system should have a payment gateway integrated to handle online payments. 5. The system should allow users to enable notifications for when a drug becomes available. Non-functional requirements 1. The system should be fast and responsive to allow a smooth user experience. 2. The system should be designed in a way that it is easily accessible by different kinds of people with various computer literacy level. 3. The system should have strong security configurations to protect the privacy of the user and the pharmacy information. 4. The system should be compatible with multiple devices and platforms. 80 5. The system should be available 24/7 to provide services to users at any time. System Design and Development Process Design: Module 1: Manage user profile Application will allow users to create profiles to maintain their orders and have notifications on for availability of certain medicines. 1. User provide credentials. 2. User provide personal details. 3. User provide payment details (credit/debit card). 4. System validate and verify registration details. 5. User verify account. 6. System create user profile. Module 2: Search medicine The system should allow the user/patient to search for medicines according to the name or condition it treats. 1. User provide search term. 2. System provide suggestions based on the search input. 3. User choose a suggestion and/or click enter. 4. System fetch the results matching the search term. 5. User sort and filter search results. 6. System display results based on the sorting and filtering. 7. User select desired medicine. Module 3: View pharmacy locations The system should provide location details of the pharmacies around the user that have the searched drug in stock. 1. System provide pharmacy locations. 2. User select pharmacy. Module 4: Manage purchases A secure payment gateway will be required for conducting payments for the medications requested from the pharmacies as well as order placement 81 options will be provided for customers who do not wish to go for an online delivery. 1. User provide prescription details. 2. User confirm delivery details. 3. User choose payment option. 4. User place order. 5. System track order status. Module 5: Manage notifications Users will be given options to enable notifications for when any medications are available what they have searched are back in stock. 1. User searches for a medication that is currently out of stock. 2. User selects the option to enable notifications for the out-of-stock medication. 3. User provides their contact information. 4. The searched medication becomes available. 5. User receives the notification. Data Design: User Entity • UserID (Primary Key, INT): A unique identifier for each user. • Username (VARCHAR): The username used for logging into the system. • Password (VARCHAR): The password associated with the user's account. • Role (ENUM: Admin, Pharmacist, Client): Specifies the role of the user within the system, whether they are an admin, pharmacist, or client. Pharmacy Entity • PharmacyID (Primary Key, INT): A unique identifier for each pharmacy. • Name (VARCHAR): The name of the pharmacy. • Location (VARCHAR): The location of the pharmacy. Pharmacist Entity • PharmacistID (Primary Key, INT): A unique identifier for each pharmacist. • PharmacyID (Foreign Key, references Pharmacy. PharmacyID, INT): References the Pharmacy entity to associate the pharmacist with a pharmacy. • Name (VARCHAR): The name of the pharmacist. 82 • ContactInfo (VARCHAR): Contact information for the pharmacist. Medicine Entity • MedicineID (Primary Key, INT): A unique identifier for each medicine. • Name (VARCHAR): The name of the medication. • Dosage (VARCHAR): Information about the dosage of the medication. Stock Entity • StockID (Primary Key, INT): A unique identifier for each stock record. • PharmacyID (Foreign Key, references Pharmacy. PharmacyID, INT): References the Pharmacy entity to associate the stock record with a pharmacy. • MedicineID (Foreign Key, references Medicine. MedicineID, INT): References the Medicine entity to associate the stock record with a specific medicine. • Quantity (INT): The quantity of the medication available in the pharmacy's stock. • AvailabilityStatus (ENUM: Available, OutOfStock): Indicates whether the medication is available or out of stock. Prescription Entity • PrescriptionID (Primary Key, INT): A unique identifier for each prescription. • UserID (Foreign Key, references User. UserID, INT): References the User entity to associate the prescription with a client. • MedicineID (Foreign Key, references Medicine. MedicineID, INT): References the Medicine entity to specify the prescribed medication. • PharmacyID (Foreign Key, references Pharmacy. PharmacyID, INT): References the Pharmacy entity to indicate the pharmacy where the prescription is sent. • Quantity (INT): The quantity of the prescribed medication. • OrderDate (DATETIME): The date and time when the prescription is created. • Status (ENUM: Pending, Fulfilled, Cancelled): Tracks the status of the prescription, whether it's pending, fulfilled, or cancelled. 83 UI Design: 1. Home Screen: Includes a search bar prominently where users can enter the name of a medicine or a medical condition. 2. Search Functionality: Provides suggestions and auto-complete options as users type in the search bar to assist them in finding the right medicine. 3. Medicine Listings: Displays search results or medicine listings in a clear and organized manner. Includes relevant details such as the medicine name, dosage, price, availability, and any user ratings or reviews. 4. Detailed Medicine Information: When users select a specific medicine, provide comprehensive information about the medication, including its uses, dosage instructions, side effects, precautions, and contraindications, uses a structured layout with headings, bullet points, and expandable sections to present information in a scannable format. 5. User Reviews and Ratings: Allows users to rate and review medicines. Displays average ratings and user feedback prominently to help users make informed decisions. 6. Medicine Availability and Ordering: When the app allows, users to purchase medicines online, clearly indicates the availability of each medicine and provides options to add items to a cart or initiate the purchase process. 7. User Accounts and Personalization: Implements user accounts to enable personalized experiences. Allows users to create profiles, save their frequently purchased medicines, track their order history, and set preferences for dosage reminders or notifications related to their medications. 8. Visual Design: Uses a color scheme that reflects trust and professionalism and consider utilizing appropriate icons and imagery to enhance user comprehension. 9. Intuitive Navigation: Designs a navigation menu or a hierarchy that allows users to easily access different sections of the app, such as search, categories, account settings, and customer support. 84 Development Methodology used: The Waterfall software development approach was used as the development methodology and the team followed the stages of the Software Development Life Cycle. Technologies used: The primary development language chosen for this project was pure PHP, complemented by JavaScript, HTML and CSS to create a dynamic and user-friendly web application. For software creation, we utilized the "Visual Studio Code" integrated development environment (IDE). MySQL was used as the DBMS. Conclusion The creation and deployment of the “Pharma Hunt” the online uncommon drug finding system represents a significant step forward from the available drug finding applications in Sri Lanka. The user-centric design of the system and its powerful functionalities have successfully handled crucial difficulties linked with uncommon medicine finding, procurement and patient information privacy. The system's streamlined approach to medicine finding and procurement has greatly decreased the time and effort previously consumed by patients and caregivers in seeking for uncommon medicines. Access to accurate and dependable drug information has not only enhanced patient safety but also adherence to prescribed regimens accurately. Developers are planning to improve the system to mobile app using React Native and Non-relational databases. “Pharma Hunt” will consider in adding a subscription plan function as a future improvement, to make it easier to get long-term prescriptions. This innovation streamlines the procedure, ensuring users with chronic diseases have regular and hasslefree access to their necessary drugs. By incorporating with this subscription plan functionality, it demonstrates Pharma Hunt's dedication of improving user experience and prioritizing access to critical medications, resulting in better health management for people with long-term illnesses.