INNOVATORS

• Raees Carim (BSc Con 2020) created a new home-grown app PharmaGo, which facilitates deliveries for essential over-the-counter medication. This alumnus, who has also completed his honours in quantity surveying, came up with the idea when an immune-compromised relative needed medication. He said the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns allowed him more time on PharmaGo as university classes were being conducted online. At launch, PharmaGo had a nationwide footprint, with 73 pharmacies on board, and claims to be the only service that delivers medical essentials free of charge within a 20km-50km radius, depending on location. It uses existing distribution networks for deliveries, along with pharmacies that employ drivers to deliver.

• Mbuso Thwala (BPharm 2020) and Mpho Maake (BPharm 2020) secured R100 000 seed funding for their automated anitmicrobal-surface coated pill-dispensing innovation Ra-Pill. The invention was part of the Prospector@WITS course, run by Wits Enterprise. Ra-Pill assists in the rapid and accurate counting of tablets or capsules dispensed to patients and reduces the risk of human error and potential contamination in the dispensing process. The Ra-Pill’s development builds on the success of the initial conceptualisation and prototype development of Ra-Pill, from their BPharm 3 project for the PharmApprentice programme. The PharmApprentice programme, in partnership with Aspen Pharmacare, facilitates pharmaceutical business leadership development and a growth mind-set for entrepreneurship and innovation in pharmacy.