Summary
People are more or less having problems with the misuse, waste, and expiration of drugs. JFTM ( Just For Taking Medicine ) is a service concept that provides patients end-to-end experience going through the complete life cycle of drugs – from purchasing to managing and recycling. For this design, I was granted an invention patent and an Honourable Mention award of Red Dot Award in Service Design category.
Main Challenges
- Various and long-time span touch points
- Designing service for multiple using scenarios
Research And Analysis
Based on user interviews and journey maps, problems that arise during the process from drug purchasing, using, and disposing are found as below.
Need drugs
- Get sick, or
- Family get sick
Find and buy
- Go to a pharmacy
- Find and buy the durg
Take drugs
- Read directions
- Take the drug
Finish
- Label and store the drug
Need again
- Get sick again
- Dig out the drug
Dispose
- The drug has expired
- Try to dispose
Opportunity
Find an easier way for people who are not feeling well
Opportunity
Provide a better experience of directions reading
Opportunity
Find a way to help the customers to manage drug’s information, especially the expiration dates.
Opportunity
Find a way for the customers to dispose their drugs
The Service System
The system map shows a drug’s life cycle highlighted in BLUE (distributing) and GREEN (returning) in drug’s flow. There are two products – a management app, and vending machines supporting the eight steps/touch points of the service.
Vending Machine
Order drugs online, pick them from the neighborhood!
The vending machines are located conveniently in residential areas and workplaces, customers can buy or pick up medicines they ordered online. If a medicine is no longer needed, the customer can send it back to the vending machine. Those drugs that have not expired will be resold at a discount for charity, and the expired ones will be disposed in appropriate methods.
Buy exactly the amount of drug that patients need
Drugs can be individually packaged. This encourages patients to buy the exact amount of drugs they need. At the end of the purchase process, the vending machine provides a small bag in which to enclose the individually packaged medicine. A QR code is provided to the customer to get drug’s information through a mobile app.
Drug Management App
An easier and safer way to use drugs
Customers can use cell phones to scan the QR code on the package to register new medicines. The JFTM app helps to provide all the information about the medicines and reminds people to take drugs on time and in the correct volume.
Order / refill
Search and order new medicines, or refill those what are going to run out
Directions
Forget the drug instructions on the small printed labels! The JFTM app provides easy-to-read information users need.
Drug taking schedule
Follow the step-to-step instruction to take medicines at right time and in correct dosage
Expiration reminder
With the reminders, people can always know the expiration date of the drugs and decide in advance how to deal with those that are expiring soon.
