Information Systems:Medicine Centre App

This page is a compilation of info regarding the app. Pharmacy Services can reorganize content as they see fit. 

Overview

In 2016 a mobile app was developed by Cellflare for uniPHARM member pharmacies and their customers. Its main features are:

• Lists locations of uniPHARM member pharmacies (hours of operation, services offered, and contact info).
• Allows customers to submit prescription refill requests to a member pharmacy.
• Allows customers to submit new prescription fills by taking a photo of their prescription.
• Allows stores to hold promotions through in-app coupons (less-used feature).

Setting up a new store for the app

This process will normally be done by Pharmacy Services.

The administration website can be accessed here: https://cellflareclients.com, using the following credentials:

• Username: webmaster@unipharm.com
• Password: unipharmAPP15

Logging in with these credentials allows you to see and manage all stores. (On a side note, the same site is used by the stores to log in, but with their credentials they will only be able to see and manage their own account/profile.)

1. Create the store using the link at the top of the page.
2. Use the store's main email as the username, and '123abc' as the temporary password.
3. Check the 'Login', 'Send By FAX', and 'Send By Email' boxes.
4. Select a Fax service at random. These are just alternativess.
5. Fill in as much store information as is currently known. The store can always update their profile later, but ideally, the store should have a few things filled in as this info is published to the app immediately.
6. Click 'Save'. Changes should be reflected in the app (although closing and re-opening the app is likely required).
7. Provide the store with the URL and login credentials.

What to tell the new store

Here are a few key points to share with the shareholder upon initial setup:

• Their store will be listed as a location in the Medicine Centre App. If they are a non-banner (non-MC) store, they will be listed with an orange icon to differentiate them from banner stores, which are listed with the MC logo.
• The store should sign in once initially to validate and manage their profile at https://cellflareclients.com, with the credentials provided. It is encouraged that their password be changed upon initial login.
• Rx refill is set up and live. Prescription requests can be submitted by customers. Please ensure the specified fax line and email address are being monitored.
• When selecting FAX, select either A, B, or C as the fax service. These are different back-end fax routes intended to be chosen at random. An alternative service can be selected should the store experience any issues with the current one.
• The store can view the log of submitted requests (but not the requests themselves e.g. no Rx info) in the Rx Transactions tab.

Cellflare and app development

Contact info:

Keith Tsao
kt@cellflare.com
647-478-1947 ext 788

• Cellflare is a mobile app development company. They have developed very similar apps for other chain pharmacies.
• App publishing requires Google Play Development and Apple Developer accounts.

Cellflare back-end infrastructure

The following is an excerpt of an email to one of our shareholder pharmacies that had concerns about back-end/server-side security. It is included here for reference purposes.

- Cellflare uses an all-Canadian, highest-tier cloud provider to host their services. Certain technical staff at Cellflare are provisioned access (through security cards) to the data centre, but otherwise, they do not own or operate the physical infrastructure. This provider is ISO-compliant (presumably security standards).

- Refill and new prescription fill requests actually do get stored on their servers for a period of 6 months, after which the data is automatically purged. This data resides in the datacentre referred to above. Keith 
mentioned that they actually used to store data indefinitely, but a company decision was made a few years ago to purge the data after 6 months. 

- Cellflare has created similiar apps (but with even greater functionality) for banner programs of other large wholesalers (McKesson, Pharmasave). As larger organizations, Keith said these organizations went through a more 
rigorous investigation of how Cellflare operates prior to doing business with them, and since they did follow through and are doing business with them currently, this in itself is proof that they approve of their technical 
infrastructure.

- When asked what the weakest point (security-wise) in the flow of data would be, Keith actually thinks it's the fax element. Cellflare uses a cloud fax service (also all-Canadian) to transmit the Rx requests to pharmacies. It is not the security of the cloud fax provider that he was alluding to, but rather the insecure nature of analog fax itself (it's not encrypted). Since fax remains a core requirement (and if not, then still a favorable method of communication by many) at pharmacies, there is really no way around this.

Troubleshooting and administration tips

• Delayed refill requests: A store reported that they received refill requests late and thus had customers come in expecting to pick up prescriptions that weren't filled. In this case, the store only had fax transmission enabled. Fax is an unreliable (read: utter garbage) method of transmission. Email or email and fax (or email) should be recommended.
• Refill requests sent via email to stores come from @cellflareclients.com. For issues related to receiving emails, always check Barracuda.

(Editor's Notes)

• Maybe this page should be renamed to 'administration of the app'.-norwizzle (talk)
• Write section on Push messaging feature.
• Include screenshots.
• Discuss the Rx refill form on the MC website and how it submits to this same backend.
• Verify with Cellflare that the Rx Transactions tab only shows submissions from the app (or also the web form?).