Every second German is chronically ill / Health platform apo.com closes supply gaps / Digital services for more therapy security and self-determination
Health platform with digital services for more therapy security and self-determination
Leipzig, May 31, 2023 – Every second German is chronically ill. Of the approximately 125 million prescriptions issued quarterly across Germany, 80 percent are for chronically ill people. These patients often require lifelong treatment that requires intensive, interdisciplinary care from doctors and other health professionals. Due to the low intersectoral networking in the German health care system and the falling number of pharmacies and general practitioners, especially in rural regions, there are gaps in supply. The apo.com Group is repositioning its apo.com brand to fill these gaps. She is developing her online pharmacy into a health platform that focuses on chronically ill people and their needs. The patients are supported with digital services such as medication analysis, interaction check and pharmaceutical video consultation and provided with multimedia information about their illness in order to take their health management into their own hands.
“Most of the problems, needs and worries of chronically ill people occur outside of doctor visits. We want to be there for them, support them in all situations and give them back control of their lives. Through our individualized and intersectoral services, we can accompany chronically ill people along their entire patient journey, from the first symptoms and diagnosis to follow-up after successful therapy,” says Dr. Oliver Scheel, Chief Executive Officer of the apo.com Group. “What would make it even easier for us to support these people is the nationwide introduction of e-prescriptions in Germany. Especially with a regular, high need for medication, such as that associated with a chronic illness, that would be an enormous relief in everyday life.”
Digital services promote therapy safety and prevention
Around 40 percent of Germans have had problems with taking medicines. Overdosing or underdosing often occurs, for example due to forgotten intake or interactions due to multimedication. A medication analysis with an interaction check checks whether drugs influence each other. In this way, apo.com offers patients therapy security if multi-medication is required. An additional patient-specific medication supply consisting of a medication plan, reminders and pharmaceutical advice supports the patient in continuing the therapy consistently and in achieving the therapy goals. The starting signal for the intersectoral cooperation is an online dermatologist that is integrated into the health platform. In prevention, apo.com offers assistance at any time and from any location, including recommendations for action through symptom checks and a multimedia guide.
Knowledge strengthens self-competence and confidence in the therapy
“Most chronically ill people, but also their relatives, want to know as much as possible about the disease and its treatment and be up to date. At the same time, therapy is a challenge for many for a variety of reasons. As Patient Engagement Manager, it is our job to support patients individually. In doing so, we draw on the comprehensive know-how of our entire team, which is continuously educating itself and is in contact with patient organizations. We can offer this knowledge around the clock, regardless of where someone is,” explains Dr. Nina Unger, Patient Engagement Manager at apo.com.
apo.com provides patients with extensive, scientifically proven and at the same time easily understandable information about diseases such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes and high blood pressure. Explanatory videos, infographics and the “Chronic Human” podcast provide transparent and easy-to-understand information about the diseases, their risk factors and preventive measures. The aim is to strengthen the self-competence of the patients and to enable them to actively participate in their therapy. In addition, the platform also offers a contact point for relatives to obtain information and to be able to better support those affected.
#chronischMensch – more awareness of chronic diseases
This holistic care also helps patients with the emotional challenges of a chronic illness. People with chronic diseases often shy away from dealing with them openly because they fear negative social consequences. apo.com wants to support people with chronic diseases to be more involved in society and show them that they can lead a self-determined life despite a chronic disease. Under the motto #chronischMensch, apo.com wants to raise awareness that illness is part of life and that it should therefore have a place in society just like being healthy. Precisely because every second person in Germany is chronically ill, this is an issue that affects society as a whole.
The apo.com Group is a Europe-wide health tech company based near Leipzig, Germany. Via two highly automated pharmaceutical logistics centers, it operates, among other things, the online pharmacy apodiscounter.de and the health platform apo.com. In order to support people with their health management, the apo.com Group relies on AI-supported logistics technology, digital services and individual pharmaceutical advice. Over 75,000 products are available in a total of nine online pharmacies, including 25,000 prescription and 50,000 over-the-counter items. The long-standing partners of the apo.com Group include a network of over 300 manufacturers in Europe.
Contact
apo.com Group GmbH
Nadja Stötzner
Magdeborner Strasse 14
04416 Markkleeberg
01703315818