Doctors/Nurses/Pharmacists needed for Irish iPhone App

shgavman

Hey there, I've just finished an iPhone app that gives the Summary Product Characteristics for all the human medicines listed in the Irish Medicines Board database.

I'd be happy to give it free to a couple of boards users in exchange for any feedback on it.

I only have one doctor friend She loves it but I want to make sure that I've catered for pharmacists/nurses/other doctors.

I'm hoping Irish health practitioners will like it because none of the existing iOS drugs directories (there's LOADS!) are based on use in Ireland.

I won't link it here because it might be considered advertising.

Anyone that's interested let me know and I'll PM you a promo code. I have 5 to give away.

Thanks!

Ghostswimmer

Hi there.

I'm a pharmacist and I'm interested in checking it out.

Thanks

shgavman

PM with promo code sent Ghost swimmer.

You'll find the app by searching 'IMB Search'

Thanks!

foodaholic

I'm a nurse and would be interested

sillymoo

Also interested I'm a doc thanks

Vorsprung

I'm in paeds at the moment, wouldn't mind having a look at it if you have paeds meds.

shgavman

Vorsprung wrote: »

I'm in paeds at the moment, wouldn't mind having a look at it if you have paeds meds.

It has everything listed in the Irish Medicines Board Database.

I assume that's OK for you?? I'm not a doctor myself but I've noticed that there are often dosages for children given in the Summary Product Characteristic documents.

Here's an example of an SPC doc for a Beclazone 50 microgram inhaler. You can see that there is an adult and a child dosage. Will I send you a promo code?

RobFowl

Am a GP and would be interested as well

Vorsprung

shgavman wrote: »

It has everything listed in the Irish Medicines Board Database.

I assume that's OK for you?? I'm not a doctor myself but I've noticed that there are often dosages for children given in the Summary Product Characteristic documents.

Here's an example of an SPC doc for a Beclazone 50 microgram inhaler. You can see that there is an adult and a child dosage. Will I send you a promo code?

I might pass, just so that someone who might use it a bit more can get it and give you better feedback; I'm using paeds BNFs at the moment, and because we have loads of them at work, it's my go to book these days rather than my phone. If no-one else bites, I'll happily take a code and play with it.

pc11

Got an Android version?

shgavman

@ PC11, no android version at the moment. Possibly in the future depending on the success of the iOS.

@everyone else, I have no more free versions at the moment so I hope those that got one like it.

One question I have to you all is on the price. It's €4.49 at the moment but to be honest I probably need to increase it in the future. Apple take 30% and I'd need a lot of downloads to recoup the time put into it. Any comments on the price?

locum-motion

Thanks, I got my promo download of the app. Have looked at it quickly, but haven't used it 'in anger' yet.

Do you want feedback here in public, or by PM?

shgavman

Here publicly would be great. I'm hoping the only feedback will be "It's perfect, don't change a thing". I've considered features like favouriting certain medicines but decided against it and opted for something stripped back and fast.

locum-motion

Initial impression: What you have created is essentially a search engine that searches one specific database. As it happens, that database is one that I use quite commonly. However, 99% of the times that I do, I am standing in front of a desktop machine with internet connectivity, so other things being equal I'd probably just continue to search it there.

However, other things aren't equal. The IMB has made it quite difficult to search that database. In oder to get to the search box, you have to:
1. Go to www.imb.ie
2. Click 'Human Medicines' in the red banner near the top. This causes a menu to appear on the left of the screen.
3. Click 'Human Medicines' (again!) in this menu. This causes a drop down menu to appear.
4. Click 'Human Medicines Listing' (is anyone seeing a pattern here yet?) in this menu.

The search box now appears. I have not found a quicker way to get to the search box. If there is one, let me know! (Yes, I know I could Bookmark/Favourite it. But I'm a locum. That means I could be standing in front of a different machine every day, and each one might be one that I've never stood in front of before. The chances of the regular pharmacist having bookmarked it before me are relatively slim. In fact, I regularly find icons for Internet Explorer, Google Chrome & Mozilla Firefox all on the same machine, and I don't even know which one the usual pharmacist uses as their first choice. So I might look for it in Mozilla Bookmarks, but it might be in Explorer Favourites!)

On your app, however, the search box is right there when I open the app. Score one point for you.

On the IMB site, once you've searched for and found the right product, it doesn't then take you directly to the SPC document - you have to click a link on the page that does come up. Your app brings you straight to the SPC document. Score another point for you.

Some medicinal products didn't receive their product authorisation from the IMB; they get a Europe-wide authorisation from the European Medicines Agency (an example, if anyone's interested, is Keppra). For these products, the SPC doesn't appear in the IMB database. In this case, the IMB website offers a link to the EMA website, so you can search for it there (note; you have to search again when you get there, it doesn't carry your search over from what you already typed). On your app, when it can't find the SPC for one of these products, it offers to take you to the IMB site (from where you follow the link to the EMA site as I just mentioned). Score one point to www.imb.ie, for one step less. (Can you have your app search here too? Then you'd get that point back!)

So, if I need to settle an argument in the pub, I'll use your app. If I'm at work, I'll probably continue to use www.imb.ie (especially if I know the search page has been bookmarked previously)

Nonoperational

Is the IMB website superior to medicines.ie for some reason? Seems easier to navigate medicines.ie?

locum-motion

Nonoperational wrote: »

Is the IMB website superior to medicines.ie for some reason? Seems easier to navigate medicines.ie?

Medicines.ie is the website of IPHA ( the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association, a representative association). Therefore it includes details of products manufactured by its members, and only products manufactured by its members.

www.imb.ie is the website of the Irish Medicines Board (a regulatory organisation) and it includes details of all products that it has authorised (plus, as I said, a link to help you find info on those that are centrally authorised by the EMA)

shgavman

Some very good points Locum-motion. You are spot on about the laborious nature of navigating to the search box with the IMB website. That and the non-mobile friendly website is why I saw a need for the app. So yes, it would be most advantageous to those who aren't going to be by a desktop (doctors/nurses).

Also, a good point on the EMA search. I had noticed that the IMB links to it. I should be able to incorporate a similar link. The EMA page is in Javascript though so not I'm sure if it will be easy to open the 'keyword search' tab and include the searched term. I'll definitely take a look so thanks for the suggestion.

shgavman

Nonoperational wrote: »

Is the IMB website superior to medicines.ie for some reason? Seems easier to navigate medicines.ie?

It does seem easier but navigating either on a mobile is sub-par. Also, accessing these webpages on your phone means having to load the entire page even though you're only interested in the search box. My app runs quickly - Even over a data connection.

Ghostswimmer

Locum-motion,

On the IMB site, why don't you use the quick link on the left panel of the homepage to get to the medicines listing?

On the left side of the home screen, where it says View & Search Product Listings, there's a symbol of a capsule and tablet with Human under it. There's no need to go through the multiple clicking steps that way.

locum-motion

Ghostswimmer wrote: »

...why don't you use the quick link on the left panel of the homepage to get to the medicines listing?..

Coz I'd never noticed that before! Thanks!

beeno67

Are you allowed do this? Would have thought IMB would do their own app at some stage and wouldn't be keen for others to take potential income from them.

locum-motion

beeno67 wrote: »

Are you allowed do this? Would have thought IMB would do their own app at some stage and wouldn't be keen for others to take potential income from them.

Can't see why not. It's not copyrighted information. Or, at least, if it is, it's not the IMB's copywright.

shgavman

I just got contacted by the IMB. They're fine with me using the database but they've asked me to change the logo so it doesn't say IMB in it. They don't want it to seem like they've endorsed this app which I can understand.

Just so everyone knows, I did try to contact the IMB 3 times in March when I started work on the app but I didn't get any responses.

The woman who contacted me was actually very nice and understanding. I told them I'd be interested in developing official apps (including iPad and android versions) for them. Hopefully the current one will be well received and they consider me as their developer. It would be really amazing if any of you that like it could recommend it to your friends/colleagues and ask them to rate it. It would really help me out.

partyatmygaff

For anyone associated with TCD who has the right credentials (IMB excluded as no login is required), there's a touch-friendly site that offers live search of the BNF, BP + IMB with side-by-side viewing of the BNF + BP/IMB (toggled).

It's used mainly by pharmacy students but others may find it useful.

BNF/BP live search
BNF/IMB live search
http://www.ducopharm.com

Kwekubo

locum-motion wrote: »

Medicines.ie is the website of IPHA ( the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association, a representative association). Therefore it includes details of products manufactured by its members, and only products manufactured by its members.

www.imb.ie is the website of the Irish Medicines Board (a regulatory organisation) and it includes details of all products that it has authorised (plus, as I said, a link to help you find info on those that are centrally authorised by the EMA)

Fascinating, thank you for this... just qualified last month and in our pharm lectures we were only ever told about medicines.ie, I was completely unaware of imb.ie.

echo beach

Kwekubo wrote: »

Fascinating, thank you for this... just qualified last month and in our pharm lectures we were only ever told about medicines.ie, I was completely unaware of imb.ie.

If the IMB find out about your ignorance you could find you aren't qualified at all.:)

Seriously I am surprised that the site of a commercial body is used rather than that of the official regulator. How do you get information on generics? Many of them are not licensed for all the indications of the originator.

Rick Dagless

Interesting thread

shgavman

Any other thoughts from anyone else that has used the App so far?

niamhsligo

Is easier to use medicines.ie but not all products espec branded generics are listed whereas all are on IMB