What is the name of your organization?
SwipeRx
What is the name of your solution?
Pharmacy-Focused Tech
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
SwipeRx: Scalable, tech-powered solution to reduce AMR by improving antibiotic stock management and dispensing practices at retail pharmacies in SEA
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Singapore
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
VNM
What type of organization is your solution team?
For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models
Film your elevator pitch.
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What specific problem are you solving?
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health crisis, contributing to 1.27 million deaths annually. Southeast Asia has some of the highest AMR rates, driven by over-prescribing and poor antibiotic stock management and dispensing at community pharmacies. In Vietnam, 88–97% of pharmacies reportedly dispense antibiotics without a prescription. This is due to high demand for self-medication, lack of pharmacist training, and limited post-training monitoring to ensure adherence to appropriate practices.
Vietnam’s pharmacy sector—like much of Southeast Asia’s—is vast and fragmented, making offline engagement costly and inefficient. As a result, most countries lack systems to build capacity, track compliance, or enforce antibiotic stewardship among pharmacies. Despite being key access points for antibiotics, pharmacies are often excluded from National Action Plans due to the limitations of offline oversight.
Most pharmacies rely on offline or inconsistent systems, increasing the risk of expired or substandard antibiotics. Only 49% of rural and 70% of urban pharmacies in Vietnam reported using a point-of-sale system (POSS) in 2022—and mainly to track sales, not inventory. Barriers to consistent use include lack of mobile access, offline/online hybrid functions, complete drug catalogs, and user-friendly design, based on research by SwipeRx with support from FIND. https://www.finddx.org/
What is your solution?
SwipeRx is a free, pharmacy-focused mobile app that equips pharmacists and pharmacy staff with tools and resources on their mobile devices. It offers: (i) accredited training and quality improvement (QI) tools for CPD and relicensing; (ii) connection to thousands of retail pharmacists and experts via Southeast Asia’s largest digital community of practice; (iii) timely updates from health authorities; (iv) an online drug directory; and (v) e-tools to enhance pharmacy operations, care quality, and reporting.
Over 310,000 pharmacy professionals across Vietnam and five other Southeast Asian countries use SwipeRx to solve pharmacy-specific challenges. In Vietnam alone, more than 16,000 pharmacy professionals from all 64 provinces have used the app since 2020—two-thirds of them women.
Global health partners—including WHO, the World Bank, the Fleming Fund, USAID, the Gates Foundation, and the Global Fund—have leveraged SwipeRx to engage retail pharmacies through:
• Data collection to inform and evaluate public health programs
• Delivery of accredited training for pharmacy capacity-building
• Promotion of e-tools for client referrals, stock management, and compliance with pharmacy best practices
A SwipeRx demo showcasing the pharmacist user experience is available here: https://bit.ly/42M7xb7
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
The SwipeRx app serves more than 310,000 pharmacy professionals in Southeast Asia, including over 16,000 in Vietnam. Through SwipeRx, pharmacy professionals can access information, training, expert advice, and e-tools to operate more efficiently and effectively. With over two-thirds of users being women, the app is essential for those balancing responsibilities at work and home. SwipeRx removes barriers to continuing professional development and access to tools and advice that help pharmacy professionals enhance their knowledge and skills—providing tips and tools through a conveniently accessible, free app.
Use of the SwipeRx app has a positive impact on the quality of care received by thousands of clients served by pharmacies each day. Many people in Southeast Asia and other LMICs seek care from pharmacies due to convenient hours, a wide range of medicines, and perceived easy access and friendly service. Numerous studies have documented the critical role pharmacies play in serving groups underserved by the public health system—such as adolescents, informal workers, undocumented migrants, and ethnic minorities—who may face structural, logistical, or social barriers to accessing care in the public sector. [1,2]
[1] https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/78269/7/78269.pdf
[2] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10460015/