Bupa and MedAdvisor Collaboration

MedAdvisor today announced an exciting new relationship with Australian healthcare group Bupa at a launch event in Sydney.

Together the two organisations will bring MedAdvisor to Bupa customers and the wider Australian community through MedAdvisor’s network of connected community pharmacies.

MedAdvisor CEO Josh Swinnerton said he was thrilled to welcome Bupa as MedAdvisor’s official health partner.

"Bupa is a leading Australian healthcare organisation and is genuinely committed to improving health outcomes for all Australians. They will be a vital partner for us in broadening MedAdvisor’s reach, through communication to their 4 million customers and beyond, to the broader community," said Josh.

"Bupa will be working closely with MedAdvisor to inform the community about the importance of better managing and understanding their medication. This includes informing customers about MedAdvisor and helping them locate pharmacies and groups offering MedAdvisor" he said.

MedAdvisor is proving popular among consumers. Its mobile 'app' versions reached top 2 positions in the most downloaded free medical apps in both Android (Google Play) and Apple App Stores in March this year – well ahead of any other pharmacy-related app systems.

Bupa Medical Director, Shared Services, Dr Tim Ross said Bupa is keenly aware of the significant challenge that medication non-adherence presents to patient outcomes.

"Failure to take medications as prescribed can have a substantial negative impact on health outcomes by making treatments less effective, increasing the risk of complications or even reducing quality of life," said Tim.

"As a business that is passionately committed to helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives, we are thrilled to partner with MedAdvisor to help tackle this challenge. We believe that MedAdvisor is a fantastic example of how technological solutions can empower people to improve their health outcomes through better managing their medicines."

The initial objectives of the collaboration will be to:

• Inform the Australian community of the various problems that arise from medication non-adherence and the significant impact on therapy and risks associated with mismanagement.
• Inform the Australian community of the availability and capabilities of the MedAdvisor medication management system.
• Promoting the use of MedAdvisor’s Carer Mode™ capability to allow those that assist others in their use of medications to utilise all MedAdvisor’s features on behalf of the cared for individual.
• Providing individuals with information so they can connect to MedAdvisor Network Pharmacies to activate their free MedAdvisor account. This will include easy access to the MedAdvisor Network Pharmacy search and directory listing for all MedAdvisor Network Pharmacies, and display of pharmacy logos and branding in listings.

Promotion of the above messages will occur through PR outreach and advertising in media including TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, online, through disease and illness assistance communities and their publications, health/medical charity groups, through the Bupa network, through social media, on Bupa and MedAdvisor’s websites, forums, blogs and in Bupa and MedAdvisor mobile apps as appropriate.

To promote this important health partnership, MedAdvisor's web and app user experiences, videos, and print marketing and training material will now be co-branded with the Bupa logo and "Official Health Partner" designation. Importantly, this co-branding does not impose any limitations on the availability of MedAdvisor -- which remains available to all Australian consumers free of charge, via community pharmacies connected to the MedAdvisor platform.

These efforts from commence in late July and will form a sustained and ongoing initiative into 2015 and beyond.