Interoperability Depends on Public-Private Collaboration

Q: How did Medikit become one of the 500 leading digital brands in Mexico?

A: The health market is complex, which is why we do not see many unicorns in this sector. Medikit became a complement to all the emerging digital health tools, such as telemedicine, allowing these tools to expand in Mexico and Latin America. This ability puts us in a segment where we do not compete with any other company. Instead, we help everyone to be part of a comprehensive health ecosystem.

In healthcare, it is necessary to find these collaborations. By working as a complement, we can reach an increasingly large market that requires care. This is the only way the sector will truly consolidate.

Q: How challenging is Mexican regulation in regard to the popularization of electronic prescriptions?

A: It is a real challenge but the population can push for a change in the matter of electronic prescriptions. The main actors, such as pharmacies, laboratories, opticians and hospitals, must be role models so that doctors and, finally, the patients can use these prescriptions.

Q: What strategies is Medikit implementing to continuously improve its operations while considering patient needs?

A: All the products and digital health tools designed by Medikit have the patient’s experience at the center. If the patient does not receive value at the end of the chain, the product is likely to fail. From its conception, we are always thinking about the value a product can provide to the patient to confirm we are on the right path.

Q: What are the main obstacles to collaboration between the private and public sectors in Mexico?

A: There is no communication between the public and private sectors regarding data and operability issues. If the country does not implement a mechanism that enables the interoperability of patient data in a safe and transparent way, the gap between the two sectors will widen. Mexico has an opportunity to establish public policies that allow both sectors to safely manage information. There is a great deal of data that the government cannot see because it has no access to this information, reducing its ability to generate public health policies.

Q: How is Mexico progressing toward a fully connected health ecosystem compared to other Latin American markets?

A: Mexico’s digital ecosystem lacks clear regulations and rules, which allows the sector to be more creative when solving health problems but there must be balanced regulations. A highly regulated segment eliminates the ability to innovate but without an operating framework, innovation becomes risky because companies do not know if future regulation will end their business. We are fortunate to operate in seven countries besides Mexico. The combination of experiences in each country allows us to have a product that is flexible but compliant with security policies and information privacy.

Q: What does innovation look like for Medikit and what are your plans toward playing a role in the transformation of the health industry in Mexico?

A: Medikit started as a link between doctors and pharmacies, later evolving into a link between doctors, digital tools and pharmacies. In 2021, we expanded that chain to pharmaceuticals. The key is our ability to expand to the largest number of services and to cover the entire digital health ecosystem. This model is applicable to any type of health service. We will continue expanding our integration capabilities so any health player can join our digital integration model.

Q: How has Concierge Medikit helped the company to increase its conversion rates?

A: At first, we would sometimes be late in solving the patient's problem, becoming aware of a problem only when it was too late to react. To fix this, we stopped being reactive. Instead of waiting for customers to contact us, we contact them as soon as they receive an electronic prescription. This has greatly improved the patient experience because we offer an integrated tool to solve the problem.

Q: Medikit’s first Digital Health Connections event will take place in 2023. What is the main goal of this event?

A: While working with startups, hospitals, insurers and pharmacies, we realized that there is no real communication between these actors. Each actor wants to solve a problem, hoping that their solution will be able to operate digitally on its own. This event aims to create dialogue between the different actors in the sector and allow the creation of work plans among different segments. We hope that this event can complement the industry and be beneficial for the health market’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Q: What are Medikit’s priorities in Mexico for 2023?

A: Our priorities in Mexico have not changed; we seek to continue growing our network and the ecosystem that digital connections allow. We also want to expand our services. Starting next year, we will also begin working with the laboratories of the main health brands in Mexico. The real complexity in health services is addressing very particular and personalized services that are hard to find, which is where we will focus.

Medikit integrates doctors, health providers and patients on a single platform. It offers healthtech services, including electronic medical records, reports, dashboards, electronic prescriptions, loyalty programs, market studies and technical support.