Mexican startup Medicato wants to offer digital prescriptions

Contxto – Mexican Medicato has carried out a self-diagnosis and concluded a new feature must be added to its app: digital prescriptions.

So besides connecting patients and physicians via videoconference for medical consultations, Medicato wants patients to be able to receive their prescriptions digitally.

Nonetheless, considering the sensitivity that is healthcare, the startup requires government approval. 

So for now, it’s waiting for authorization from Mexico’s Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risk, or Cofepris for short. This agency is tasked with regulating various health-related areas; among which is granting of permits for digital prescriptions.

Virtual medical consultations

Alberto Hauser founded Medicato and it began operating in July of 2019. The startup reportedly has over 10,000 registered users with access to 100 certified physicians 24/7. Impressive numbers for such a young startup.

And considering that when a person is sick, a simplified process to reach a doctor is crucial. This is something Medicato offers in just a few steps via its app. 

All a user needs to do is sign up, indicate their symptoms or medical branch they seek, and pay using the app. After this, the platform will connect the user with the corresponding medic to hold a videoconference.

When all is said and done, the doctor sends the patient a medical report. In it, the physician may designate medications that don’t require a prescription.

Until the startup obtains the Cofepris’ good blessings, things will likely remain this way.

Digital prescription

Nevertheless, according to Medicato, up until now, around 80 percent of its hosted consultations haven’t resulted in the need for a medical prescription. 

Consequently, electronic prescriptions can be labeled as a “nice to have” feature. But it’s likely that as the startup grows, so will the demand for this perk. So Medicato is getting ahead of the curve by completing the vetting process with the Mexican government.

All in all, this startup offers a healthier alternative to those disastrous self-diagnoses we run using Google. And it’s probably a great option for emergencies. 

However, I’m still a fan of in person-consultations to assure the doctor obtains all the necessary information to make an accurate diagnosis.

-ML