A new digital prescription tracking feature has been launched on the NHS App, offering millions of patients real-time updates on the status of their medicines and helping to ease pressures on community pharmacy services.
NHS England confirmed this week that nearly 1,500 high street pharmacies, including every Boots store in England, are now providing the service, which enables patients to monitor their prescriptions in a manner akin to popular online retail tracking systems.
The feature allows app users to see whether their prescription is “ready to collect” or has been “dispatched by pharmacy” if being delivered, reducing the volume of phone calls to pharmacies.
Currently, an estimated 45% of incoming calls to community pharmacies are from patients enquiring about the status of their prescriptions.
A new digital prescription tracking feature has been launched on the NHS App
The rollout is part of a wider strategy to digitise NHS services and streamline operational pressures. NHS England anticipates the service will extend to around 5,000 additional pharmacies over the next year, ultimately covering 60% of community pharmacies in England.
Dr Vin Diwakar, Clinical Transformation Director at NHS England, commented: “We know that people want more control over how they manage their healthcare and the new prescription tracking feature in the NHS App offers exactly that. It will also help tackle the administrative burden on pharmacists, allowing them to focus more of their time on delivering health services and advice to patients.”
The launch aligns with ongoing government initiatives to enhance the digital infrastructure of the NHS, with a stated ambition to move the service “from analogue to digital” under the government’s Plan for Change.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, said: “If patients can track the journey of their food shop, they should be able to do the same with their prescriptions. By harnessing the power and efficiency of modern tech, we’re saving patients time, driving productivity and freeing up hardworking pharmacists to do what they do best — helping patients, not providing status updates.”
The launch aligns with ongoing government initiatives to enhance the digital infrastructure of the NHS
The prescription tracking service is one of several digital enhancements being introduced to the NHS App. Already, it features a barcode service for patients without a nominated pharmacy, viewed an average of 2.1 million times each month.
Prescription ordering through the app has also seen significant growth, with repeat prescription requests rising from 3.9 million in April 2024 to 5.5 million in April 2025 — a 40% increase.
The NHS App currently has 37.4 million registered users, with 11.4 million people using it each month.
Further updates are planned for the app in the coming months, including additional appointment booking options and expanded patient choice, reinforcing the government’s pledge to modernise the health service and reduce waiting times.