Medradar is one of the applications identified by partner COPAC as part of the SHIFT-HUB project, which was showcased at the 2024 Bucharest Demo Day event. It is an application designed to help users locate pharmacies in Romania that stock specific medications.
Cristian Radulescu, one of the founders of the start-up that developed the app, reveals that the idea came up during the pandemic: “As I was working in the pharmaceutical domain, I was often called by relatives and acquaintances to help them find a certain medicine they needed; they didn’t know where to get it and couldn’t leave their homes to look for it. I had a few discussions with programmers and development companies regarding this topic, but their financial requests seemed unreasonable to me, so nothing materialized at the time. In 2023, I found out that an IT developer was working on a project similar to what I had in mind, so I approached him to see if I could help him with anything. From the very first meeting, we decided to team up and combine his weekend project with my idea and knowledge of the industry to the benefit of patients. Daniel Gorgan is the co-founder and the technical brain who turns ideas into app functionalities“, Cristian recounts.
In 2024, the partnership was formalized, the MedRadar brand was registered, and the app was officially launched. Currently, the app has over 20,000 users and more than 2,500 pharmacies are enrolled. However, the two founders believe that they are still at the beginning, and the app’s growth potential is very high, seeing that there are millions of patients in Romania.
“The app’s name is very suggestive, and it was inspired by Daniel. Essentially, it means ‘medicines radar.’ So, anyone who says that people working in IT lack creativity is wrong,” Cristian adds.
“Even if we have reached over 20,000 users, we believe that the development is still in its infancy compared to the needs of patients in Romania.”
Until now, the development of the app has been funded by the savings of the two founders. However, to accelerate development and introduce new functionalities soon, they are looking to attract investors or secure EU development funds.
“Unfortunately, the local market for angel or pre-seed funding (for start-ups in their early stages) is very limited, which makes us turn to London and Israel to present our idea. If someone from Romania wants to invest in our dream, we are open to discussions”, continued Cristian Radulescu.
About MedRadar
It is the only free mobile app available for both Apple and Android devices that helps patients find nearby pharmacies stocking the medicines they need. Please note: the app is not designed for sales; it simply shows which pharmacies have the required medicines available, without providing details on the supply levels. This feature is crucial for patients and also significant for pharmacists.
In the app, users can view the names and locations of pharmacies that are open at a given time, as well as identify which ones have a laboratory or offer flu vaccinations. Additionally, the app is available in Ukrainian and Russian to help Ukrainian refugees, who may not speak Romanian, access necessary medicines. The app displays the stock automatically, without the need to open a conversation with a pharmacist, who would then check the stock.
The founders envision that patients will be able to scan their prescriptions (whether compensated or not) in the MedRadar app, check which pharmacies have the required medicines in stock, and automatically reserve them. Patients can then visit the selected pharmacy to pick up their medications. Alongside working towards the necessary technical development, MedRadar is in contact with CNAS (Casa Națională de Asigurări de Sănătate) to connect with the SIUI system (Sistemul Informatic Unic Integrat) (e-prescription) and they are confident that with this new development, the number of application users will grow exponentially.
Cristian and Daniel envision the MedRadar app as the basis for an ecosystem comprising various applications or modules that would allow patients to manage all their medical information, including prescriptions, treatment regimens, and medication reminders. Additionally, it could provide options for scheduling doctor visits for new prescriptions (in cases of chronic diseases), and for tracking medical analyses and biological parameters communicated by smartwatches or other mobile health systems.
For more information visit: www.medradar.ro
