Start-up company Dimec has been bought by the Co-op as the retailer sets its sights on the health technology sector.
Co-op Ventures announced on 14 September that it had acquired the repeat prescriptions ordering app for an undisclosed sum.
Dimec works by linking a patient’s phone directly to their NHS GP and pharmacy and then letting them pick where to collect medicines from at the touch of a button.
It is the first acquisition by Ventures, the new innovation unit established by the Co-op.
The retailer hopes the acquisition will help it create a digital pharmacy for its members and customers.
Tim Davies, director of Co-op Ventures, said: “The acquisition of Dimec allows us to accelerate the development of our healthcare proposition, and provides the technology required to ensure customers can interact with their NHS GP more conveniently.
“The clear focus for our Ventures team is to target markets where there are unmet customer needs and where our Co-op difference adds real value using innovative digital business models.
“We’ll do it with a brand that we know people trust. Our healthcare offer will be designed for convenience and to meet the increasingly complex health and wellbeing needs of people as they live longer.
“The acquisition of Dimec is a core element in delivering this ambition and we’ll be providing more detail early next year in terms of our of wider customer offer.”
As reported by Digital Health News in May, Dimec announced it was the first services in the UK to allow patients to choose any high street pharmacy to collect their prescription.