Nearly 400k use NHS App prescription tracker since launch

NHS England has confirmed that nearly 400,000 people have used a prescription tracking feature in the NHS App in the first 10 weeks since its launch.

The ‘Amazon-style’ tracker, which was rolled out in the app in May 2025, allows people to check the status of their medications and has been used 715,000 times since May.

Around 1,650 high street chemists, including every Boots in England – are now offering the service, which enables patients to check if their medicines are ‘ready to collect’ or ‘dispatched by pharmacy’ if they are being delivered.

Since the launch, nearly 4.4 million people have viewed their prescription in the app, with 394,000 also using the app’s new tracking feature to check whether their prescription was ready.

Dr Vin Diwakar, clinical transformation director at NHS England, said: “It’s brilliant that so many people are making use of the new Amazon-style tracking feature in the NHS App, which means you can now be sure your prescription is ready before setting off to the chemist.

“For those who rely on regular prescriptions, the tracker offers near real-time updates on when their medicines are ready, like you can get for your online shopping, and this is all part of our shift to give people more control over their care through the NHS App.

“It’s also freeing up more time for pharmacists to spend with their patients by cutting the number of calls to chemists.

“We’re seeing millions more people using the app to easily order repeat prescriptions and get faster access to their test results – I’d encourage anyone who hasn’t logged in for a while to take a look and see how the new features can help them manage their healthcare from wherever they are.”

The government’s 10 year health plan, published on 3 July 2025, sets out how the NHS App will act as a digital front door to the health service, overhauling how people get advice, manage appointments and interact with services to make their healthcare more convenient and more personalised.

Under the plan, patients will be able to book, move and cancel all their appointments on the app with the aim of ending the ‘8am scramble’ for a GP appointment.

The NHS App will also use AI to provide instant advice for patients who need non-urgent care through the ‘My GP’ feature.

Wes Streeting, health secretary, said: “Nearly 400,000 people are already using our new prescription tracker through the NHS App because it saves them time and hassle – no more queuing up at the pharmacy only to find their medicines aren’t ready and no more time-consuming phone calls with pharmacy staff.

“Get the NHS App now – track your prescriptions, skip the in-person lines, and free up both yours and your pharmacist’s time.

“Through our Plan for Change we are dragging the NHS into the digital age and giving patients more control and choice over their healthcare.”