A low-cost, centralized medicine inventory system for Doctors on Ground (DnG)
Doctors on Ground (DnG) is a healthcare-focused NGO operating across various locations to deliver essential medical care. One of their core logistical challenges is efficiently managing medicine inventory - especially tracking inventory, expiry dates and ensuring timely disposal.
Currently, this process is entirely manual, leading to:
- Disconnected databases across sites
- Higher risk of expired or mismanaged medicines
- Increased administrative burden
- No centralized visibility over inventory
- 🔄 Manual data entry is inefficient and error-prone
- 🏥 Each site uses an independent, uncoordinated system
- 📦 Expired medicines are not always removed promptly
- 💸 Barcode scanners are costly and difficult to scale across locations
- 🌐 Online database services often require paid subscriptions at scale
MedicineScanner aims to build a centralized, low-cost medicine tracking system by:
- 📱 Using smartphone cameras to scan medicine barcodes, avoiding the need for expensive hardware
- ☁️ Creating a free, unified online database accessible across all field sites
- 📊 Offering a simple, intuitive interface for logging, querying, and monitoring medicine stock and expiry dates
- 🔒 Enabling secure, accurate, and real-time data synchronization
- ⏰ Sending reminders for medicines that are near or past their expiry dates
- Keep the system free and maintainable
- Enable quick data entry using smartphone barcode scanning
- Offer web-based or lightweight mobile access for remote clinics
- Allow alerts for soon-to-expire or recalled medications
- Saves time and resources for healthcare workers
- Reduces waste due to expired medication
- Improves patient safety and supply chain visibility
- Enables better coordination across DnG’s medical outreach network
This project is being developed in collaboration with DnG to improve healthcare delivery through technology and smart logistics.