SkipTheQ: Leveraging Digital Innovation to Strengthen Pharmacy Operations and Reduce Waiting Times in a Public Tertiary Hospital

Abstract

Long waiting times remain a persistent challenge in South African public sector pharmacies, undermining patient satisfaction and efficiency. At Kalafong Tertiary Hospital, a high-volume facility serving approximately 1000 patients daily, average waiting times reached 120 minutes, double the provincial benchmark of 60 minutes. Contributing factors included limited human resources, reliance on manual dispensing systems, and patients being ineligible for alternative distribution models, such as the Centralised Chronic Medicines Dispensing and Distribution system (CCMDD) or DAPLAPMEDS. In March 2024, the hospital pharmacy department introduced SkipTheQ, a digital booking system accessible via a mobile app, web platform and WhatsApp. The platform allows patients to schedule collection slots, enabling pharmacy staff to pre-pack prescriptions in advance. Since implementation, waiting times have dropped to 50.5 minutes, with over 6500 patients registered and more than 15 250 appointments served. Patient feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and staff report improved workload distribution. This experience demonstrates that low-cost, digital innovation can strengthen operational efficiency, improve patient experience, and align pharmacy services with broader health system goals.