Script Assist launches SaaS offering, with Jersey’s Medicann as first partner

Script Assist has announced that its medical cannabis technology platform, which aims to enable an efficient medical cannabis journey for clinics, doctors and patients, will be available on a software as a service (SaaS) basis for the first time.

With its platform now expanding from a managed service model to a SaaS model, Jersey-based medical cannabis clinic Medicann has been announced as the first partner to adopt Script Assist’s new offering.

Medicann patients will now have access to Script Assist’s full range of features, enabling them to book appointments, submit one-click repeat requests for in-stock & available products, track their prescriptions and pay via the Medicann App.

Regarding the announcement of their new multi-year contract, Medicann’s CEO Gary Whipp told Business of Cannabis: “Medicann are thrilled to be partnering with Script Assist. Their SaaS offering is a game-changer and will better allow us to seamlessly integrate our patient management programmes having telehealth, prescriptions management in one place, along with real-time stock transparency, is simply revolutionary.

“At Medicann, our patients and the services we offer really does matter to us, and we know that Script Assist will furthermore enhance our patient centric experience”

Script Assist told added: “This partnership marks a significant milestone in the evolution of medical cannabis services in these regions.”

What is Script Assist?

Script Assist is a prescribing platform that aims to solve a number of obstacles faced by clinics, prescribing doctors and medical cannabis patients.

Script Assist’s Co-Founder and CEO, Ben Hamburger, explained: “When the industry legalised in 2018, we looked at all the things that need to come together, all the intersections between compliance, regulation, supply chain, customer service, training, support and data, and it looked like it was going to be extremely complicated without the right technology.”

The platform was initially aimed at addressing these issues, aggregating all of the the licences and technology into a single place and enabling a more streamlined process for private doctors and clinics.

Alongside its proprietary paired patient app, Script Assist enables clinics to streamline onboarding, consultations, prescription issuance & tracking, repeat requests and dispensing.

The platform is designed to enable both highly efficient clinic and doctor operations, alongside the sort of smooth, digital journey that consumers are accustomed to across all walks of life in 2024.

Script Assist are keen to stress that the platform fundamentally enables clinics to scale, due to its highly sophisticated inventory management capabilities.

“If I’m a patient, and I want to order a repeat request today, ultimately, I’m selecting something from a list. I don’t know if that something is available or in stock. Crucially, I also don’t know what or how much I’m allowed based on my prescription, I can just order whatever I want from a basic menu or a list of products available in excel,” Mr Hamburger continued.

Historically, clinics have responded to patients regarding their stock levels and allowances manually, leading to continued frustration over slow response times and inaccuracies.

“Script Assist is, at its core,an inventory management system. It can not only show you what’s in stock, but also give you dynamic formulary access for repeat requests based on your last prescription, including the total allowance of THC you have to spend.”

Software as a Service

Until now, this platform has only been available to doctors and private clinics on a managed service basis, meaning it works off the company’s own warehouse inventory rather than the clinic’s.

“We’ve had people come to us and say, ‘this is great, but actually, what I really want is just the tech. The licenses, the management, the fact that you have got the pharmacy and the WDA and all the infrastructure is great, but all I actually want to use is tech, and I want to use it exactly how I want to use it and have my own product on the platform’”.

Now that the software is available on a service basis, clinics are also able customise and brand the platform and patient app to suit their own needs.

Using the software, clinics with their own or outsourced pharmacy operations will now be able to manage their own inventory, handle patient records, schedules and appointments seamlessly, track and manage payments, and access patient medical records and history via integration with the NHS Spine.

“SaaS is what fast growing clinics want, managing patient demand and growth and all that kind of stuff, but the benefit now is they can do it off their own infrastructure. I think this is ultimately where Script Assist belongs in the long run.”

This article was originally published by Business of Cannabis and is reprinted here with permission.