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Healthcare accessLiveMedication searchNearby pharmaciesFirst-call logic

Case study

PharmaPath

A pharmacy-access navigator that helps people decide which nearby pharmacies to call first.

PharmaPath pairs medication search, nearby pharmacy discovery, shortage context, and watchlist flows with a clear no-live-inventory trust boundary.

Snapshot

Role
Project Lead
Stack / tools
Next.js / React / TypeScript / Firebase / openFDA data / Mail flows
Timeline / status
RamHack 2026 / Current / Live
Core users
People looking for medication options nearby, caregivers, and family helpers.
Problem class
Medication access, public-data uncertainty, shortage context, and call prioritization.
Location
New York, New York

Problem

Medication access can become a phone-tree problem. Public data is incomplete, live inventory is not reliably available, and users need help deciding where to call first without being misled.

It matters because the user is making an operational decision with incomplete context: People trying to locate medication options nearby, plus caregivers or family members helping someone make the next practical call.

Product decision

The core judgment is that the safest useful product is a first-call navigator, not an inventory oracle. It can help someone build a shortlist, understand public shortage context, and call the best candidate first while making clear that a pharmacist must confirm final availability.

  • Made the trust boundary visible: PharmaPath does not claim live inventory.
  • Put the user sequence in the right order: build the shortlist, add medication context, then confirm final details with the pharmacy.
  • Treated healthcare UX as risk-aware, with clearer language around what the app knows and what a pharmacist must confirm.

What I did not build or claim

  • Does not claim live pharmacy inventory.
  • Does not replace a pharmacist, clinician, or medication-adherence decision.
  • Does not hide the difference between public shortage context and confirmed local availability.

System / workflow

  1. 01

    Search

    The user starts with a medication and location instead of a generic pharmacy list.

  2. 02

    Shortlist

    Nearby options are ordered around practical first-call logic.

  3. 03

    Context

    Medication and shortage signals are shown as context, with the live-inventory caveat kept visible.

  4. 04

    Handoff

    The workflow points the user toward a pharmacy call and watchlist follow-up rather than pretending the app has the final answer.

Interface mapMedication access map
Modules
  • Search
  • Nearby options
  • Shortage context
  • Watchlist
  • Call handoff
Workflow
  1. Shortlist
    medication search / pharmacy results
  2. Context
    shortage signals / availability caveat
  3. Confirm
    first-call guidance / watchlist

Prototype flow

A risk-aware medication-access flow that helps someone build a shortlist before calling a pharmacy.

First-call path
  1. 01Search medicationMedication + location

    The user starts with a specific medication need rather than a generic pharmacy directory.

    • medication
    • location
    • radius
  2. 02Review nearby optionsShortlist

    Nearby options are ordered to help the user decide where to call first.

    • distance
    • hours
    • contact
  3. 03Read shortage contextTrust boundary

    Public shortage context is shown as context, with the live-inventory caveat still visible.

    • public data
    • caveat
    • source
  4. 04Choose first callCall handoff

    The flow turns uncertainty into a practical first call instead of a false guarantee.

    • priority
    • phone
    • confirm
  5. 05WatchlistFollow-up

    The user can keep the medication visible for later checking and follow-up.

    • saved
    • alerts
    • next check
Modules
  • Medication search

    Starts from the medication and location the user cares about.

  • Nearby options

    Builds a practical shortlist of pharmacies to contact.

  • Shortage context

    Adds public context without treating it as confirmed local stock.

  • First call

    Points toward the most useful pharmacy call to make next.

  • Watchlist

    Keeps follow-up visible when the answer is not settled.

Readout

The prototype shows a first-call navigator, not an inventory oracle.

No live inventory claims. A pharmacist must confirm final availability.

What shipped / what exists

  • A medication-search app that combines medication context with nearby pharmacy discovery.
  • A cautious results model focused on best-first-call guidance instead of unsupported live stock claims.
  • Watchlist, alert, mail, pharmacy-search, and medication-index flows covered by production-oriented scripts and tests.

Architecture notes

  • Next.js App Router and React interface.
  • TypeScript application logic with pharmacy search, medication assets, openFDA normalization/shortage handling, notifications, and watchlist tests.
  • Firebase-backed account/security surfaces and mail flows where configured.

Evidence / proof

Open live siteBack to work

Live RamHack-winning medication-access navigator for search, shortage context, watchlist, and first-call handoff without live-inventory claims.

  • Live app at pharmapath.org.
  • Fordham RamHack winning project.
  • Repo includes release verification, browser proof, pharmacy-search tests, openFDA tests, notification tests, medication-index tests, and passkey/auth tests.

Constraints

  • Does not claim live pharmacy inventory.
  • Pharmacist confirmation remains the final availability check.

Recognition

  • Fordham RamHack winner

Visual artifact

No real project screenshots are tracked in this repository. The interface map is used as an honest structural proof panel, not as a screenshot or invented metric.

Next steps

  • Make call-priority reasoning easier to inspect without making the results feel clinical or overloaded.
  • Keep shortage and medication context clearer when public data is sparse.
  • Improve watchlist feedback so users understand what changed and what still requires pharmacy confirmation.

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