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AfroCentric INTEGRATED ANNUAL REPORT 2016
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ALLEGRA (continued)
Allegra’s strategic focus supports AfroCentric’s strategy of
lowering healthcare costs and its activities equally align with
this strategic objective. Allegra seeks to diversify revenue
streams and identify opportunities for growth by entering
new, non-pharmacy market segments, such as biokinetics,
dietician and GP practices. Allegra’s systems are capable of
servicing those sectors and only requires the development of
interfaces to link with sectoral platforms. Allegra expects to
be active in these markets by 2017.
Allegra strives to enhance the customer experience of
scheme members at the point of care by providing biometric
data that will allow a truly interactive encounter to healthcare
workers.
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
The emerging NHI presents scope for Allegra’s software
solutions to create an electronic health record, linking public
sector to primary health clinics, allowing patients to access
care on the move. For example, migrant workers in the
mining and other labour-intensive sectors in South Africa
can visit a clinic outside of their usual locality for ongoing
treatment for chronic conditions, ensuring continuity of care.
Allegra systems also allow for movement of clinical and
claims data between point of care and administration
points, whether private medical administrators or NHI. The
opportunities presented by the NHI will not be realised in
the short term, and much remains to be understood about
how the legislation will be implemented. The uncertainty
surrounding NHI represents a risk and a challenge. Allegra
is, however, confident that we have the know-how and
resources to be a key service provider to this critical initiative.
Allegra is committed to upskilling the healthcare profession
through the use of technology and its software has the
ability to power such a network. Allegra employees can train
nurses on the use of software. This will position the Group
to provide the necessary services to the GEMS, Polmed and
Bonitas schemes as well as the NHI.
The majority of Allegra’s income is derived from the
pharmacy sector. Allegra is poised to move into non-
pharmacy claims with a competitive offering for service
providers. The Company is also in the process of developing
a practice management application for the biokineticist
segment, to be distributed by SmartHealth (value-added
resellers), enabling transfer of clinical data to funders.
PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW AND OUTLOOK
There were significant project achievements in the Group’s
Polmed take-on and in the Medirite pilot project advancing
to operational functionality.
Allegra was contracted by MediRite Pharmacy (Pharmacies
in Checkers and Shoprite stores) to implement a Retail
Pharmacy Solution into their pharmacies. We are pleased
to announce that the project has now transitioned from
the pilot phase into the implementation phase. Allegra has
been granted approval to continue with the implementation
of their new Retail Pharmacy Solution into all MediRite
Retail Pharmacy stores in South Africa. Implementation has
commenced and is planned to be completed over an
18 month period.
Allegra is pleased to have secured the contract to provide
services to Alpha Pharm for the Alpha Clin franchise network.
The Company entered into partnership with SmartHealth
value-added resellers for entry into the biokineticist market
segment. Allegra also introduced a children’s module to the
Discovery Vitality suite of products.
Looking ahead, Allegra will continue with its quest to change
the healthcare delivery model from one of reactive treatment
to proactive prevention. It intends to do this by optimising
partnerships with pharmacies and funders, by extending its
geographical footprint into Zimbabwe, and by expanding its
reach into new, non-pharmacy market segments.