Anglo American will be expanding its innovative pharmaceutical smart locker programme – Collect&Go smart lockers – across its mining communities in South Africa, enhancing medication access and adherence for thousands of community members managing chronic conditions.
The electronic smart lockers, implemented in partnership with Right ePharmacy and the provincial departments of health in Limpopo and Northern Cape provide convenient 24/7 access to chronic medications, allowing patients to collect their prescriptions without waiting in clinic queues, and outside of normal operating hours. This service is particularly valuable for contractors whose shift patterns make it difficult to visit clinics during standard hours.
Following a successful pilot in Anglo American Platinum communities in Limpopo province, where eight lockers were installed in the Waterberg, Fetakgomo Tubatse and Capricorn Districts; the programme has shown impressive results with a 93% successful collection rate, supporting adherence and privacy for 5700 patients on chronic medication. An additional 4 smart lockers will be installed (two in Limpopo and two Northern Cape supporting Kumba Iron Ore mining communities) by the end of the year taking the total number to 12, supporting 9450 patients in total.
“As we mark World Health Day, our smart locker initiative represents a significant advancement in our community health and well-being strategy,” says Dr Alexandra Plowright, Anglo American’s Global Head of Community Health and Wellbeing. “By providing accessible medication pick-up points, we’re strengthening local health systems while helping patients to maintain treatment adherence, which is crucial for managing chronic conditions like HIV.”
The Collect&Go™ smart lockers integrate seamlessly with South Africa’s Central Chronic Medicines Dispensing and Distribution (CCMDD) programme, functioning as external pick-up points at facilities or within communities. Each smart locker installation includes a console unit, cooling unit for temperature-sensitive medications, and multiple standard units with electronic locking mechanisms, allowing the system to service up to 1,170 customers monthly.
Currently, 5,700 clients are collecting medication via the smart lockers. With the additional planned installations, Anglo American expects this number to increase to 9,450 chronic patients supported.
The locker system complements Anglo American’s broader community health initiatives, which follow the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) “whole of society” approach. These programmes extend beyond the company’s workforce to support wider community health regardless of connection to Anglo American operations.
The Collect&Go smart lockersalso strengthen Anglo American’s existing health outreach programmes, including Coach Mpilo, which support over 7000 men with HIV and TB adherence and psychosocial support through peer networks, and the Zvandiri model, supporting 2,300 children and adolescents living with HIV.
The system offers multiple benefits beyond convenience, including secure package delivery with content privacy, remote monitoring and management capabilities, and automated patient adherence tracking. The temperature-controlled units include integrated UPS systems to maintain operation during power outages for up to six hours.
This highlights Anglo American’s commitment to technology-driven healthcare delivery, aligning with the company’s Purpose of re-imagining mining to improve people’s lives and creating sustainable value for host communities through improved healthcare accessibility and outcomes.
