How a 105-Year-Old Pharmacy Created RxPak to Go Global

Sometimes, the most ambitious ideas don’t start in boardrooms. They start with legacy.

For Francine Haughton Adam, RxPak wasn’t just an app—it was the digital future of a century-old family pharmacy rooted in care, trust, and community. Developed with AppVerticals, RxPak turned from a local Jamaican business into a global, on-demand pharmacy application.

And it all began with a government grant—and a developer who walked away mid-project.

A Legacy Reinvented

Francine comes from a family rooted in pharmacy. Her great-grandfather started the business, followed by her grandfather and father—who has served as a pharmacist for over 60 years. Today, Francine leads the charge into the digital age.

When the Development Bank of Jamaica offered a grant to help small businesses scale, she applied—and won. With funding secured, she set out to build an app that would take the pharmacy global.

She hired a local developer to bring her idea to life. But he quit at the last minute—right in the middle of the project.

That’s when the crisis hit.

Her husband posted an SOS online. Within 24 hours, proposals poured in. One of them was from AppVerticals.

The Partnership That Delivered

Working across time zones, the AppVerticals team brought RxPak to life in under five months. The soft launch happened in January. By February 29th—Leap Day—the Prime Minister of Jamaica officially launched it.

RxPak was live. And more importantly, it worked.

What the App Actually Does

At its core, RxPak makes healthcare more accessible. Users can:

• Order a 30-day supply of medications
  
• Schedule drone deliveries across Mandeville
  
• Use a built-in digital wallet (RxPlus) that offers cashback rewards
  
• Support family members remotely, even from the UK or US
  

But the app is more than a feature list. It’s a bridge between generations. Grandchildren are teaching their grandparents to use it. Homebound customers are receiving care without ever stepping outside. And in a country still warming up to mobile money, RxPak is setting a new standard.

Challenges? Of Course.

Aside from the false start with the original developer, Francine had to manage cultural gaps, limited local infrastructure, and the learning curve of tech development. But she credits the AppVerticals team for making things easier.

“They didn’t expect me to know it all,” she said. “I told them what I needed—and they figured out how to build it.”

The project became a case study in clarity and collaboration. Biweekly calls. Shared documents. Clear priorities. And a steady feedback loop that kept things moving—even when the going got hard.

Advice for New App Founders

Francine doesn’t sugarcoat it.

Building an app is hard. It takes time, money, and an unreasonable amount of patience. But if you’re clear on the problem you want to solve—and if you find the right development partner—you can make it work.

Her recommendation? “Do your research. Know your costs. And talk to AppVerticals early.”

What’s Next?

RxPak isn’t stopping here. Francine is exploring a white-label model, where other small businesses in Jamaica can plug into the RxPlus wallet and offer their products through the platform. She’s ramping up marketing efforts—from social media to radio to a full-blown TV campaign.

Because, as she puts it: “We might be small. But we’re global now.”

🎧 Watch the full conversation on YouTube: