Asepha AI Platform Streamlines Pharmacy Operations with Automation

The Healthcare Bottleneck

The healthcare industry is facing a critical operational crisis, with 70% of U.S. pharmacies operating understaffed. Pharmacists spend up to 90% of their time on administrative tasks rather than clinical care, impacting both profitability and patient outcomes.

The Birth of Asepha

Eunice Wu, a practicing pharmacist, experienced this frustration firsthand. "I entered healthcare to help patients, but we were bogged down by admin work," Wu told PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster. Her daily workflow involved opening 10 different tabs for routine tasks, each taking six minutes or more. In 2023, Wu partnered with software engineer Can Uncu to launch Asepha, a health tech startup leveraging AI to automate pharmacy operations.

How Asepha Works

Asepha’s platform features three specialized AI agents:

1. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Agent: Digitizes handwritten prescriptions with 96% accuracy.
2. Call-Handling Agent: Automates 70% of inbound calls, reducing staff workload.
3. Browser Navigation Agent: Accelerates web-based workflows.

The platform integrates seamlessly with existing pharmacy systems, requiring no overhaul. "Everything about Asepha is modular," Wu said, emphasizing its adaptability across different regions.

Measurable Impact

• 67% efficiency gain: Reduced a 6-minute task to 2 minutes.
• Faster prescription turnaround: From 48+ hours to 24 hours.
• 71% preference for AI responses: Pharmacists favored Asepha’s AI over human responses in trials.

Market Validation

Asepha recently closed a $4 million seed round led by Glasswing Ventures and Core Innovation Capital, with participation from Ripple Ventures and others. The startup has secured Fortune 50 clients and operates in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Funding will support engineering expansion and international growth.

Regulatory Compliance

Asepha’s modular architecture ensures compliance with healthcare regulations across jurisdictions. "Pharmacists can now prescribe, but they can’t add tasks without alleviating old ones," Wu noted. By automating admin work, Asepha enables pharmacies to focus on higher-margin clinical services.