The service enables users to search for duty pharmacies and provides geo-referencing of results, providing information about those pharmacies nearest to the users. Information is available: Via the web, on the Lazio Region web portal; via WAP, connecting through mobile phone, smart-phone or PDA, or via SMS, sending a short text message to the number provided by Lazio Region. The duty pharmacies rota is provided by the Order of Pharmacists, in compliance with the protocol of intent signed between LAit S.p.A and the Order of Pharmacists of the Province of Rome, for the development of a project for the geo-referencing of all pharmacies of the Province.

Description of the way to implement the initiative

According to the Protocol of Intent, the Order of Pharmacists will provide LAit with a database containing the IDs of all pharmacies of the Province of Rome, as well as the daily schedule of the opening hours and pharmacies that are open at night. By September 2006, LAit will enable the Order of Pharmacists to access the programme for the scheduling of rotas and will establish a password-protected area for pharmacies, which can be accessed to print out the rota with the three nearest pharmacies open in the area, suggesting the shortest way to reach them. Data provided by the Order of Pharmacists only comprise the area of the city of Rome. Currently there is no database available for pharmacies rota in the Province of Rome, which often do not follow the same regulations as the capital.

Technology solution

The MAM Poller periodically (according to a period defined by the configuration file) activates the reception WebService provided by LAit S.p.a. that queries the MAM Server. Every time that the MAM Poller receives one or more SMS replies, it memorizes the SMS in an Oracle database and subsequently notifies the Message Handling WebService (MHWS) of the arrival of new messages. The MHWS reads the new messages from the database and simultaneously reads an XML configuration file that contains the mapping of the Keyword Message-Application-Protocol supported by the application. When reading the XML file, the MHWS is able to select the application to forward to the received SMS, using the right protocol. When the message has been sent to the correct configured application, the MHWS sets the received message flag in the database. If one of the receiver applications is currently unavailable, the in-coming message is not lost: the MAM Poller, in fact, periodically (according to a period defined by the configuration file) activates the MHWS with suitable parameters to re-manage the previously failed application messages.

Return on investment

Return on investment: Not applicable / Not available

Lessons learnt

So far, we can state that with an investment lower than 100.000 euros a useful service could be offered to citizens for free (excluding SMS, at the rate of the network manager). Furthermore, the platform providing information is user- friendly and therefore capable of responding to the requirements of a non-expert public. Scope: Regional (sub-national)