CardLink integration for pharmacy apps
Let users redeem an e-prescription by holding their health card against their phone – we integrate the CardLink SDK into your app.
NFC, the German eGK health card and gematik's requirements are unforgiving in the detail. We have built this path for a production pharmacy app and know where users otherwise drop out.
What CardLink solves
With CardLink, users retrieve their e-prescriptions by holding their electronic health card against an NFC-capable phone – no card reader, no PIN letter. For pharmacies that means prescriptions arrive where paper or a large platform used to stand.
NFC is the critical moment: most drop-offs happen between the card, the antenna position and the timeout. We guide users through that step rather than merely making it technically possible.
A fallback is part of the job: not every device and not every card cooperates. The DataMatrix code on the printed prescription keeps the route open without NFC.
Privacy is architecture, not an add-on: health data demands clear boundaries – what leaves the device, where it rests, and for how long.
PoPP is coming: from late 2026 PoPP joins CardLink. We build the integration so the second route can be added rather than replacing the first.
Our CardLink services
We do not just integrate the SDK: we own the chain from the card tap to the prescription landing in your pharmacy's system.
CardLink SDK integration
NFC flow & user guidance
DataMatrix as a fallback
FHIR processing
Connection to the pharmacy system
Privacy & operations
What matters with CardLink
Four things decide whether users actually redeem their prescription – learned on a production project:
The card contact has to work first time
The NFC antenna sits in a different place on every phone. We show in the flow where the card belongs, keep the attempt open instead of aborting it, and explain errors in words rather than codes.
It must not end without NFC
An older device, a locked card, a customer new to smartphones: the DataMatrix code on the printout keeps the route open and rescues a substantial share of redemptions.
The prescription must arrive, not just be retrieved
Between retrieval and medication sits the pharmacy's own system. Only once delivery, status feedback and error handling run cleanly does the app actually take work off the team behind the counter.
Build ready for PoPP
PoPP joins CardLink from late 2026. Wrapping retrieval behind your own interface means the second procedure can be added later – instead of rebuilding the flow.
Our e-prescription app for local pharmacies shows what this looks like in practice: CardLink and PoPP integrated into Flutter, with a Laravel backend and a connection to the pharmacy system.
Planning a pharmacy app, or want CardLink in an existing one? In a free first call we work through feasibility, effort and the open compliance questions.
Success stories
with measurable results
GUTEFRAGE.NET / HIGHFIVVE
Largest German-language question-and-answer portal
Anyone looking for an app development agency will be delighted with Johnny Bytes. We held a workshop with gutefrage.net on the topic of apps and app SDKs and had a very in-depth and detailed exchange. The knowledge and experience that Johnny Bytes brings to the table is remarkable.
Nepomuk Seiler
JUST HEALTH GMBH
Therapy management platform for leading German cancer centres
Johnny Bytes was a complete game-changer for our digital health app. Their expertise is outstanding; they got up to speed in record time and drove our development forward with decisive technical insights. We absolutely recommend them for any complex app project.
Maximilian Roederstein
EMPOWER GMBH
World-leading provider of Microsoft Office applications
In the development of our software suite, we faced complex challenges. Johnny Bytes provided more than just strategic advice; they actively supported our development process and were decisive in its successful execution.
Stephan Kuhnert
APOTHEKE LUX 99
Leading pharmacy for medical cannabis
We wanted more than just an off-the-shelf e-prescription app; we needed a solution perfectly tailored to our pharmacy's specific workflows. Johnny Bytes' expertise in digital health was clear as they understood and executed our vision in perfect detail. The result is our very own app, which is a tremendous asset for both our customers and our team. For anyone seeking a truly custom solution, you've come to the right place.
Tobias Loder
READFY
Pioneer and leader in ad-supported e-book readers
With Readfy, up to half a million users regularly read over 130,000 ebooks for free. Johnny Bytes took over the apps for iOS and Android from our previous nearshore partner and not only brought them and the backend up to date in a very short time, but also ensured that in-app sales increased by 500%.
Philipp Ortmaier
PAGOPACE
Leading provider of NFC payment rings.
We were already able to offer our customers good hardware with our payment ring. However, Johnny Bytes helped us to build the perfect complementary software to take our product to the next level. We were kept up to date at every stage of the app development and were able to make requests immediately. With the new app, we can also sell our rings in retail stores, as customers can link their rings directly to their payment card on their cell phone.
Steffen Kirilmaz
FIRST AVENUE
#1 media house in South Tyrol
Johnny Bytes has taken over the development and support of our guest information system TIPPTHEK and migrated it to a modern and sustainable architecture in a very short time. This allows us to install TIPPTHEK in thousands of South Tyrolean accommodations and provide up to 35,000 tourists a day with personalized information about their accommodation and the surrounding area.
Michael Hölzl
STAZZLE
Innovative solutions for temporary staffing and recruitment
An agile team for whom customer satisfaction is just as important as quality, the Johnny Bytes team understands communication and requirements, asks the right questions, has a sense of humor and adheres perfectly to schedules. A strong partner that we recommend without reservation. Thank you for your support!
Tasso Mitsarakis
KOOPERATIONEN MIT HOCHSCHULEN
Innovative projects with research institutions
Together with Johnny Bytes, FH Aachen regularly conducts practice-oriented research projects as part of the Digital Lab. Most recently, prototypes for Alexa skills and AI-supported tourism solutions were created in this context. These projects are always an enrichment for our students, the university and the company.
Prof. Dr. Mathias Eggert
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Your personal contacts
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