# How I Finally Shipped PharmVerify NG — an AI Drug Checker for Nigerian Patients published: true tags: devchallenge, githubchallenge

> Source: <https://dev.to/victoria_robin_ffb1914a2c/how-i-finally-shipped-pharmverify-ng-an-ai-drug-checker-for-nigerian-patients-published-true-2d0p>
> Published: 2026-05-26 08:36:49+00:00

*This is a submission for the GitHub Finish-Up-A-Thon Challenge

PharmVerify NG is an AI-powered drug authenticity and alternatives checker built specifically for Nigerian patients. It lets you search any Nigerian drug name and get back real, structured information — NAFDAC registration numbers, manufacturer details, verified generic alternatives, and direct NAFDAC verification links — all powered by the Claude AI API.

🔗 Live app: [https://pharm-assist-tool.vercel.app](https://pharm-assist-tool.vercel.app)

💻 GitHub: Torisbrain/pharm-assist-tool

This project started as part of my participation in the Qubators AI Foundry Cohort 01 — a 30-day fellowship where fellows are expected to ship a real, working AI product from scratch, with equity terms and a signed MOU. No pressure, right?

The idea came from a real frustration I've watched people around me experience: buying medication in Nigeria without any easy way to verify if it's genuine, check the NAFDAC number, or know if a cheaper generic alternative exists. Fake and substandard drugs are a serious problem in Nigeria — and most patients have no accessible tool to protect themselves.

I wanted to build something that actually helps.

<Live URL: [https://pharm-assist-tool.vercel.app](https://pharm-assist-tool.vercel.app)

The app has 4 live pages:

Home — Search bar with instant drug lookup

Results — AI-generated drug profile with NAFDAC number, manufacturer, and verification link

Alternatives — Generic and equivalent drug suggestions

About — Mission and usage guide

Here's what a typical flow looks like:

User types a drug name (e.g., "Lonart DS" or "Amoxil 500mg")

Claude AI processes the query against Nigerian pharmaceutical knowledge

User gets back: NAFDAC number, manufacturer, authenticity notes, and generic alternatives

One-click link to verify directly on the NAFDAC portal

The app currently returns results for every Nigerian drug queried, with a 0% error rate on build and deployment.

Where It Started

The concept began as AuraBridge Health / Aivara Care — a broad, ambitious AI pharmacy and clinical data platform I was conceptualizing. It was a big idea with a lot of moving parts and no clear MVP scope. I had notes, rough wireframes, and a vague notion of "AI + Nigerian healthcare" — but nothing shipped.

Then Qubators happened.

When I joined the AI Foundry Cohort, the clock started ticking. 30 days. Real product. Real users. The broad concept had to be stripped down to something I could actually finish. I narrowed it from a full clinical platform to a single, high-value action: let any Nigerian patient verify a drug in under 30 seconds.

What Changed

BeforeAfterVague "AI health platform" conceptFocused drug authenticity checkerNo code, no repoDeployed to Vercel, auto-deploys on pushNo AI integrationClaude API fully connected and returning real results0 pages built4 pages live and functionalUndefined tech stackTanStack Start + Vite + Tailwind + Claude APINo user flowEnd-to-end: search → result → verify → alternatives

The biggest shift wasn't technical — it was mental. I stopped trying to build everything and started asking: "What is the one thing that makes this worth existing today?"

The answer was clear: drug verification for Nigerian patients, powered by AI, accessible from any phone.

Once I locked that in, execution became much faster. I used Lovable to scaffold the frontend quickly, connected the Claude API as the intelligence layer, set up Vercel for deployment, and pushed the repo to GitHub for version control and CI/CD via auto-deploy.

Every drug search now works. The build passes clean. The product is live.

GitHub Copilot was genuinely useful throughout this project — especially during the parts where I was moving fast and couldn't afford to slow down for boilerplate.

Where Copilot helped most:

Frontend: TanStack Start, Vite, Tailwind CSS

AI Layer: Claude API (Anthropic)

Deployment: Vercel (auto-deploy on GitHub push)

Version Control: GitHub (Torisbrain/pharm-assist-tool)

Dev Tools: Cursor, VS Code, GitHub Copilot

<! What's Next

PharmVerify NG is live but the roadmap is real:

NAFDAC database integration for direct cross-referencing

Drug interaction checker

Pharmacy locator (find where to buy verified drugs nearby)

Offline-capable PWA for low-connectivity areas

Hausa and Yoruba language support

Final Thoughts

The hardest part of finishing a project isn't the code. It's choosing what the project actually is — and being willing to ship a smaller, better version instead of waiting for the perfect one.

PharmVerify NG went from "a vague idea about AI and Nigerian healthcare" to a live, working product that any Nigerian patient can use today. It's not everything I originally imagined. It's better — because it actually exists.

Try Pharm[Verify NG live →](https://dev.tourl)

GitHub repo →[https://github.com/Torisbrain/v0-aura-pharm-app](https://github.com/Torisbrain/v0-aura-pharm-app)