Former Nottingham Forest striker Dexter Blackstock has described how some elements from his playing days have come in handy as he enters the world of business.
The goal-scorer retired from professional football in 2017 and has gone on to launch pharmaceutical firm MediConnect, which is described as a "safety net" for patients, pharmacies and manufacturers.
The venture, which is currently being piloted, offers a secured, shared database which stops people buying prescription drugs from multiple sources. It aims to clamp down on abuse and the scourge of counterfeit medicines.
Discussing the change from playing to setting up a business, Mr Blackstock said: "There are similarities. The challenge, the drive I think is similar, the work ethic you have to put in to succeed is similar, but it is a completely different realm of dealings, that’s for sure.
"In high-level sport you are always striving to move forward to the next level and this is a challenging project, make no mistake."
Ex-Forest ace Dexter Blackstock hopes to save the NHS millions with his new business
He added: "I don't really miss football to be honest because I decided to retire myself at 31 - I could have carried on at least four or five more years.
"It wasn’t solely for this (setting up the business), I wasn’t enjoying my time at Rotherham. So because I made the decision myself, I don't hold any regrets."
Mr Blackstock, 32, found the net 44 times during his career at the City Ground and went into the property market after retirement.
He told Nottinghamshire Live he had been around the pharmaceutical industry for the last four or five years and in that time "realised there were some major flaws in the system".
MediConnect was set up in response to this and Mr Blackstock, who is CEO, hopes it will be able to stamp out counterfeit drugs and save patients' lives.
The company argues it is too easy for patients to order prescriptions from multiple pharmacies, in potentially lethal doses. It says it will solve the issue using blockchain technology, which provides a database for a network of computers.
If used across the country, it would stop patients being able to order from different providers, as it will be flagged up to the prescriber, while also holding manufacturers to account.
He added: "We can track and trace drugs from manufacture to the patient, all the way down the supply chain. It will go from manufacturer, to wholesaler to pharmacy through logistics companies all the way to your door.
"We will create a unique QR code at the manufacturing stage so when it comes to you, you can see the process and see the ingredients put in and you know all the information."
The venture was opened up for crowdfunding in January and has been given permission to operate as a pilot project.
Mr Blackstock admits the technology will be expensive, but is confident it will be of interest to pharmaceutical bosses.
He said: "MediConnect is first and foremost aimed at saving lives but it has many benefits from patients through to regulatory bodies that spend millions of pounds trying to govern pharmacists to make sure they do best practice with patients."
Mr Blackstock's playing career included spells at Southampton and Queens Park Rangers, from where he made the switch to Forest, where he made more than 150 appearances. He played in the unsuccessful two-legged play-off semi final against Blackpool in 2010.
He suffered injury problems during his spell at the City Ground and he said it was his knowledge of medication that led to him going into the pharmaceutical industry.
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