Self-serve drug dispenser on its way

Automated dispensing of prescription medications may be the next entry in the growing universe of automated transactions.

An Ontario-based start-up company is introducing an automated kiosk that can read doctors’ prescriptions, dispense 150 commonly prescribed drugs, collect payment, set up live counselling with a pharmacist via a video-conferencing hookup, update patient medication files and send reports to doctors.

The machine will soon be tested. The kiosk is a complex system that uses radio frequency identification technology, data encryption, web-based video communication and robotics, but it’s as easy to operate as any automated teller machine.

The company says this automation will not only help reduce medication errors, but will also reduce lineups at the pharmacy, freeing up pharmacists’ time to provide patient counselling and concentrate on medicines that require special preparation.

Tiré de Pharmacy Gateway