Imagine a large green bank machine, but instead of money, this one dispenses medications (about 300 of the most commonly prescribed drugs). It's the latest convenience in a long line of predecessors, including remote controls and cell phones. How did we live without them? Well, we could soon be saying the same thing about PharmaTrust Med Centres.
It’s an idea with long legs. As a parent, I know I’ve been stuck driving around looking for a 24-hour pharmacy on more than one occasion. With the current conflict between pharmacies and government, that could become even more difficult. This so-called “virtual pharmacy” is hoping to fill a void, especially in more remote communities.
How it works is pretty simple. After receiving your prescription from your doctor, you scan it into the machine itself. That information is transmitted to a remote pharmacist who pops up onto a television screen in front of you. You pick up the phone connected to the Med Centre and have a discussion with the pharmacist, just like you would in person, to make sure the medication is safe and appropriate. Once that’s determined, you can pay on site using your debit or credit card. And within a few minutes, the machine dispenses your medication, along with prescribing information.
The first one located in a downtown Toronto hospital is currently at Sunnybrook’s Holland Orthopaedic and Arthritic Centre. It’s also been piloted at Sunnybrook’s Bayview campus, with a thumbs-up response. Informal analysis finds most people would use it again, or recommend it to a friend.
PharmaTrust won’t replace your local or hospital pharmacy, especially for patients who would rather speak with an expert in person, but it is another choice. And it’s an innovative one that may be the future.
Neat! Great idea!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant idea--this is a quintessential response to consumer needs. Kudos to Sunnybrook for daring to be innovative and challenge the status quo and turf protection. Best of success to PharmaTrust--when are you coming to my community?
ReplyDeleteAn ATM approach to health care does not appeal to many. Why put a barrier between the pharmacist and the patient?
ReplyDeleteDrug vending machines do not allow the pharmacist to detect the physical cues of the patient. The smell of alcohol on a patient's breath can allow the pharmacist to intervene when a dangerous drug interaction may occur. This is the case with drugs such as tranquilizers, antidepressants, and warfarin to name a few. A physical barrier between the pharmacist and patient does not allow a relationship to develop which could facilitate patient care.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your comments, and for many reasons, this concept was never meant to replace the traditional pharmacy. In many instances, face to face interaction is critical. It's also preferred by many patients and pharmacists. However, the PharmaTrust model does offer another valuable option for many patients, especially those living in more remote communities.
ReplyDeleteThere are thousands of possible diseases and thousands of different medicines, it'll be hard of the bank machine to identify all diseases and provide proper prescription to the user.
ReplyDeletePhysical and online pharmacy businesses will lose sales if this machine comes out.
ReplyDeleteDoubtlessly, before you decide to place your order with any drugstore a beneficial idea is to check out its company profile to make sure you are dealing with a solemn drug vendor. As for the low prices they are of course lower online, but tied among online pharmacies there are leaders that can shroud their prices down by working directly with the largest dope manufacturers. And there is no need to worry about the fact you order most likely be offered the generic version of the drug you impecuniousness both generic and branded medicines contain exactly the exact same active ingredients and have the same effects.
ReplyDeleteThat information is transmitted to a unrelated pharmacist who pops up onto a television veil in front of you. How it works is good-looking simple. After receiving your remedy from your doctor, you scan it into the ring itself. This is the state with drugs such as tranquilizers, antidepressants, and warfarin to celebrity a few.
ReplyDeleteThe smell of alcohol on a patient's breath can allow the pharmacist to intervene when a dangerous drug interaction may occur.
ReplyDeleteAn “ATM” like machine for medicine?! That’s a brilliant idea indeed! But I think it is more convenient to look for a reputable online pharmacy to save time and effort.
ReplyDelete