Medication machine dispenses convenience

Posted by Elanora Brown on August 31st, 2017

It’s late, and your child is sick. You’ve spent three hours waiting to see a doctor, and finally get the prescription that’s needed. Now, you face the hassle of trying to find a pharmacy that’s open.

Image Source: Pexels

It’s a common problem, especially in more rural areas. And it could soon be a problem of the past, thanks to some amazing new technology called the PharmaTrust dispensary, developed by PCA Services Inc. of Oakville, Ont.

The kiosk looks like a big green bank machine, but this one dispenses about 320 of the most commonly prescribed drugs, including antibiotics and high blood pressure medications.

Users simply insert their prescriptions into a slot, scan their health card, and then pick up the phone and speak with a remote pharmacist. That pharmacist checks to make sure the prescription is safe and appropriate, and walks the patient though all they need to know before prompting the machine to dispense the drugs.

Patients can pay on site, and only have to wait five to ten minutes for their prescription. 

The kiosk won't replace the need for pharmacies, or pharmacists. But the Canadian manufacturer of this technology (Patient Care Automation Services or PCA Services) says it’s about reaching out to remote areas and improving patient accessibility and compliance.

Right now, one quarter of all prescriptions written are never filled. The device can also issue refill reminders to patients, and will eventually offer free home delivery. 

This new dispensary is currently being tested at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. It’s the first Canadian site, and so far, about 93% of patients say they like using it.

Another hospital, Cambridge Memorial in southwest ontario, plans to install the machines in its emergency department next month, while more are to be rolled out in a large Toronto doctor's office at about the same time.

The hope is to make it more widely available across Canada in the next year. There are some legal hurdles to clear, however. Remote dispensing is legal in hospitals and doctors' offices, but new proposed legislation would widen that to communities by the summer.

In our high tech world, it’s another gadget that will hopefully make our lives easier, and a little healthier too.