A physician electronically enters a prescription into a Web-based processing system, which ties in with the InstyMeds computer and gives the patient an access code. If the patient chooses to fill the prescription before leaving the hospital, he or she enters the code at the vending machine, which knows the co-pay or deductible and will charge accordingly. InstyMeds accepts cash, and credit or debit cards. InstyMeds also dispenses patient education materials about the medication.
“It’s very helpful for rural facilities without 24-hour pharmacies in the area,” said Shelley Simkins, RN, BSN, emergency department nurse manager at Buffalo Hospital in Buffalo, Minnesota. “The nurses like it as an alternative to a regular prescription. It has decreased the number of prescriptions nurses have to call into pharmacies.”
If the patient cannot afford the medication, the hospital can direct the machine to dispense it and bill the facility for the drug. Patients experiencing difficulty operating the machine can call a 24-hour help line, staffed by a pharmacist, for assistance. Operators can look at cameras within the unit and eliminate most jams remotely.
The hospital decides what medications to stock in the InstyMeds.
“It’s very helpful for rural facilities without 24-hour pharmacies in the area,” said Shelley Simkins, RN, BSN, emergency department nurse manager at Buffalo Hospital in Buffalo, Minnesota. “The nurses like it as an alternative to a regular prescription. It has decreased the number of prescriptions nurses have to call into pharmacies.”
If the patient cannot afford the medication, the hospital can direct the machine to dispense it and bill the facility for the drug. Patients experiencing difficulty operating the machine can call a 24-hour help line, staffed by a pharmacist, for assistance. Operators can look at cameras within the unit and eliminate most jams remotely.
The hospital decides what medications to stock in the InstyMeds.
Full Article: http://www.nursezone.com/Nursing-News-Events/devices-and-technology.aspx?ID=18807&Tab=1
alright this is just riduculous anymore. meds vending machine. i was wlaking in oxford valley mall and they had a hair and acne product vending maachines.
ReplyDeletehaha wow i didnt know this existed. you can get your perscriptions from a machine? very interresting.. im not sure if i trust that..
ReplyDeleteWow this is interesting. Talk about impersonal. These machines can fill your precription, but what about consulting a pharmacist? Not everyone can remember what medications they are on, so doctors at the emergency room writing the script could be prescribing a medication that does not mix with another medication the patient is on. This can be life threatening. Sometimes doctors prescribe a medication and don't realize that it shouldn't be taken with a medication you are already on, the only saving grace is your pharmacist. They have all of your information in their computer system and they are the ones who catch the error. This machine is not going to do that for you. You can not talk to a machine about any questions you may have about the medication and talking to a pharmacist face to face is much more personal. I don't know why nurses are calling in precriptions to pharmacies when most doctors have a hand held device, as small a blackberry, that send the precription right to the pharmacy.
ReplyDeleteThis is actually rather convenient. This is better than waiting for a prescription to be filled normally. As long as all the proper data is given to the doctor, he/she should make a reasonable assumption on what medication to take. The help-line will benefit first-time users. The only real problem is that vending machines cannot carry everything. The medication you need may not be there.
ReplyDeleteWow. I really don't even know what to really think about this. Part of me thinks this is a good idea, but then I'm not sure. It is pretty convenient.
ReplyDeleteSoon, the only jobs people will be able to hold are the ones that create machines that take over jobs..
As long as insurance carriers will accept this pill vending machine, it seems like a good idea. But if I were a mad, pill-head junkie I think I would try to steal this whole vending machine or at least brake into it. It might be a security concern.
ReplyDeleteFor a system like this to be allowed to be put in place there would need to be plenty of security measures, so I feel that this could be an interesting concept. I just feel that once you get a prescription from a doctor, you generally just run over to CVS or Rite Aid to get the prescription anyway. For people "on the go", a vending machine like this could be an applicable solution.
ReplyDelete