ED 'vending machine' sells patient meds 24/7
Machine offers time savings, convenience
When patients are discharged from the ED at Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar, MN, they never need to worry about how and where to obtain their take-home meds. Since Sept. 19, 2007, they have been able to obtain their prescription meds directly from a "vending machine" located in the department and operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The machine, provided by InstyMeds Corp. of Eden Prairie, MN, had first been proposed by the hospital's CEO about five years ago, but it took several years of follow-up by ED management before it was purchased. "Originally, when we visited early adopters, we learned there were concerns about meds getting stuck, or patients not getting the right meds, so we decided not to mess with it," recalls Kathy Hunt, RN, MS, director of emergency services. "However, as we continued to ask other people at medical meetings, we learned that the company had done their due diligence and created a system that was robotic, centralized, and available 24/7."
There was definitely a need for such a machine, notes June Boie, RN, MA, an ED nurse clinician who was involved in the process. "Giving patients take-home meds took a lot of ED staff time and pharmacy time," she recalls. "Plus, we could give them a six-pack of pain meds or antibiotics, but they'd also require a prescription [from a retail pharmacy.]"
Willmar does not have a retail pharmacy that is open 24 hours at day, so that created problems for patients discharged after hours, Hunt says. "Out here on the prairie, patients come from far away and they would be upset that they needed to make another trip." Now, she notes, before they leave the lobby, they have their scrip filled.
The logistics of getting meds, say industry sources, also can be a big issue for single parents who have a sick child, or for single adults caring for a sick elderly parent.
Automated vending
The machine, which cost about $1,000 (paid for out of the pharmacy budget) has internal cameras and pulleys to identify and deliver the appropriate meds. "It can match the bar code [on the prescription] with the meds, which it reads as it dispenses it out of the shelf. Then it reads the label to make sure the doc and the scrip match, and then it does a third bar-code check," notes Boie.
The machine is located in the lobby's patient communications center. When a patient is ready to be discharged, the physician can write the prescription online using the InstyMeds portal, print patient education information, and give patients the code to the machine. "When the physician enters the prescription to the InstyMeds web site, it 'spits out' a code, which is printed out on sheet of paper, and lists the meds you can get with that code," says Boie.
After the visit is finished, Hunt calls the receptionist to say the patient is coming out with an InstyMeds card. The machine tells the patient to "insert credit card," much as an ATM would. "Once the patient has been identified, they type in the 'car wash code' and the machine brings up a screen that allows them to select their prescription."
Patients can pay by credit card, by debit card, or by cash. "The system figures out the copay based on the patient's registration information," says Boie. "If the patient feels the copay is not right, there is a phone on the machine that connects them directly to InstyMeds, and they can figure out what the problem is." (InstyMeds, she explains, also is a retail pharmacy, so they have the ability to double-check insurance issues.) If the patient does not speak English, they also can access a translator through this phone line.
Saving staff time
Since the staff do not maintain or directly interface with the machine, they spend much less time than in the past on the prescription process. "The staff do help some patients, such as the elderly, if they need it," says Boie. "We decide what meds go into the machine, but the pharmacy techs load it."
Currently, the ED managers can choose from a menu of about 70 drugs. "We use mostly pain meds and antibiotics," says Boie. There have been some adjustments made based on which medications were used most often, she adds. "The machine audits itself," adds Hunt. "It tells you the stock is low, and the pharmacist technicians come down and restock it."
The patients love the machine, Boie reports. While the hospital has not performed a formal survey, she notes that during the recent health fair, they received several positive comments from patients. She quotes one who said: "I was tearfully grateful for it. I have no idea where in the world I could have gone otherwise."
The staff "love the freedom," says Hunt, adding that she feels the same way. "I'd never go back," she says.
Sources/Resource
For more information on using medication vending machines, contact:
- June Boie, RN, MA, ED Nurse Clinician; Kathy Hunt, RN, MS, Director of Emergency Services, Rice Memorial Hospital, Willmar, MN. Phone: (320) 231-4580.
For more information on medication vending machines, contact: InstyMeds Corp., Eden Prairie, MN. Phone: (952) 653-2525. Fax: (952) 653-2540. E-mail: [email protected]. Web: www.instymeds.com.
When patients are discharged from the ED at Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar, MN, they never need to worry about how and where to obtain their take-home meds. Since Sept. 19, 2007, they have been able to obtain their prescription meds directly from a "vending machine" located in the department and operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content