It’s getting nasty, folks. In one corner, (big) pharmacy, duking it out with the Ontario government in the other. It’s all over proposed changes to the province’s prescription drug system. But long before this battle got brewing, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre was piloting a broader solution. Call it, thinking inside the box.
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!
Brilliant 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?
An ATM approach to health care does not appeal to many. Why put a barrier between the pharmacist and the patient?
Drug 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.
I 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.