New mobile health program offers pharmacy access through a kiosk

[Kevin.Mero]

A mobile health program developed by MedAvail and being tested in Arizona will use kiosks to connect consumers to pharmacy services, including video access to a pharmacist. Six kiosks called MedCenters have been deployed in such public locations as pharmacies and clinics in Phoenix and Tucson through a partnership with Express Scripts. The kiosks offer users round-the-clock access to an online pharmacy. "This technology also could help community pharmacists increase their community presence and the efficiency of their operations, relieve congestion at retail pharmacy counters, extend a pharmacy’s hours of operation, and allow pharmacists to focus on their important role in providing clinical care to patients," says Glen Stettin, MD, chief innovation officer at Express Scripts. Consumers can use the kiosks to get prescriptions filled in just 90 seconds for certain chronic, acute, and OTC medications. They can also talk privately with a multilingual pharmacist. "Licensed pharmacists perform the professional functions associated with prescription dispensing, including review of medical history, allergy, potential interaction with other drugs being taken, and patient counseling, so safety concerns can be addressed prior to picking up the prescription," says Stettin.

New Mobile Health Program Offers Pharmacy Access Through a Kiosk

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[Prepharm1214]

A little late to this party

Hope you have your student loans paid off already...

 

[BidingMyTime]

Kiosks are nothing new, they go back at least 10 years: Push-button pill-popping kiosk tested at hospital | The Star
There are a lot of limitations with them, which is why there are still employed pharmacists.

 

[Kevin.Mero]

Kiosks are nothing new, they go back at least 10 years: Push-button pill-popping kiosk tested at hospital | The Star
There are a lot of limitations with them, which is why there are still employed pharmacists.

I mean no disrespect, but as I have witnessed so many changes affecting the practice of pharmacy since the advent of the Internet, I wouldn't even know where to begin to respond to your comment. I do hope you're right tho, we need all of the employed pharmacists we can get!!

 

[BidingMyTime]

I mean no disrespect, but as I have witnessed so many changes affecting the practice of pharmacy since the advent of the Internet, I wouldn't even know where to begin to respond to your comment. I do hope you're right tho, we need all of the employed pharmacists we can get!!

Oh no doubt as technology changes, my statement will change. But the kiosks as they currently exist today, are not going to do away with pharmacists.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

Kiosks are nothing new, they go back at least 10 years: Push-button pill-popping kiosk tested at hospital | The Star
There are a lot of limitations with them, which is why there are still employed pharmacists.

LOL... Everytime I click a Kevin thread I feel like I've traveled 10 years into the past

 

[Kevin.Mero]

Oh no doubt as technology changes, my statement will change. But the kiosks as they currently exist today, are not going to do away with pharmacists.

Agreed ... but when you add in the changes most likely coming from a technology standpoint coupled with the fact that Techs can now immunize, expansion of Tech-Check-Tech, the Tech-only pharmacies, Pharmacy Tech Residencies, etc. I see a trend line that includes everything BUT the expansion of Pharmacists. That's my concern!!

 

[Kevin.Mero]

LOL... Everytime I click a Kevin thread I feel like I've traveled 10 years into the past

10 years? Just wait until we get back into the 1990's decade! Hey, last year I couldn't spell "salesman" now I are one, lol!

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

10 years? Just wait until we get back into the 1990's decade! Hey, last year I couldn't spell "salesman" now I are one, lol!

Hahahah

 

[Kevin.Mero]

Hahahah

The first gen of real-time clinical surveillance we developed was in 1999 and on a Blackberry, nearly 10 years before the iPhone launched, lol!!

 

[BidingMyTime]

Agreed ... but when you add in the changes most likely coming from a technology standpoint coupled with the fact that Techs can now immunize, expansion of Tech-Check-Tech, the Tech-only pharmacies, Pharmacy Tech Residencies, etc. I see a trend line that includes everything BUT the expansion of Pharmacists. That's my concern!!
.

Most states do not allow technician immunization. Tech-Check-Tech has been around since at least the early 90's, I don't know that it's expanding that much. As hospitals did away with cart fills, going with Pyxis/Omnicells, then there was more for techs to check, since techs were already the ones loading and checking these machines, but I haven't seen any expansion beyond that. Tech-only pharmacies are few and far between, generally states only allowed in remote areas, and there is still a remote pharmacist overseeing them. Pharmacy tech residencies sounds like a scam, like pharmacy tech schools are.

 

[baronzb]

Most states do not allow technician immunization. Tech-Check-Tech has been around since at least the early 90's, I don't know that it's expanding that much. As hospitals did away with cart fills, going with Pyxis/Omnicells, then there was more for techs to check, since techs were already the ones loading and checking these machines, but I haven't seen any expansion beyond that. Tech-only pharmacies are few and far between, generally states only allowed in remote areas, and there is still a remote pharmacist overseeing them. Pharmacy tech residencies sounds like a scam, like pharmacy tech schools are.

It seems that the chains are given a loophole to allow non-certifed techs to work for up to 6 months-1 year before certification requirements. Given the turnover of tech jobs, that would cover at least half of staffing. Do you ever see the tech certification ever having teeth or pharm tech schools becoming mandatory?

 

[Kevin.Mero]

Most states do not allow technician immunization. Tech-Check-Tech has been around since at least the early 90's, I don't know that it's expanding that much. As hospitals did away with cart fills, going with Pyxis/Omnicells, then there was more for techs to check, since techs were already the ones loading and checking these machines, but I haven't seen any expansion beyond that. Tech-only pharmacies are few and far between, generally states only allowed in remote areas, and there is still a remote pharmacist overseeing them. Pharmacy tech residencies sounds like a scam, like pharmacy tech schools are.

While I don't necessarily disagree with anything you have said, my concern (or at least awareness) is on the trend line. Idaho may be the only State to approve immunization by Techs ... but it's a start! T-C-T may have been around for 20+ years but's def expanding. Tele-pharmacy is now approved in 38 States. Tech-only Pharmacies are only operating in 3 States with FL pending ... but again it's a start! What if all of these Pharmacists who say, "Well, if I can't get a job in X city, I'll just go to a rural area" and they begin to bump into tech-only pharmacies and/or remote order entry being done from miles away?

Re tech residencies sounding like a scam, I'm not sure Cedars-Sinai's 50-week Technician Residency would agree with you. Check out the comments from the ASHP Foundation Pharmacy Forecast 2018 / Implementation of a pharmacy technician residency program in a teaching hospital (Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles). Paper presented at ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. Las Vegas, NV; 2016 Dec 4.
ASHP Foundation Pharmacy Forecast 2018: Strategic Planning Advice for Pharmacy Departments in Hospitals and Health SystemsForewordIntroduction: Strategic planning in challenging timesTherapeutic innovation: Impact of precision medicineThe future of data, analytics, and information technologyThe future business of pharmacyComplex times: Leaders thinking and acting differentlyAdvanced pharmacy technician roles: Professionalizing pharmacy’s technical workforcePopulation health management: A community imperativePublic policy imperatives to improve medication useCoping with uncertainty and chaos: Leading in ambiguous times

Re the Pharmacy Tech schools, now that's a problem! More appear to be closing than opening. 75% of the open pharmacy jobs that I am aware of are for Techs. Tech 3's on the West Coast are getting $37+ per hour. I can recall when Pharmacists didn't earn that much. I'm aware of new grad PharmD's starting at $40 per hour now. I see another trend developing ...