Madison Memorial Hospital Installs State’s First Hospital Automated Prescription Drug Dispenser:
Offers Patients Unprecedented New Level of Care and Convenience
Rexburg, Idaho – Madison Memorial Hospital offers InstyMeds, a fully automated ATM-style machine that dispenses prescription medications directly to patients immediately before leaving the hospital ER. The system, the first of its kind in any hospital in Idaho, offers a safe, convenient way for patients to receive their prescription medications.
“This new system offers patients of the hospital the opportunity to get their prescriptions filled when the local retail pharmacies are closed,” says Dorsie Sullenger, Director of Pharmacy. “InstyMeds allows them to get a full course of their prescribed medication so they can concentrate on their healing process at home. We believe this will enhance patient compliance and provide a much needed service for after hour pharmacy dispensing.
The InstyMeds system automates the entire process from the prescriber issuing the prescription, to the patient obtaining their medications, and payment collection. The patient can obtain their medications and be on their way in about the same time it takes them to use their bank ATM.
How it works. The medical provider enters a prescription electronically and gives patients a voucher with a unique security code. Using the touch-screen of the InstyMeds dispenser, the patient enters the unique security code and their date of birth. The billing information is automatically submitted to the insurance company. The patient then swipes a debit or credit card to pay for their copay portion. After the machine performs a triple bar code safety check, the pre-packaged, labeled product is dispensed from the machine to the patient. The entire process typically takes a couple of minutes.
Patient Compliance: Studies show that between 20 and 30 percent of prescriptions that doctors write go unfilled. The added convenience of the InstyMeds system increases the likelihood that the patient will fill their prescription and undergo the medication treatment plan. At Madison we often see patients visiting us from out of the state, and are staying in our resort communities. They are seen in our emergency room, treated and prescribed a medication. Unfortunately, our community does not have 24/7 pharmacies. Often patients will leave and never fill their script due to unavailability. By offering this service only when the area pharmacies are closed we hope to increase patient compliance. “As a county-owned hospital we continue to look for new ways to provide high quality care to our patients. We are excited to have been granted the first opportunity by the Board of Pharmacy to offer this type of service”, says Rachel Gonzales, CEO.