Automated Dispensing and Pharmacy Kiosk Regulation Questions Answered
There are many benefits to implementing a self-service, automated pharmacy kiosk into your pharmacy or clinic which we have discussed at length in previous articles. Let’s say, we’ve convinced you to invest in one, but where do you start?
We sat down with medifriendRx® CEO, Max Iantorno and CTO, Tomas Savigliano, who will answer some of our most common questions regarding installing a pharmacy kiosk in your establishment.
What States Allow Pharmacy Kiosks/ Automated Dispensing?
Currently, the states that allow pharmacy kiosks are Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Missouri, Texas.
What if you live in a state that doesn’t allow Automated Dispensing? What steps can you take to lift any of these regulations?
Set Up a call with the state’s Board of Pharmacy (BoP), discuss the goals you have in mind. This process is easier with a Clinic/Pharmacy interested within the state. Submit a presentation to the Board regarding a Pilot program, it also helps to provide language from others states that have approved Automated Dispensing.
Why have states been reluctant to allow pharmacy kiosks/ automated dispensing and do you see these regulations becoming more relaxed?
States are reluctant if there haven’t been many requests from any internal state licensed pharmacies or health centers. Technology is intimidating and requires heavy oversight before being approved. This is a relatively new technology, and there hasn’t yet been widespread adoption or knowledge of automated dispensing.
Oral counseling is a big concern when considering regulating Pharmacy Kiosks, MedifriendRx offers oral counseling with a pharmacist – does this factor into whether a kiosk would be allowed in a specific state?
Yes, providing a consultation with the pharmacist is a must. Our kiosk offers real time video consultation to the pharmacist.
How does MedifriendRx® comply with state to state medication labeling laws? Is there a set standard or do you offer customized labeling based on the needs of the pharmacy?
The patient label applied on the bottle inside the kiosk uses a standard BOP label format, providing all the necessary information, similar to the label printed inside the brick and mortar pharmacy.
Does MedifriendRx work with the pharmacy to ensure patient medication records are recorded and maintained?
All patient records are stored within the existing pharmacy software system. “Communication between prescriber and pharmacy is handled through whatever channels are already used (SureScripts, AdvancedConnect, etc). In order to send the patient information to medifriendRx®, communication is done over an encrypted (TLS 1.2) endpoint to our cloud server, where it is stored within an encrypted database.” (CTO, Tomas Savigliano)
Learn More
To learn more about how the medifriendRx® pharmaceutical kiosk can help improve your healthcare business or if you have any further questions regarding Automated Dispensing regulations in your area, please contact us directly at hello@medifriendrx.com.