Push a Button, Fill Your Prescription

The Prowers County commissioners voted to offer a formal letter of support to Prowers Medical Group’s Holly Tele-pharmacy Project.  Mendi Choat, Medical Practice Administrator at PMC, presented a video demonstration of the pill dispensing device during a recent county commissioner’s meeting.  The hospital is applying for a $50,000 grant which will cover half the costs of installation and operation.  Choat said the balance would be paid for from revenues generated from use of the machine.  She added, it’s not a money-making venture, but will provide an on-going, convenient source of medications for Holly area residents.

Holly residents will be able to receive their prescription medicine from an ATM type dispensing machine, set up at the hospital’s medical clinic.  InstyMeds can allow round the clock dispensing of prescription medicines from a point-of-care headquarters anytime the facility is open.  Choat said the new service, once installed, will save time and mileage for Holly residents who must travel to Lamar for their prescriptions.  The new unit will allow qualified patients to receive their drugs from the dispenser using a touch-screen, and to make payments using their debit or credit card.  She said security and accuracy is established through a barcode check system to make sure medications and labels are correct for each recipient.  Choat added the unit can check prescription levels and issue a renewal message for the medication as need. The machine will be stocked with an average of the most common type of medications based on the prescriptions written for area residents by Dr. Seufer and Bryce Thacker.

She said the PMG group expects to receive notification of the award from the USDA Grant Service by September, and have the tele-pharmacy station in operation by the end of 2011.