Charlotte, N.C.-based Advocate Health is addressing pharmacy deserts on Chicago’s South Side by installing new medication vending machines, the Chicago Tribune reported Oct. 1.
The system recently installed the machines at Advocate Trinity Hospital and Advocate Medical Group’s Imani Village clinic in Chicago. A third machine will be installed at Hazel Crest, Ill.-based Advocate South Suburban Hospital by the end of this year.
Patients can use the machines to pick up prescription drugs to treat flu, bacterial infections, gastrointestinal issues and chronic conditions. The system’s pharmacy team verifies patients’ health coverage after a prescription is ordered, and the patient receives a call or text when it is available to pick up in the machine. The machine requires patients to confirm their identity before the prescription can be dispensed. Patients can also use the machine to communicate with an Advocate pharmacist via video call to answer any questions about their prescription.
Michelle Blakely, PhD, president of Advocate Trinity and South Suburban hospitals, said they opted to install the machine after patients and physicians reported medication access issues.
“The pharmacy vending machine provides a nice way for us to place a prescription in a patient’s hands before they even leave our building,” she told the Tribune.
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