Saudi Arabia Announces World-First Drive-Through Automatic Medicine Dispenser
A hospital in Saudi Arabia has announced the world’s first drive-through automatic medicine dispenser service.
The General Directorate for Health Services at the Ministry of Defence (MODHS), represented by King Salman Armed Forces Hospital in the Northwestern region has introduced the groundbreaking global initiative.
The world’s first automated medication dispensing device promises to revolutionise the way medications are distributed without requiring hospital visits.
Saudi hospital automatic medicine service
According to director of the hospital’s pharmacy department Olayan Alatawy, the machine is the first of its kind worldwide.
The machine consists of a workstation that handles the prescription barcode, a screen for interaction with the beneficiaries, a specialised operating system and a messaging platform that notifies beneficiaries while the medication is being packaged ahead of delivery.
With a storage capacity ranging from 102 to 700 medical prescriptions, the machine is capable of filling prescriptions containing multiple medications, while ensuring extremely high protection against damage, tampering, or theft.
Additionally, it provides statistical data on the dispensed medications to the beneficiaries on a daily, monthly, or yearly basis.
Explaining the steps for obtaining the medication through the machine, Alatawy said beneficiaries submit requests to get their prescriptions filled by scanning the barcode attached to the prescription.
The user then fills in the required information and selects the nearest dispensing machine to their location, Alataway said.
Subsequently, a pharmacist verifies the beneficiary’s prescription data through an electronic system.
Once the prescription request is accepted, a text message is sent to the beneficiary with a code, the location of the device, and the status of the request.
Beneficiaries in Saudi Arabia can then get their medication within 48 hours from the machine by filling in the required data and entering the verification code sent to their phone, added Alatawy.
