Tag: medical supply vending machine

How Does Real Time Inventory Management Help In Pharmaceutical Dispensing

Posted on by John Van Horn

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This post is for all organizations and stakeholders that deal with medical services and medicine inventory. IDS has end-to-end medical supplies storage and management solutions for emergency response teams, hospitals, universities, and more. Please check out what our customers have to say here.

The factors that impact medical supplies dispensing are related to the following stakeholders,

  1. Medical service providers: from first responders to medical professionals on the roster, medical supplies must be accessible quickly and only to the appropriate professional. 
  2. Service users and consumers: the supplies need to be available in pristine condition to the end-user.
  3. Organizations and institutions: entities that deploy storage and management dispensing solutions need help with their expense optimization.

Points To Watch Out For In A Medical Supply Dispensing Solution

The principal objective of a pharmaceutical dispensing solution is ensuring optimum access to medicine and medical resources while eliminating wastage and thereby optimizing procurement. The following aspects are critical in ensuring a successful pharmaceutical inventory management solution:

  1. Technology and features: there are numerous methods for tracking the supply’s flow and status. From embedded sensors to cellular internet, stakeholders need to choose the appropriate machine that ticks all the boxes.
  2. Storage and procurement: medical resources come with a host of regulatory compliances to meet, and they differ based on the governmental agency or entity. The ideal solution needs to be flexible enough to factor in multiple considerations while assisting strict compliance.
  3. Operations and reporting: in medical resources dispensing a penny saved is a penny better spent in saving more lives. The ideal dispensing solution needs to be equipped to reduce wastage and procurement expenses.
  4. Maintenance: Medical domain needs tried and tested solutions that are reliable over long periods.

Technology & Features: 

  1. 3rd Party Tool Integration: Inventory management data helps departments like admin, HR, finance, operations, etc. IDS’s solution integrates with a wide range of 3rd party systems and software.
  2. Credentials Based Access: Credentials capture improves accountability and resource utilization. IDS solutions offer a host of credential vetting tools like magnetic cards, mobile-based barcode scanners, etc, including biometrics-based access. Biometrics are more difficult to manipulate and can be carried over from the previous machines.
  3. Stakeholder Communication:  IDS UCapIt helps automate transactional and usage-based communication based on pre-determined and ad-hoc triggers to the appropriate stakeholders.

B. Storage & Procurement: 

  1. Supply Room: Multiple statutory regulations and compliance requirements must be met when storing and dispensing pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. With IDS dispensing solutions, the entire supply room is accessible at the click of a button. This is especially beneficial for audits, risk reduction, and product expiration management.
  2. Custom Notifications/Alerts For Critical Resources: Some SKUs need more attention than others. These could be anything from scrubs to controlled medication. IDS  solutions come equipped with full data tracking and insights capture capabilities to design custom alerts through notifications and actions like procurement requests.

C. Operations & Reporting

  1. Automated Returns Management: returns are a pain, and the ideal dispensing solution would make it pain-free. Like how the Virtual Tracker updates stock levels after returns. 
  2. Improved Inventory Workflows: Efficiency is all about the workflows that determine how the inventory flows. UCapIt’s simple and effective workflows optimize how inventory is distributed and made accessible. 
  3. Scheduled Maintenance of Dispensed Assets & Resources: Our solutions help in improving asset life and quality by helping in their timely recalibration, repairs, or maintenance during check-in.
  4. Enhanced Auditing: Reconciling stock records to actuals is a breeze with Virtual Tracker. Our easy-to-use interfaces, including mobile-based bar code scanners, ensure stocks = actuals.
  5. Lot Tracking: supply tracking from procurement to dispensing and future procurements. Chain of custody

D. Maintenance

  1. Optimizing Efficiency: Solutions need to be monitored and maintained to ensure they are able to give full value for their investment. Using iQ Technology helps understand how the deployed solution is working for you. 
  2. Optimizing Efficiency: Solutions need to be monitored and maintained to ensure they are able to give full value for their investment. Using iQ Technology helps understand how the deployed solution is working for you. 

The Benefits Of Using A Single-Source Inventory Management Solution

In addition to the points covered above, IDS’s single-source all-in-one solutions pack great adaptability. For instance, we pack the following,

  1. Custom Checklist: The ability to build digital checklists for anything. Could be workflows, notifications, or inventory tracking. 
  2. API / Pre-Authorization: The backend of the software is secure but comes with the ability to connect with other business processes. Ensuring inventory which is a critical aspect of the organization does not end up being a silo.
  3. Customizable Locker Dispensing: Our physical lockers and hardware themselves are versatile. Customizable as single, standalone machines or satellites connected to a dispenser or smart locker.

With iQ Technology, you get all the features, values, and benefits of an ideal dispensing solution for your medical service delivery requirements. A snapshot of what our solutions are capable of includes, single and multiple item dispense, asset and resource check-in/check-out, returns management, custom rule setting workflows like loan periods, self-service automated order pick-up/will-call, etc., and much more under a single login for a unified view on supply requests.

Click here to know more about how and what iQ Technology could do for your pharmaceutical real-time inventory management and storage.

The Importance of Medical Supply Vending Machines in Fire Stations

Posted on by John Van Horn

When you’re a fire fighter, the costs associated with saving lives should never be your top priority. Despite that, ballooning costs are one of the primary challenges that fire stations face all around the country on a daily basis. Luckily, the tides are turning in favor of us all as medical vending machines are being looked at as a way to not only make all of the life-saving equipment necessary to do their jobs readily available at all times, but also to help curb rising costs at the exact same time.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

One example of a situation where medical supply vending machines are having a positive impact comes from Tulsa, Oklahoma, which has already begun the process of rolling out at least one EMS supply vending machine to several fire stations in the area. Fire department officials predict that this one bold move can help save between 30 and 40 percent from traditional medical supply costs for a number of interesting reasons.

For starters, all of the medical vending machines in the Tulsa area will be linked to one another via an active Internet connection. This allows coordinators and other team leaders to get a deeper sense of the products that they have on hand, how they’re being used and which items need to be readily available at a moment’s notice based on the type of real-time, actionable information that only analytics can provide. Even if an incident occurs in the middle of the night, firefighters will have instant access to any critical piece of equipment that they need.

This move is designed to not only save firefighters time, but also to help save taxpayers in the area money as well.

Intelligent Dispensing Solutions

IDS is one of the leading providers of EMT, EMS and general medical Supply Vending machines worldwide. As a company founded on the idea that traditional challenges faced by healthcare professionals can be solved with innovative solutions, the company works hard with fire stations, hospitals and similar types of facilities to address all of their needs in the most forward-thinking ways possible.

IDS’ medical vending machines are designed to empower professionals to not only keep all of the medical supplies and other products needed on hand, but also to help maintain a greater level of control over their inventory and a greater level of security over the supplies themselves at the exact same time.

These are just a few of the reasons why EMS supply vending machine options are playing such an important role in fire stations and other facilities all over the world. As technology continues to advance and companies like IDS continue to push the envelope in terms of things like security and control, it is truly exciting to think about the form that medical supply lockers and similar solutions will take in just a few short years time.

Prescription Drug Vending Machine Brought on Campus

Posted on by John Van Horn

Over the last few years, you’ve no doubt gotten used to the fact that vending machines are no longer just a source for soft drinks and salty snacks. You’ve probably purchased at least one electronic device from a vending machine in an airport, or have at least seen someone do so. You’ve maybe even used a DVD vending machine or gotten your morning paper in much the same way. Now, providers are taking things to the next level by offering prescription dispenser units and other medical vending machine options.

Arizona State University’s Prescription Medication Vending Machine

In 2014, Arizona State University became one of the first educational institutions in the country to install a prescription dispenser on campus. Located in the Health Services Building, this unit was designed to help both make sure that people had quick and easy access to the medical supplies that they needed and to increase efficiency within that organization at the exact same time.

The medical vending machine was designed to fill the medical prescriptions of both students and university employees at a moment’s notice. By using a voucher with identifying information that itself is tied to a very specific code, any doctor could prescribe medication to a patient that could then be picked up at the vending machine within 24 hours.

This advancement couldn’t have come at a better time, too, as the pharmacy at Arizona State University closed just a few weeks prior. Thanks to the prescription dispenser, people were able to continue getting the service they needed without transferring to other pharmacies or seeing any other type of negative impact at all.

At its launch, the prescription medication vending machine offered the 50 medications that were most commonly prescribed to students on campus. Based on the type of software that the machine was powered with, this could change on a regular basis as trends did. If a new medication were to creep into that top 50, it would be added to the list and something that was less likely to be prescribed would be removed.

UCapIt

UCapIt is just one example of a company that is offering controlled access pharmaceutical dispensing options to healthcare organizations around the world on a daily basis. UCapIt solutions are armed with state-of-the-art software that allows not only for instant recording whenever a purchase is made, but also for things like detailed reporting, the tracking of who has access to which types of supplies, advanced inventory management capabilities and more.

This is just one example of the many ways that medical vending machine technology is positively impacting the lives of people all over the world on a daily basis. For students at Arizona State University, they found the process of filling a prescription was easier than ever before. It’s easy to picture a time not too far from now where these types of medical vending solutions are rolled out beyond college campuses and are located in drug stores, pharmacies and other locations across the world.

How to Take Control Back in Your Hospital Pharmacy

Posted on by John Van Horn

Drug diversion is an incredibly serious issue that is affecting a huge number of medical facilities across the country. According to a survey conducted by the Mayo Clinic in 2014, drug abuse among those in the general population runs at around 5% annually. The theory is that the number will actually be higher for medical professionals like pharmacy employees, however, because they have convenient access to the drugs that they seek. Now, many organizations are turning to technological advancements to help take back control in their hospital pharmacies once and for all.

The technology that is commonly employed to combat this type of issue involves a machine called an automated dispensing cabinet. Not only do hospitals and other facilities get the convenience that is associated with a medical vending machine, but they also have different layers of security to help deter drug theft and keep criminals at bay. Certain machines can have up to five different authorized access levels, for example, allowing employees instant access to only the products and items that are relevant to do their jobs on a daily basis. All relevant employee information can be recorded for each transaction, keeping a detailed record of who is checking out which item at what time.

One example of an organization that is using this type of technology to curb drug diversion and theft issues is UCapIt. With UCapIt’s Controlled Access Pharmaceutical Dispenser, for example, all transactions between an employee and a machine are individually tracked and reported. Not only does this help medical facilities keep a better eye on their inventory and alert them to situations where orders may need to be placed, but it also inserts a new level of accountability into the equation. If you always know who is checking out items, you know exactly who to turn to in the event that something goes missing.

With UCapIt’s solutions, EMS professionals can instantly check their hospital pharmacy inventory 24 hours a day, seven days a week – even from remote locations. Some of the security measures that are in place on these devices include fingerprint readers, barcode scanners, proximity card readers, unique PIN numbers and more.

Though drug theft is a major issue at many hospitals and pharmacies around the country, companies like UCapIt are doing everything in their power to put technology to good use and ward off criminals once and for all. With automated dispensing solutions and additional layers of security, organizations won’t have to worry about these types of issues much longer.

13 Year Old CEO Hopes to Bring His “RecMed First Aid Kits” to Vending Machines

Posted on by John Van Horn

EMS supply vending machines configured to dispense a first aid kit on demand is the brainchild of 13-year-old CEO Taylor Rosenthal. Rosenthal’s company, RecMed First Aid Kits, was developed after a conversation with his parents who are both medical professionals and an opportunity presented by an entrepreneurial class at Opelika Middle School in Opelika, Alabama.

The kits contain basic medical supplies that could be useful to treat minor injuries on the sports field. Antibiotic sprays, bandages, adhesive tape, gauze pads and other first aid supplies come neatly packed in a clear plastic zippered case. Rosenthal has witnessed the need for such kits first-hand. “I mean I see it all the time…kids getting hurt at the ball fields playing baseball or something…and parents just go crazy…”

Rosenthal is working with The Round House Startup Space in Opelika to bring his dream first aid supply vending machines to fruition. According to Kyle Sandler, founder of The Round House, Rosenthal is a particularly devoted, hard-working CEO. Sandler had to essentially kick the teen out of the startup space to send him home on Christmas Eve to spend the holiday at home with his family.

Sandler also remarked that Rosenthal’s age affects how he views vending machines. According to Sandler, “… since he’s 13 and not 25… he’s more used to Redbox… so we made a couple of calls and now we have a computer-aided robotic vending machine in the works…” Eco ATM and RedBox have come on board to help Rosenthal get his product to market.

While sports fields were Rosenthal’s initial inspiration for the RecMed First Aid Kit vending machines, he doesn’t see athletic complexes as the solitary market for his product. He believes that anywhere families gather for recreation would present a feasible marketplace. He is already in talks with Six Flags Amusement Parks officials to places RecMed first aid vending machines in the parks to deal with the minor cuts and scrapes that young children are so prone to.

Rosenthal advanced to the Young Entrepreneurs Academy regional semifinals in Boca Raton in May 2015.

Source:

http://www.wltz.com/story/29172406/opelika-teen-competing-in-the-young-entrepreneurs-academy-regional-finals

Vending Machines Supplied With Breastfeeding Equipment

Posted on by John Van Horn

Vending machine technology has certainly come a long way in the last several decades. No longer are vending machines only designed to provide you with a quick snack in between meals, or something to drink when you’re thirsty at work or school. Medical vending machines and similar types of automated solutions are making people’s lives easier across a wide range of different industries on a daily basis. Case in point: a new type of vending machine is specifically designed to provide working mothers with the tools they need to breastfeed their children while on the job.

It’s a situation that is all too familiar to women who are trying to maintain a career and raise a family at the same time: they’re on the job and ready to breastfeed, only to realize that they’ve forgotten a storage bag or a valve or some other important item at home that morning in their haste. Their child needs to eat, but they don’t have what they need and find themselves in a tricky predicament.

Thanks to a new type of vending machine technology, these fears are well and truly a thing of the past. A vending machine that was recently installed at Johns Hopkins Hospital allows working mothers to purchase a wide range of different breastfeeding tools and equipment at a moment’s notice. It is the first of its kind, though it certainly will not be the last.

The breastfeeding equipment vending machine stocks everything that a mother would need to successfully breastfeed her child, from storage bottles to nipple cream to pump accessories and everything in between. The machine was created by Mega Stoltzfus, who is employed by Johns Hopkins in the Office of Work, Life and Engagement.

Stoltzfus indicated that inspiration hit her when she was walking through an airport and realized how far vending machine technology has come even in the last decade. As someone who previously needed to work odd hours and breastfeed to the job herself, she decided to work directly with a manufacturer to design a specialized vending machine solution for people like her.

Because the type of equipment that is being sold in the vending machine is considered to be an employee benefit, it is all available at a steep discount. Any mother who finds that she needs to use the machine can pay for her items using a debit or credit card – it really is that simple.

Working mothers who are not employed by Johns Hopkins won’t have to wait long to get in on this new technology. Other institutions around the country have already expressed interest in similar EMS supply vending machines of their own.

Source:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/maryland-family/now/bal-johns-hopkins-introduces-a-vending-machine-for-breastfeeding-mothers-20140710-story.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2708524/Vending-machines-containing-breastfeeding-equipment-rolled-Baltimore-hospital-attempt-cater-working-moms.html

Safe and Secure with the CAP 3 and CAP 3 Refrigerated Vending Units

Posted on by John Van Horn

CAP is an acronym that stands for “Controlled Access Pharmaceutical Dispensing.” It refers to a type of system that medical institutions have adopted with enthusiasm regarding the dispensing of EMS supplies, the management of hospital inventory and more. The CAP system in particular was created by UCapIt to be an ideal solution for addressing control problems that are commonly associated with keeping track of pharmaceutical inventory, distributing products and more. Two of the most recent state-of-the-art products that are available to consumers are the CAP 3 and the CAP 3 Refrigerated Medical Vending Machines.

When you take a look at what the CAP 3 vending unit has to offer, it’s easy to see why it is making waves in terms of pharmaceutical supplies. The standard configuration of the CAP 3 involves 384 items, though the capacity can vary depending on the tray configurations that are selected. All communication is Web-based, meaning that diagnostic and user information can be sent over a nearby Internet connection. Standard features of the CAP 3 include either a barcode or magnetic stripe reader (depending on your preferences), the patented iVend Delivery Sensor System, a Parrot Door that is designed to enable the reuse of protective bags, fluorescent lighting and more. The CAP 3 is also compliant with the rules and regulations dictated by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The CAP 3 is available in blue, black or red, allowing you to make sure that your unit fits in with the current visual aesthetic of your workplace. Custom colors are also available on request.

The CAP 3 refrigerated vending machine has all of the advanced features that were found in the CAP 3, only elevated to the next level. The standard configuration includes 412 items, though capacity varies depending on the selected tray configurations as was true with its predecessor. In addition to the iVend Delivery Sensor System and a barcode or magnetic stripe reader, the CAP 3 Refrigerated Vending unit also features fully functional LED lighting for increased visibility and high energy efficiency at all times. A heated glass option is also available that can be turned on and off at will.

When it comes to selecting pharmaceutical vending units, medical professionals need to know that the important equipment contained inside is always as safe and secure as possible. Both the CAP 3 and the CAP 3 Refrigerated Unit are computer-controlled to eliminate the possibility of user error and have been created with the highest construction standards possible. Each machine is verified to perform at the highest level possible to help keep hospital inventory available and secure at all times.