BRIGG SURGERY SEEKS APPROVAL TO INSTALL AUTOMATIC PRESCRIPTION COLLECTION MACHINE

Patients registered with a surgery in Brigg are to be offered a new and time-saving way to collect their prescriptions at times most convenient to them.
Riverside Surgery, on Barnard Avenue, intends to install a pin number-activated machine in which medicines will be stored until patients arrive to key in a code and pick them up.
The surgery requires planning permission and has now submitted an application to North Lincolnshire Council to install an automated prescription collection machine and solid panel surround in place of an existing window on the front of the building (pictured here).
Helpful information supplied to the local authority in support of the application explains: "Pharmaself24 is the market-leading automated prescription-collection service allowing patients to pick up their medicines simply and securely at a convenient time for them. The prescriptions are securely loaded into the machine by the staff using barcode technology.
"Patients are notified their prescription is ready and provided with a 1-time-use-only PIN number they use to collect the medicine.
"The benefits to the existing Pharmacy business is a more efficient service, reducing queuing time and staff resources whilst offering greater convenience to their customers. This will allow the pharmacy to spend more time with patients and delivering new services, to the benefit of the community. In addition, the
collection point also allows the Pharmacy to reduce the need for home deliveries which helps to reduce its carbon emissions.
"The benefits to customers are reduced waiting times, negating wasted journeys and allowing the convenience to collect medicines when they want (for example
on their way to or from work, shift workers or carers). This is particularly useful for repeat prescriptions and working patients who are unable to collect
prescriptions during opening hours.
"Experience from previous installations shows that the vast majority of patients will collect from the Pharmaself24 during the Pharmacy's normal opening hours,
but the ability to allow patients, who cannot get to the Pharmacy during opening hours to collect 24/7, means patients do not miss out taking their medicines.
"This has a positive impact on the local infrastructure such as reducing emergency requests for medicines at out of hours medical services and A&E.
"The machines have operated in numerous premises throughout the current pandemic and has proved itself invaluable in providing a contact-free and continuous
service, supporting the NHS services and providing an invaluable community benefit while negating footfall inside of buildings and reducing face to-face
meetings.
"The Pharmaself24 machine is a self-contained, secure, vandal-resistant, machine, measuring approximately 1.7m tall and 0.9m wide externally, fitted securely
into the elevation of the Pharmacy featuring the business logo, a touch screen, credit card reader and collection flap. The collection flap is automatically locked when patients are not collecting the prescriptions. The machines have a capacity of up to 180 dispensing bags."
North Lincolnshire Council will now decide the application at some point following the public consultation period which ends on October 5. Brigg Town Council will be consulted as part of the planning process.