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Sainsbury's is trialling what it claims is the UK's first medicine vending machine for NHS prescriptions.
The 'Express Prescription' scheme is being piloted at two stores – Haywards Heath and West Green in Sussex – alongside the in-store pharmacy to ensure customers can still speak to a chemist.
US firm Asteres has made the machines that can house 450 medicine packs, each of which has a barcode for identification.
Sainsbury's professional services manager David Gilder said the machines were a "secure and convenient way for customer to obtain medicine at a time that suits them".
"We will evaluate feedback from customers and our in-store pharmacists before taking a decision on whether to roll them out to more stores," said Gilder.
Customers wanting to use the machines must register to create a unique ID and PIN but customers can group the whole family's prescriptions together and collect them all at once.
A qualified pharmacist checks the medicine has been properly prescribed before placing it in the machine along with the information about how the medication should be taken.
Turnaround times would be decided "in agreement with the customer", a Sainsbury's spokeswoman told Packaging News.
"It can be as little as the time it takes for the pharmacist to prepare it," she said.
"The machine means customers don't have to hang around and could, for example if the medicine was not in stock, come back a couple of days later to collect it."
Sainsbury's has 236 in-store pharmacies across the UK.
VENDING PROCESS
Customers sign in and fill out a prescription form, and place into the envelope provided.
They follow the instructions on screen and take the printed receipt with the collection time and other relevant details.
To collect medication, customers sign in again with ID and PIN
All prescriptions due for collection will appear on screen, and payment details will appear if applicable.
Prescriptions can then be picked up from the collection point.
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