Calumet Medical Center offers instant medication machine
08 / 16 / 2006
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Maria Nelson, Media Relations
Affinity Health System
(920) 720-1752
(920) 554-0686 (pager)
CHILTON, Wis. – It’s early Saturday evening. Your son hasn’t been feeling well all day and suddenly, he says he has a terrible ear ache. You take him to the emergency department and the doctor determines he has an ear infection. He prescribes an antibiotic. Unfortunately, the local pharmacies are closed. The nearest open pharmacy is 40 minutes away.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could get that prescription filled closer to home? Beginning this month, residents of Calumet County will be able to get prescriptions filled at Calumet Medical Center in Chilton any time of the day or night.
Calumet Medical Center is partnering with InstyMeds, an electronic retail pharmacy where patients can purchase basic, acute-care drugs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The instant medication machine looks similar to a vending machine and is located adjacent to the emergency department waiting room.
“The machine is intended for immediate needs and is not meant to replace the services of the local pharmacies,” said Travis Andersen, president and chief executive officer of Calumet Medical Center. “We’re providing another option to people, particularly for patients that we serve after hours, so they don’t have to travel for the most commonly prescribed medications. The closest pharmacy open 24 hours a day is 40 minutes away.
“As we strive at Calumet Medical Center to deliver care that is as close to the patient as practical, this service bridges the distance for our patients that need access to a 24-hour pharmacy,” Andersen said.
The machine is stocked with 40 to 60 of the most common prescriptions produced by acute care visits. Physicians in the Emergency department will order prescriptions electronically, which are sent to the InstyMeds machine. The patient is given an access code to order the prescription from InstyMeds.
InstyMeds verifies insurance coverage for patients and accommodates self-paying customers. Cash, credit or debit cards are accepted. Patient support is available through a licensed pharmacist 24 hours a day via a telephone mounted on the front of the machine. “Patients will have their correct medication within eight minutes, and it will have been verified three times to ensure they are receiving the right medication and dosage,” said Linda Konen, a pharmacy technician at Calumet Medical Center.
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For the Editor:
Affinity Health System, a faith-based regional health care network, is the Fox Valley’s second-largest employer, according to the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry. For the fourth consecutive year, Affinity has been named one of the nation’s top 64 health systems based on clinical performance according to Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of health care. For ten consecutive years, Affinity Health System has been named to the SDI (formerly Verispan) Integrated Health Network Top 100, an annual assessment of the 100 most highly integrated health care networks in the nation. Both St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton and Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh rank among the top 1 percent of hospitals nationwide in terms of quality and efficiency, as determined by the 2007 Premier | CareScience Select practice National Quality Award. Members of Affinity include Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Health Foundation, Oshkosh; St. Elizabeth Hospital and the St. Elizabeth Hospital Foundation, Appleton; Affinity Medical Group, a regional network of 25 family practice and specialty clinics – 22 of which are recognized as NCQA Level III medical homes, the highest level of recognition – in 14 communities; Calumet Medical Center, Chilton; and Affinity Occupational Health.