The pharmaceutical prescription filling and validation device recently developed and patented by Barrett International Technology, INC., promises a revolution in how prescriptions can be counted and filled for patients. This innovation offers not only increased accuracy in how prescriptions are filled, since there is less likelihood of human error, but offers a more hygienic solution to prescription counting, since the possibility of spreading germs by contact with people is virtually eliminated.
Oftentimes at pharmacies, patients in need of their medications are confronted by abnormally long wait times due to short-staffed agencies and overworked pharmacists. Given this stressful environment, the capacity for human error in filling prescriptions increases, and patients needlessly suffer lengthy waits as a result. Barrett International Technology has come up with a unique solution to this problem, easing the process of filling prescriptions both for the patient and the pharmacist. Carolyn Barret's new device, known as the CSB, is a portable prescription filling device which would allow the pharmacist to program a given amount of pills to be dispensed per prescription, and fill multiple prescriptions at the same time, based on parameters set by a computerized interface. The CSB itself uses a tray at the top where a given amount of pills are dispensed by the pharmacist, and based on the algorithms entered by the programmer, the pills are calculated by weight and volume, and properly dispensed into a rotating tray of bottles at the bottom of the device. The pharmacist can then confidently remove each bottle, knowing that the proper type and amount of medication has been dispensed into the receptacle.
The portability and ease of use of this device are what set it apart from current pill counting machines available on the market, and its applications extend far beyond the pharmacy. For example, its portability could allow it to be easily used in situations where proper medical facilities or pharmacies are not readily available, such as in the cases of disaster relief areas, or military field hospitals. The convenience and accuracy of the CSB would thus allow rapid relief for people in need, while at the same time allowing medical professionals on duty to devote their time to other important matters.
The aspect of hygiene is another important advantage to the CSB. In places such as hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics, where ill patients are often present, the CSB would eliminate direct human contact with the medication being dispensed, thus assuring a germ-free environment for both the pharmacist and patient, and reducing the transmission of disease vectors. In today's health situations, where diseases such as the H1N1 virus and others have high rates of infection, the need for a safe and reliable means to dispense medication becomes even more paramount than it has in the past.
The rapidity, ease of use, and convenience of the CSB could also conceivably lower the costs of filling one's prescriptions. With more prescriptions being able to be filled quickly by a pharmacist, fewer hours would be needed to have prescription counts done by hand and double-checked, which accounts for much of the time spent filling prescriptions. This would allow pharmacies to lower their costs while allowing a greater amount of pharmacist-patient interaction, which is integral to ensuring patient compliance with proper self-administration of medication, as well as ensuring that a patient is fully aware of the ramifications of the medication they are to receive.
Finally, the portability and simplicity of use of the CSB set it far beyond the pharmaceutical counting devices currently available on the market. Current pill counting machines tend to be bulky, which would prevent their ease of transport into situations such as field hospitals, as previously mentioned. Furthermore, their cost is often prohibitive to all but the most well-funded organizations. The CSB is not only easily transportable, but also carries a lower cost than conventional pill counting devices, which makes it not only useful for traditional pharmacies, but could very well make it an integral part of future medical emergency situations. The ability to fill multiple prescriptions at once is another advantage which makes the Barrett International Technology CSB device a step beyond other industry predecessors; instead of filling one prescription at a time, the CSB can perform a multitask role. The CSB promises to revolutionize the way in which prescriptions are filled, and patients, pharmacists, and medical professionals will all benefit from this new patented technology.
Source: EmailWire.Com