Lancashire pharmacy set to get medicine 'vending machine'

A Lancashire pharmacy set within a conservation area is looking to get a very modern piece of kit.

Ashab Patel of Whalley Pharmacy in King Street, Whalley, has applied for permission to install a MedPoint - a prescription collection machine that allows people to pick up medicine securely at any point, day or night. The unit, which would sit flush with the shopfront, is said to have a similar footprint and concept to that of an ATM cash machine.

How does MedPoint work?

The idea is to free up pharmacist’s time. The pharmacist places the prescription bag on a vacant MedPoint and then the bag is auto-scanned and links the prescription with the shelf number. The patient receives an automated text with their unique MedPoint collection PIN, then when they’re ready, the patient goes to MedPoint, enters their PIN and collects their prescription.

This is the robot picking your medicine at the Royal Preston Hospital

A statement submitted to Ribble Valley Borough Council states: “With already having ample parking facilities, installing the machine should ease the flow of vehicles during business hours with this out of hour collection service being installed.”

Design

There is also an application for a new roller shutter and vinyl wrap. The statement continues: “This pharmacy shopfront has been designed to preserve the cultural heritage and therefore the Prescription Collection machine and vinyl sign to the front have both been designed with this in mind. I have designed the proposals to limit detrimental impact to heritage significance and everything is in-keeping with the existing features of the Pharmacy.”

A decision will be made by Ribble Valley Borough Council planning chiefs in coming weeks.