As this Monday drags on here’s some positive news on a new health initiative set to roll out in Johannesburg in a month’s time.

Easy access to vital medication such as antiretrovirals has long been a problem in South Africa, although a new plan from ‘Right to Care’, a local non-profit, is looking to change that. The organisation is planning to install pharmacy machines across Johannesburg. This from TimesLive:

In a month’s time the first machine will be piloted at Themba Lethu Clinic, at the Helen Joseph Hospital, Right to Care’s flagship site for its HIV management programme.

Patients will be able to collect their medicines from the machine outside the clinic at any time.

The machines are intended for patients on chronic medication – not those on acute or varying treatments.

Apart from the obvious benefits of constant access there is the matter of making access cost-effective. A study by an American university showed that 91% of patients using HIV/Aids medication spent between R18 and R75 on transport alone just to get their hands on the potentially life-saving medicine.

In addition many patients are forced to spend hours queuing, whereas ‘Right to Care’ estimates the process should now take just three and a half minutes to use the unit. So how will they monitor the use of these machines? TimesLive again:

Patients will need their identity book and a secret PIN number to use the dispensing machines. If they lose their documents they will have to get a bar-code from the pharmacy at which they would otherwise collect their medication.

The machine keeps track of all prescriptions filled to prevent the possibility of overdosing.

I’m sure there are more kinks to iron out but news like this should bring a smile to all of our faces. Keep up the good work ‘Right to Care’, we like your style.

[source:timeslive]