Remote Dispensing Systems Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2030 Market

Remote Dispensing Systems Market Outlook - 2027

Remote dispensing is used in health care environments to describe the use of automated systems to dispense (package and label) prescription medications without an on-site pharmacist. This practice is most common in long-term care facilities and correctional institutions that do not find it practical to operate a full-service in-house pharmacy. Remote dispensing can also be used to describe the pharmacist controlled remote prescription dispensing units, which connect patients to a remotely located pharmacist over video interface to receive counseling and medication dispensing. Because these units are pharmacist controlled, the units can be located outside of typical healthcare settings such as employer sites, universities and remote locations, thus offering pharmacy services where they have previously never existed before.

Covid-19 Scenario analysis:

The novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19), which was first detected in Wuhan City, has now became a pandemic that affecting patients around the world. Particularly, the community patient population are at high risk of infection and are facing potential failure of proper medication use during the pandemic. Collect and summarize the experience Chinese community pharmacies gained from providing pharmacy services during the COVID-19 outbreak, and taking patients' PC needs into consideration, analyze and discuss the methods and strategies that community pharmacies and pharmacists shall use to provide PC during the pandemic. Community pharmacy management teams shall support PC services by providing adequate supply of COVID-19 related medications and preventative products, following environment regulations, and providing sufficient staff trainings. Pharmacists shall use various approaches to provide PC services in drug dispensing, consulting and referrals, chronic disease management, safe use of infusions, patient education, home care guidance and psychological support to promote the COVID-19 pandemic control and ensure safe medication use of community patients during the pandemic. To minimize contact and spread of COVID-19, the epidemiologist recommends pharmacies encourage customers to utilize drive-through or delivery where they are available. The epidemiologists also recommend requesting customer’s space themselves out when waiting in line and that the pharmacy consider the use of some sort of counter extension or plastic barrier to establish a larger gap between the customer and the cashier, where possible. Hence, the method of remote dispensing during the time of pandemic will gain popularity because of limited exposure between pharmacists.

Top impacting factors: Market Scenario Analysis, Trends, Drivers and Impact analysis:

Drivers:

Increased reach:

The lack of pharmacies in rural areas will primarily boost the remote dispensing systems market growth. Rural areas often lack access to a sophisticated pharmacy and certain medications. Remote dispensing systems can serve as a solution to this problem by enabling a remote pharmacist to validate and dispense the prescribed medications. Furthermore, remote pharmacies can be set up in universities, correctional facilities. As these places lack an in-house pharmacy, remote dispensing systems can increase their access to vital medication. The secure medication dispensing unit is placed on-site at the care facility or non-healthcare locations (such as Universities, workplaces and retail locations) and filled with pharmacist-checked medication canisters.

Secured dispensing:

A typical remote-dispensing system is monitored remotely by a central pharmacy and includes secure, automated medication dispensing hardware that is capable of producing patient-specific packages of medications on demand. When patient medications are needed, the orders are submitted to a pharmacist at the central pharmacy, the pharmacist reviews the orders and, when approved, the medications are subsequently dispensed from the on-site dispensing unit at the remote care facility. Medications come out of the dispensing machine printed with the patient’s name, medication name, and other relevant information. If the medication stock in a canister is low, the central pharmacy is alerted to fill a canister from their bulk stock. New canisters are filled, checked by the pharmacist, security sealed, and delivered to the remote care facility. In theory, access to dispensing services 24 hours a day in locations previously unable to support full pharmacy operations. Advocates for remote dispensing additionally claim that the service provides focused, uninterrupted and personalized time with a pharmacist as the system manages the physical dispensing process while the pharmacist simply oversees it. Certain prescription dispensing units can carry over 2000 different medications tailored to the prescribing habits of local healthcare providers. Furthermore, remote dispensing terminal manufacturers state that this technology can facilitate patient continuity of care between prescriber and pharmacist.

Restrains:

Remote dispensing also places a physical barrier between the patient and pharmacist, limiting the pharmacist's ability to detect a patient's nonverbal cues. A patient with alcohol on his or her breath would go undetected via remote dispensing, increasing the risk for dangerous interactions with drugs such as tranquilizers, sleeping pills, narcotics, and warfarin to name a few. This problem may be amplified through telecommunication service disruptions, which were reported in previous studies examining the utility of remote dispensing technology.

Remote dispensing has the potential to undermine the services offered by physically present pharmacists. Hands-on patient training on inhalers and glucose meters is not feasible with remote dispensing, and administration of injections is impossible without a physically present pharmacist. Other cognitive services such as in-depth medication consultations are also impractical to conduct over such audiovisual technology, which do not provide acoustic privacy for the patient, nor do they meet mandatory criteria for conducting such services that require an “in-person discussion” to occur.

Furthermore, the variety of drugs offered by remote dispensing is limited in comparison to traditional pharmacies, which in the province of Ontario are required to maintain a dispensary of at least 9.3 m² in area, far greater than that of any remote dispensing machine.

Key benefits of the report:

• This study presents the analytical depiction of the global Remote dispensing systems industry along with the current trends and future estimations to determine the imminent investment pockets.
• The report presents information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities along with detailed analysis of the global Remote dispensing systems market share.
• The current market is quantitatively analyzed to highlight the global Remote dispensing systems market growth scenario.
• Porter’s five forces analysis illustrates the potency of buyers & suppliers in the market.
• The report provides a detailed global Remote dispensing systems market analysis based on competitive intensity and how the competition will take shape in coming years.

Questions answered in the Remote dispensing system Market research report:

• What are the leading market players active in the Remote dispensing system market?
• What the current trends will influence the market in the next few years?
• What are the driving factors, restraints, and opportunities in the market?
• What are the projections for the future that would help in taking further strategic steps?

 Remote Dispensing Systems Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2027 Report Highlights