Switzerland’s first Medicomat: the future of healthcare or a technical gimmick?

Switzerland’s first automated medication dispenser is located in canton Solothurn – but it is used less than its creators expected. Imagine being struck by a sudden, severe headache. A painkiller would help quickly, but your medicine cabinet is empty and the nearest pharmacy closes in five minutes. Marion Tschan, a medical practice assistant at the Vitasphère Health Centre in Oensingen, canton Solothurn, is familiar with such situations. “If someone calls and orders a painkiller, I can place it in the Medicomat so the medicine can be collected outside our opening hours.” The order is then transmitted to the centre’s basement. Three years in operation In the basement, a fully automated robot prepares the medication and sends it back upstairs. Tschan then checks the robot’s work manually to ensure the correct product, quantity and dosage. If everything is correct, the robot forwards the medication to the Medicomat. The machine, which has been in the health centre’s entrance area for ...