Remodeling the Medication Collection Process With Prescription in Locker Box (PILBOX): Prospective Cross-sectional Study
BackgroundTraditionally, patients wishing to obtain their prescription medications have had to physically go to pharmacy counters and collect their medications via face-to-face interactions with pharmacy staff. Prescription in Locker Box (PILBOX) is a new innovation allowing...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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JMIR Publications
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| Online Access: | https://www.jmir.org/2022/6/e23266 |
| _version_ | 1797734923182800896 |
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| author | Christina Lim Jit Fan Goh Boon Kwang Vivian Chee Wing Ling Tang Woh Peng Bandy Goh Qiuling |
| author_facet | Christina Lim Jit Fan Goh Boon Kwang Vivian Chee Wing Ling Tang Woh Peng Bandy Goh Qiuling |
| author_sort | Christina Lim Jit Fan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
BackgroundTraditionally, patients wishing to obtain their prescription medications have had to physically go to pharmacy counters and collect their medications via face-to-face interactions with pharmacy staff. Prescription in Locker Box (PILBOX) is a new innovation allowing patients and their caregivers to collect medication asynchronously, 24/7 at their convenience, from medication lockers instead of from pharmacy staff.
ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine the willingness of patients and caregivers to use this new innovation and factors that affect their willingness.
MethodsThis prospective cross-sectional study was conducted over 2 months at 2 public primary health care centers in Singapore. Patients or caregivers aged 21 years and older who came to pharmacies to collect medications were administered a 3-part questionnaire face-to-face by trained study team members after they gave their consent to participate in the study.
ResultsA total of 222 participants completed the study. About 40% (89/222, 40.1%) of participants were willing to use PILBOX to collect their medications. Among participants who were keen to use the PILBOX service, slightly more than half (47/89, 53%) were willing to pay for the PILBOX service. Participants felt that ease of use (3.5 [SD 1.2]) of PILBOX was the most important factor affecting their willingness to use the medication pickup service. This was followed by waiting time (3.4 [SD 1.3]), cost of using the medication pickup service (3.0 [SD 1.4]), and 24/7 accessibility (2.6 [SD 1.4]). This study also found that age (P=.01), language literacy (P<.001), education level (P<.001), working status (P=.01), and personal monthly income (P=.01) were factors affecting the willingness of patients or caregivers to use PILBOX.
ConclusionsPatients and caregivers are keen to use PILBOX to collect their medications for its convenience and the opportunity to save time if it is easy to use and not costly. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:51:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-616e584890044a45b74073d9e4178ce7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1438-8871 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:51:43Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-616e584890044a45b74073d9e4178ce72023-08-28T22:22:50ZengJMIR PublicationsJournal of Medical Internet Research1438-88712022-06-01246e2326610.2196/23266Remodeling the Medication Collection Process With Prescription in Locker Box (PILBOX): Prospective Cross-sectional StudyChristina Lim Jit Fanhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2108-3162Goh Boon Kwanghttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-7106-9126Vivian Chee Wing Linghttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8252-6748Tang Woh Penghttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-6886-373XBandy Goh Qiulinghttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8843-3120 BackgroundTraditionally, patients wishing to obtain their prescription medications have had to physically go to pharmacy counters and collect their medications via face-to-face interactions with pharmacy staff. Prescription in Locker Box (PILBOX) is a new innovation allowing patients and their caregivers to collect medication asynchronously, 24/7 at their convenience, from medication lockers instead of from pharmacy staff. ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine the willingness of patients and caregivers to use this new innovation and factors that affect their willingness. MethodsThis prospective cross-sectional study was conducted over 2 months at 2 public primary health care centers in Singapore. Patients or caregivers aged 21 years and older who came to pharmacies to collect medications were administered a 3-part questionnaire face-to-face by trained study team members after they gave their consent to participate in the study. ResultsA total of 222 participants completed the study. About 40% (89/222, 40.1%) of participants were willing to use PILBOX to collect their medications. Among participants who were keen to use the PILBOX service, slightly more than half (47/89, 53%) were willing to pay for the PILBOX service. Participants felt that ease of use (3.5 [SD 1.2]) of PILBOX was the most important factor affecting their willingness to use the medication pickup service. This was followed by waiting time (3.4 [SD 1.3]), cost of using the medication pickup service (3.0 [SD 1.4]), and 24/7 accessibility (2.6 [SD 1.4]). This study also found that age (P=.01), language literacy (P<.001), education level (P<.001), working status (P=.01), and personal monthly income (P=.01) were factors affecting the willingness of patients or caregivers to use PILBOX. ConclusionsPatients and caregivers are keen to use PILBOX to collect their medications for its convenience and the opportunity to save time if it is easy to use and not costly.https://www.jmir.org/2022/6/e23266 |
| spellingShingle | Christina Lim Jit Fan Goh Boon Kwang Vivian Chee Wing Ling Tang Woh Peng Bandy Goh Qiuling Remodeling the Medication Collection Process With Prescription in Locker Box (PILBOX): Prospective Cross-sectional Study Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| title | Remodeling the Medication Collection Process With Prescription in Locker Box (PILBOX): Prospective Cross-sectional Study |
| title_full | Remodeling the Medication Collection Process With Prescription in Locker Box (PILBOX): Prospective Cross-sectional Study |
| title_fullStr | Remodeling the Medication Collection Process With Prescription in Locker Box (PILBOX): Prospective Cross-sectional Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Remodeling the Medication Collection Process With Prescription in Locker Box (PILBOX): Prospective Cross-sectional Study |
| title_short | Remodeling the Medication Collection Process With Prescription in Locker Box (PILBOX): Prospective Cross-sectional Study |
| title_sort | remodeling the medication collection process with prescription in locker box pilbox prospective cross sectional study |
| url | https://www.jmir.org/2022/6/e23266 |
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