Automatic medicine dispenser brings freedom and security for those living at home

Approximately 680 automatic medicine dispensers are in use in the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County.   

In the Lohja Routio district, the trial of automatic medicine dispensers began in 2017. The pilot proved successful, and now Lohja uses 106 automatic medicine dispensers.  

According to Nurse Maarit Nurminen, who works in home care in Lohja, automatic medicine dispensers have brought significant relief to the everyday lives of older people and nurses.  

– Traditionally, mornings are our peak working time because many medicines are taken in the mornings. When the customer is able to take the medicines from the automatic medicine dispensers themselves, it has been possible to postpone the morning visit to later in the day, and we can do other important things during the visit instead of giving the medicine.

According to Nurminen, automatic medicine dispensers increase the safety and independence of customers.  

– The customer has about three hours to take the medicine. If the medicine is not taken, the machine will swallow it and call the home care group. We can respond immediately by calling the customer or visiting them.  

Nurminen says that the reason why the medicine is not taken may be, for example, the customer's fall.  

– When the machine sends us a notification, the customer immediately receives help. Otherwise, they might have to wait for the nurse’s visit until the evening or even until the next morning. 

According to Nurminen, elderly people usually have a positive attitude towards automatic medicine dispensers. Many of them are delighted that modern technology is being developed for them as well.  

– Automatic medicine dispensers are a good example of successful development. It provides security but does not bind the customer in the wrong way. If the customer leaves home for a hobby or a trip, the machine is programmed to dispense the necessary medicines, which the customer can take with them. This also increases the independence experienced by the customer.

In home care in Espoonlahti, the training for automatic medicine dispensers began last autumn. Nurse Katja Kellokoski admits that she initially had a slightly sceptical attitude towards the dispensers.  

– Now that I have seen the enthusiasm, joy and response of the customers, I am grateful that the automatic medicine dispensers have been invented.  

According to Kellokoski, it has been possible to reduce home care visits from customers using automatic medicine dispensers, which will save them money. If the number of visits remain the same, it has been possible to focus more on, for example, the customer's care.  

Kellokoski noticed that there was also concern about the machines among, for example, the relatives of older people with memory disorders.  

– The relatives of a customer with a memory disorder wondered whether their mother would be able to learn to use the machine. Now they are amazed to see how well the dispensing is organised and the mother hugs the machine, because she feels it’s a lovely friend to have about the house. It provides the customer with a sense of safety and it’s a little like a spouse who reminds them to take their medicine. 

Kellokoski says that medicines have always been a large part of nursing older people.  

– It’s a significant improvement in nursing that these machines are able to do the dispensing of medicine. It enables us people to focus more on customer-oriented work, she says.  

According to Anni Virtanen, Project Manager of services supporting living at home in the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County, both the customers and staff have given good feedback on the automatic medicine dispensers.

 – With the help of the automatic medicine dispensers, we can free the nurses’ time for tasks that require physical treatment and guarantee the customer the possibility of non-urgent treatment contact. We want to be a pioneer in technology in the future, which is why we are encouraging the expansion of technology deployment, she says.