One way is to set up pick-up lockers inside pharmacy. The prescription needs to prepaid by credit card or insurance direct billing. When a patient arrives, s/he phones in and speaks to the pharmacist. The pharmacist advises on the side effects then provide locker number and unlock code for the patient to pick up. The lockers are at the front of store near the new self checkout kiosks. This way, contactless pick up.
If it’s a new prescription, your MD can fax or send it electronically to the pharmacy of your choice.
So it is possible from a technical point of view to arrange contactless medication dispensing.
The pharmacy my Rx are at has two contactless options:
- the Rx can be delivered to your house if you are within the pharmacy's delivery zone [the service is free; they have a delivery service that does the deliveries OR
- you can call the pharmacy and arrange that you will pick it up outside the store; basically when you arrive you would call them back and they would send a pharmacy team member out with it to your car; a version of curbside pickup; it would be paid for by credit card through the first phone call.
When I needed my Rx renewed recently, the "visit" with my Family MD was be telephone due to covid, and she faxed the Rx to my pharmacy.
The pharmacy can also fax your MD if Rx have come time to renew, though your MD may then contact you for an appointment to discuss. Also, some doctors do charge a nominal fee for renewals initiated by the pharmacy, though many have dropped that during the pandemic.
SW