Author: John Van Horn

Customer Spotlight – AIDS Care Ocean State Harm Reduction Vending Machines

Posted on by John Van Horn

Customer Spotlight – AIDS Care Ocean State Harm Reduction Vending Machines

When we think of vending machines, we tend to think of candy bars, soda, and chips. But in Rhode Island, through the AIDS Care Ocean State (ACOS) Prevention Center, vending machines dispense harm reduction supplies. These supplies help reverse overdoses and reduce the spread of diseases like Hepatitis C and HIV. Through these machines, people can access free naloxone (Narcan®), rapid tests for STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), sterile syringes, fentanyl test strips, hygiene, and wound care kits 24/7.

Harm Reduction Vending Machines

ACOS’s harm reduction vending machines provide easy accessibility for people who want to avoid direct contact with healthcare personnel and maintain anonymity when getting access to the medication. These factors explain the need for harm reduction vending machines, and the need is more than ever before. 

Listen to ACOS’s interview with Rhode Island’s Department of Health on the Public Health Out Loud podcast here. 

Caracole, an AIDS/HIV service organization, has installed a ‘harm reduction vending machine’ outside their headquarters that offers free fentanyl test strips, Narcan – a drug reversing overdoses, and safe use supplies. The vending machine’s phone number also connects to Caracole’s harm reduction service coordinators.  

Over 107,000 Americans died from a drug overdose in 2021, highlighting the necessity of evidence-based interventions. The University of Cincinnati undertook new research in partnership with Caracole, which showed a self-service vending machine for harm reduction supplies such as Naloxone helped prevent overdoses and contributed to the reduction of Hamilton County’s overdose deaths in 2021. Furthermore, research by Daniel Arendt, Doctor of Pharmacy at the University of Cincinnati was released in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association on November 11, 2021. 

Harm Reduction Strategy  

According to Arendt, harm reduction theorizes with drug and addiction education that assumes people are always seen consuming drugs. However, harm reduction does not enable or support drug use. Instead, it aims to meet people empathetically during their drug use habit and helps empower them to take action and minimize the dangers linked to its use. 

Arendt explained that harm reduction includes distributing naloxone and other supplies such as fentanyl test strips, bandages, tourniquets, and sterile syringes. “You would never tell someone who has wildly uncontrolled diabetes to get their blood sugar in check before we will help them or give them insulin.” 

He then went on to say, “So it is critical to recognize that substance use is not a moral failing, and it’s not this thing that should be stigmatized. Instead, we can acknowledge that drug use is becoming increasingly risky, and we can use that recognition to help spur the development of new, innovative methods of providing people with the care, services, and support that they need, no strings attached.”  

An Effective Approach  

Arendt was introduced to Suzanne Bachmeyer and her colleagues at a meeting regarding the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition. Suzanne Bachmeyer is the director of prevention at Caracole, an HIV/AIDS service organization located in Cincinnati. At the meeting, Arendt reflects on how he and Bachmeyer immediately began discussing the implementation of a harm reduction supply vending machine. During their discussion Bachmeyer said, “A cornerstone of harm reduction is to help people who use drugs stay as healthy as possible.” She also said, “Vending machines provide 24/7 ready access to lifesaving and disease prevention supplies, so people feel empowered to take control of their health. People can’t get healthy or seek treatment if they aren’t alive.”  

For decades, self-service syringe vending machines have been utilized in other parts of the world resulting in a positive impact. However, Arendt said that harm reduction vending machines in the United States were only located in Puerto Rico and Las Vegas prior to their initiative. Arendt also stated, “So our thought process was why not here, why not us, why not Cincinnati. Just because this hasn’t been done in the U.S. doesn’t mean it can’t be done in the U.S., so let’s bring it here and show that this is not just something that works in Europe, but this is something that works here.” 

How Harm Reduction Vending Machines Work

Harm reduction vending machines work this way: The program participants call Caracole, enroll, and then complete an anonymous survey. Next, they receive an access code that is valid for 90 days. To continue using the machine, re-enrolling can take place every 90 days after first joining the program.

During the enrollment process, harm reduction counselors offer more information on topics including Hepatitis C and HIV testing and prevention, counseling, local housing programs, prenatal care, and substance use disorder medical treatment.

Each person with the access code can dispense two nasal spray naloxone doses, two doses of naloxone injections, a safer smoking kit, a safer injection kit, a container to dispose of sharp objects such as needles, a safer sex kit, a PPE (personal protective equipment) kit, a bandage box, and a pregnancy test from the vending machine every seven days.

Final Thoughts – The Need for Harm Reduction Vending Machines

Based on a study, harm reduction vending machines increase access to harm reduction products and services. The research on harm reduction vending machines in Hamilton County, found that since installation, 637 people registered for the program. Out of the 637 registered people, 12% of them had not used harm reduction services before.

In the first year of installation, the vending machine dispensed 10,155 fentanyl test strips and 3,360 naloxone doses, which is more than other syringe service programs in the county. In addition, the installation of the machine was associated with a lower amount of HIV incidences and unintentional overdose deaths all over the county. 

Intelligent Dispensing Solutions (IDS) is a leading manufacturer of smart integrated vending machines and supply lockers. Our harm reduction vending machines can be used to deliver clean syringes, clean needles, and needle disposal containers for used needles. To know more about our products and how they would suit your requirements, click here.

Easy Inventory Management with UCapIt

Posted on by John Van Horn

Today, EMS providers and other healthcare organizations face the challenges of providing high-quality patient care with reduced operating costs and increased patient volume and regulatory requirements. UCapIt, from IDS, provides a simple yet powerful solution to the problem of how to efficiently and effectively control your EMS, hospital, and other healthcare facility inventory.

You need to be extremely careful managing your EMS inventory. With UCapIt, you can take better control of your inventory. If you are a medical service provider, UCapIt ensures your medical and narcotics equipment are stored securely. 

We offer several ways to identify your crew members to give them access through dual validation to equipment and supplies, such as inputting a unique code on a barcode, proximity, biometrics, magnetic strip, and much more.

Inventory Management Made Simple with UCapIt

Key Highlights

  • Reduces inventory carrying costs
  • Decreases ‘shrink’ and hoarding
  • Eliminates waste because of expired pharmaceuticals and products
  • Offers complete real-time reporting of how, why, where, and what
  • Offers access to inventory while maintaining security and control
  • Meets the DEA and FDA guidelines for pharmaceutical management
  • Streamlines operations and reduces administration costs

Inventory Management Features of UCapIt

The iQ Technology

The brain of the UCapIt system is iQ Technology. Through this technology, UCapIt increases employees’ productivity and provides management with real-time analytics to make data-driven decisions. This system is a cloud-based operating system provides round-the-clock real-time inventory and reporting of what, how, where, and why inventory is removed. 

In addition, iQ Technology alerts managers whenever their products are at crucial points, I.e., whenever they should be reordered. Moreover, all withdrawals are time-stamped, catalogued, and regulated by training/tech clearance level.

The iQ Technology for the Medical Industry and Emergency Services

Our Medical package includes all the features that healthcare and medical organizations need for enterprise-wide asset and inventory management, including:

  • Locker Dispensing & Reporting
  • Product Expiration
  • Supply Room
  • Vehicle Management
  • Lot-Tracking

Locker Dispensing and Reporting

IDS’ Supply Lockers allow easy and efficient inventory management of larger items than Supply Dispensers can. You can adjust the number of compartments and the size of each compartment to suit your product mix. Supply Lockers can be used as standalone or satellite machines connected to a Host Supply Locker or Supply Dispenser.

With IDS’s proprietary software management system, iQ Technology, you can manage access to products and utilize user credentials during check-out. Supply Lockers provide check-in/check-out, asset management, self-service automated order will-call/pick-up, single and multiple items dispense, and loan period processes.

Irrespective of how you utilize our Supply Lockers, the iQ Technology reporting can be accessed with a single login rather than multiple logins. This feature is helpful for will-call applications, along with regular supply dispensing.

Product Expiration

Our product expiration enables customers to view product expiration without manually sifting through products. This feature allows customers to find out all they need about products, including when they expire. It saves money and time and eliminates product waste in a machine.

Supply Room

The Supply Room feature allows you to save money and time by managing your inventory anywhere and anytime. You won’t have to spend hours in your supply room taking inventory of your products anymore. Instead, you can access your full supply room with the click of a button.

The Supply Room feature benefits you in risk reduction and audits. Also, with this feature, you can quickly see which products are about to expire so you can use them before their expiration date.

 Vehicle Management

Manage all your dispensing equipment in a single location with our Vehicle Management system. This feature helps you save time by giving you the facility to manage your equipment from one spot instead of you having to walk around to every machine to check if it is in good health.

Lot Tracking

With Lot-Tracking, you will be able to easily track lot numbers on any product in your system. This is a comprehensive feature that helps you track supplies from the moment you receive them in the supply room, till they’re dispensed from the machine.

Lot-Tracking offers you the ability to keep track of where your product is and who can access the product. Besides, the feature reduces risk and helps organizations maintain full compliance. 

Final Words – Other Features

Custom Checklists, Biometric Management, and API / Pre-Authorization are some other capabilities of iQ Technology. The Custom Checklist feature allows you to create a digital checklist to make sure all your machines and supplies are in place according to your standards. Biometrics is a way your employees can access the products they need with their fingerprint, and it enables the machine to track the number of products accessed when they were accessed, and who accessed which products. iQ Technology also allows organizations to connect directly to your existing employee management system. For more information, contact us by clicking here.

Why Are Smart Lockers An Important Asset For Every Office?

Posted on by John Van Horn

Why Are Smart Lockers An Important Asset For Every Office? - IDSvending.com

In a busy workplace, it becomes challenging to ensure your staff has all the supplies they require when they need them the most. Even under the most extraordinary circumstances, troubleshooting issues, planning deliveries, and making sure everything reaches the right person may be slow and time-consuming. This is why successful offices use Smart Lockers to increase efficiency and save time and money. 

Smart Locker solutions can help you optimize your office inventory management and distribution system. With safe storage available when needed, individuals may work according to their schedules. The system is efficient, maximizes resource usage, and proactively addresses requirements. 

 This article will show how a smart locker solution improves efficiency and can benefit your workplace. 

 Smart Locker Operations

Smart Lockers can provide your business with locker storage and the benefits of tracking software that streamlines workflows and includes real-time data. Businesses also utilize Smart Lockers to automate asset distribution, IT maintenance, and other business and employee-focused services. Partnering with a trusted dispensing company like IDS for Smart Lockers will help provide your organization with secure inventory control. 

Smart Locker hardware includes various storage spaces and lockable doors, just like traditional office lockers. The door locks are equipped with state-of-the-art security features that require authentication to access, making Smart Lockers more versatile and safe. Users can access the locker compartments with ID, pin code and prox card. Administrators can set up restrictions so certain departments only have access to what they might need.

Enterprise security and automation are enhanced by Smart Lockers that are simple to integrate with corporate software and processes. This is because administrators can monitor every package delivered to a locker from when it is dropped off until the receiver picks it up.  

Let’s look at the most significant benefits of Smart Lockers.  

  1. Smart Lockers may be customized for any business

Smart Lockers’ adaptability allows them to be employed in various settings and with emerging technological capacities. Government organizations can better serve their communities by providing smart locker pickups to citizens seeking documents and information. Hospitals have successfully used Smart Locker systems to manage and distribute important medical resources. With iQ Technology software from IDS organizations can track the delivery and retrieval of an item effortlessly. Smart Lockers foster innovation and endless possibilities for efficient inventory tracking and management.  

  1. Enhanced Safety and Security

Smart Lockers promote health and safety in the workplace by providing staff and visitors with a contactless pickup option. It also lowers the staffing requirements for managing multiple asset distribution centers. Security-conscious organizations utilize Smart Lockers to manage access, increase accountability and safeguard assets and corporate valuables. Access controls like PINs and barcodes make products safe and trackable from when an asset or supply is scanned into the system database until the right user retrieves it. These features work together with comprehensive, highly efficient supply-tracking software. iQ Technology provides organizations with real-time transaction reports and inventory data. It also lets administrators know which users access what supplies, when, and how they have. 

  1. A safe delivery alternative.

Dealing with the stress and cost associated with missing, misplaced, or even stolen products makes the workplace unpleasant. Lost or misplaced supplies are the most critical problem for asset management. 

Smart Lockers help enterprises by offering a systematic process for monitoring each item they receive, which helps to prevent the possibility of unattended supplies being lost or pilfered. When a supply is placed in a designated locker, the item is tracked and the user is accountable for it. 

  1. Brilliant asset management is guaranteed with IDS Smart Lockers!

The advantages of Smart Lockers in the workplace are growing in appeal and are quickly replacing traditional asset management methods. As mentioned above, a Smart Locker system enables businesses to track and distribute business assets in various environments.  

Organizations of different kinds are using smart locker solutions to better track and manage their office inventory and most important assets. Dispensing IT devices to employees and keeping track of these assets has become a cakewalk with Smart Lockers. 

  1. Happier staff, uninterrupted productivity.

If your company isn’t providing accessible, on-demand experiences that your employees need, they could decide to work for someone else. 

Smart Locker solutions nurture happy employees by demonstrating that you appreciate their time. There is no more waiting in line at the service desk or mail center. Instead, users receive a notification that their item or asset is available for pickup from a smart locker, and they pick it up whenever it’s convenient for them. 

  1. Intelligent Smart Lockers are cost-efficient

Your staff will love the improved productivity, easy contactless experience, and everyone involved can rest assured that the process is secure from start to finish. Eliminating missing valuables and the streamlined service improvements offered by Smart Lockers will save your office more time and money.  

A smart locker is a critical element of a smart office. 

Smart Lockers have the potential to alter modern supply management, making the delivery and pickup of essential items and supplies more efficient and effortless. IDS is a pioneer in Smart Locker solutions. Please speak with our experts today to learn why investing in Smart Lockers is a brilliant concept for a smart workplace. Contact us at 1-855-942-0998. 

 

 

Ref links: https://smiota.com/resources/a-2022-overview-of-smart-locker-solutions/

UCapIt: The Only Machine Made for EMS

Posted on by John Van Horn

“When we waste dollars through inefficient practices, we are not being good stewards to our patients, our taxpayers, or to our EMS mission,” Jonathan D. Washko, MBA, FACPE, NRP, AEMD.

The problems with today’s emergency medical supply management are multifold: Paramedics and EMTs are running short of critical and non-critical (but important) supplies. The scramble to locate stocks kills precious time, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction. Agencies that overstock supplies to prevent stock shortages find themselves looking for items within overstuffed cabinets and bags. Overstock can also lead to product expiration, creating a problem of another kind. 

Successful inventory management requires insight, foresight, and a sophisticated system – a foundation that can help build a practical and unique framework for smart inventory management and decisions. Such a system can help organizations reduce costs, reduce wastage, and cut down on liabilities. 

Introducing UCaplt

UCapIt is a system designed to help EMS, pharmaceutical, and other medical professionals save time and money and enjoy the benefits of real-time usage data and inventory tracking. 

UCapIt vending machines and supply lockers provide administrators with access control, inventory management, and accountability over the entire medical supply lifecycle. The versatile hardware offering of UCapit vending machines and supply lockers enables them to have control over their supply room. Using this, they could store, track, and dispense a range of emergency medical supply products in a secure manner.

Simplified, Cutting-edge Inventory Management

The healthcare fraternity faces many challenges in the current ecosystem. They are increasingly required to provide quality patient care at reduced operational costs amidst increased regulations and patient volumes. UCaplt is the solution you might be looking for, as it provides a simple yet effective solution to the inventory problems faced by hospitals, EMS, and other healthcare facilities.

“The UCapIt system gives us a hard data inventory report we can rely on.”
– Dan Lottes, Firefighter, D.C. Fire and EMS

UCaplt meets and exceeds the standard of inventory control. It helps you take back control of your medical supplies, ensure safe and secure storage of narcotics and medical equipment, and offers various ways to authorize crew members to access inventory – by entering a unique code on a pin pad, proximity sensor, barcode reader, magnetic strip, or biometrics scanner. 

Our supply vending machines and lockers help check multiple forms of ID. With UCaplt’s own iQ Technology software, you can catalog all withdrawals from the stock, time stamp them, and regulate them as per tech clearance or training level. 

Types of UCapIt Hardware 

UCaplt hardware includes: 

Supply Dispensers

Refrigerated and non-refrigerated Supply Dispensers facilitate the secure dispatch of medical supplies, narcotics for medicinal intervention, and pharmaceuticals to authorized personnel. They provide a single point of access to the entire team – ensuring the safe and secure maintenance of inventory.

Supply Lockers

Supply Lockers also serve the purpose of facilitating access to medical equipment and supplies. It also facilitates the return of these products. Each bay in a Supply Locker can be adjusted to fit taller supplies if necessary.

Virtual Tracker

The Virtual Tracker is designed to make inventory management for many items that don’t fit in a Supply Dispenser or Supply Locker  as simple as it can be. With this, you can maintain stock accounts accurately, locate bins, pick orders, and receive inventories.

UCapIt Powered by iQ Technology 

iQ Technology is UCapIt’s proprietary inventory management software, as it allows users to know the status of their emergency medical dispensing inventory, helps reduce cost by cutting down on shrink and hoarding, and eliminates waste that occurs through expired products. iQ Technology tackles the drawbacks of modern inventory management, such as stock shortages, identification of stocks, and security, with a cloud-based backend that is easy to use, track, and manage. And wouldn’t managing inventories be much easier with real-time analytics that can help make data-driven executive-level decisions? 

IDS has a storied history in the dispensing industry. We have served customers for over 90 years in the automatic merchandising business. Contact IDS today to learn how we can help your organization save time and money with our secure dispensing hardware and software by calling 1-866-409-3024.

The advantages of using smart lockers for mobile asset management over manual methods

Posted on by John Van Horn

 

The advantages of using smart lockers for mobile asset management over manual methods - idsvending.com

Manual asset management – Fraught with many limitations!

A clipboard full of checkboxes for each asset that gets passed around and is shared by several users can very quickly become a nightmare for all maintenance, operations, and supply chain professionals. The data gathering is tedious while preparing summary reports and reconciliation with stores is often fraught with errors. It is the perfect scenario for Murphy’s law.  

This article is not going to be all gloom and doom. Still, it is essential to understand the disadvantages of manual asset management before we discuss how iQ Technology paired with smart lockers can make your inventory management efficient and effortless. Some of the key disadvantages of manual asset management over mobile are discussed below.

  • Cumbersome

Manual asset management involves data entry at several points, often by several people. Even with the use of computers and spreadsheets, the task does not become any easier. Hundreds of devices, tools, and consumables need data entry at several points, such as procurement, check-out, check-in, and disposal.  Summarizing the data gathered to generate meaningful reports is a difficult challenge. Finally, more effort is required to make this data flow to other systems.

  • Human Error is inevitable

Data is only as valuable as it is accurate. Human involvement in gathering and processing data makes the data prone to errors. Erroneous data can be more dangerous than having no data at all. Poor data has a bad habit of contaminating insights in downstream processes and making data from upstream processes unreliable. It is impossible to eliminate human error, especially when it involves tedious yet precise manual entries that are repetitive.

  • Delayed Asset Status

Manual asset management delays data gathering, rendering the data unavailable for tactical and business decisions. Just as serving justice, data delayed is data denied. 

  • Non-Standard Data

Another challenge with manual data gathering is data can be interpreted and reported differently depending upon the methodology and source of the analysis. To combat this, radio buttons and objective options are oftentimes used, however, this approach diminishes the amount of intelligence that can be gathered. Unstructured data analysis, visualization, and big data can help with data analysis, however, these methods are most applicable when the volume of data is high.

  • Resistance to Modifications

When gathered manually, data tends to resist any structure, resolution, or data type changes. Even a tiny change in a set of constrained inputs can disrupt data gathering for many. The workforce needs to be trained in the need for changed data and the process of acquiring it. Considering that the data is seldom acquired by someone dedicated to this purpose, people may view such retraining as a distraction from their responsibilities.

  • Employee Motivation

Tracking and monitoring asset information manually cause difficulties for employees at various levels. The process is tedious and susceptible to errors, as often the task of entering data is not a measure of success, but can considerably impact decision-making considerably. This means more work for no direct outcome for the employee. Inaccurate data can also confuse employees, causing frustration.

Smart Lockers and Mobile Asset Management

Smart lockers automate the management of your assets. Workflows can be written to provide role-based or need-based access to assets through precise authentication mechanisms. And yes, there is minimal to no manual data entry involved. Data is made available in real-time as and when it is created. 

When combined with tagging and tracking solutions like RFID, Bluetooth, Keycard, or Passcode-based authentication, establishing the chain of custody becomes automatic. Smart lockers are a combination of three pieces of technology.

  • Hardware

Adjustable Lockers serve as a pickup and drop-off center that stores your assets when not they are not in use. Users can use the electronic panel or their ID cards to check out and check in devices or equipment. The access interface can be customized to authenticate various methods like User PIN, Employee Keycard, RFID, or even passcodes delivered to mobile phones.

  • Software

iQ Technology software from IDS serves as the backend brains behind the hardware. The software is where you set up employee limits and authorization as well as view real-time data that includes who used what assets, when and how many.

  • Integrations

Mobile assets are used in various processes in the enterprise. Different functions use enterprise systems like ERP, SCM, and Procurement systems. Asset tracking can be complete only when the supply lockers can integrate with different enterprise systems and ensure a single source of information.

 

Smart Lockers Vs. Manual Asset Management – Is it even fair to compare?

 

Particulars Smart Lockers Manual Asset Management
Profitability Profitability improves due to better efficiency, higher uptime, improved productivity, better use of assets, and lesser hoarding/ shrinkage. Asset management initiatives focus on existence and not excellence, resulting in higher inefficiencies.
Process Continuity Real-time asset trackability ensures mission-critical assets’ visibility and continuity in the process. The lead time to data visibility can cause a massive disparity between the actual status and the recorded status of the asset.
Asset Utilization Information on available (unutilized) assets helps allocate assets around the clock to drive higher utilization. Poorer utilization of assets as data is neither current nor accurate.
Accountability Accurate chain-of-custody ensures responsible usage of assets. Manual data entry allows missing or invalid entries, thereby reducing accountability.
Reliability Logging and scheduling maintenance can be automated through workflows, making equipment more reliable. The asset maintenance is relegated to individuals and prone to human error.
Actionable Insights The software layer in smart lockers can trigger instant reports to empower decision-makers.. Manual consolidation of data and reporting may not be available in time to make decisions.
Seamless Interoperability Data is gathered and stored digitally, allowing integration with other enterprise systems. Data is gathered and entered manually into spreadsheets, limiting interoperability to a few systems.
Employee Experience Employees can focus on creating value for the business by executing their responsibilities better. Employees are burdened with data gathering and the consequences of inaccurate data.

 

Mobile Asset Management with Smart Lockers – The No-brainer Decision

Your devices and equipment contribute as much to the business process as fixed assets like buildings, if not more. Ensuring their condition, availability, and uptime is critical for efficient operations. Smart lockers help manage mobile assets effortlessly and accurately. The three layers of technology – hardware, software, and integration applications come together to ensure better availability and utilization of mobile assets leading to time saved and increased profitability.

IDS Vending is the industry leader in smart lockers and controlled dispensing technology. Talk to our experts to see how our lockers can help you manage your mobile assets. Click here to learn more or call us at 1-866-409-2978.

Unique Vending Machines Offering the Anti-dose Drug Narcan Gain Support

Posted on by John Van Horn

Unique Vending Machines Offering the Anti-dose Drug Narcan Gain Support

Did you know that just 2 milligrams of fentanyl are enough to cause an overdose? Some governments and non-profit organizations are making use of vending machines to distribute Narcan, a medication reversing opioid overdose, to reduce drug overdose deaths.

Also, Narcan vending machines with this lifesaving medication are being installed in various cities across the country, including North Carolina, Winston-Salem, and Philadelphia, at malls, detention centers, college campuses, and other public places for use in emergencies.

Vending machines dispensing Narcan, the fentanyl antidote, are popping up across the US as a small town of 7000 people was forced to restock seven times in one month – while the opioid death count exceeds 75000 this year.

Furthermore, to increase Narcan availability, some local governments have placed the vending machines strategically near at-risk populations — for instance, at jails — since studies suggest that recently incarcerated individuals are about 40 times more likely to die of opioid overuse than others.

 Some Facts about this Scenario

  • Here are some facts about the ongoing fentanyl crisis:
  • In 2022, fentanyl has resulted in the death of 75,000 people already.
  • In the most recent move to counter the fentanyl crisis, numerous communities have begun utilizing free Narcan dispensing vending machines.
  • As well as that, these machines are stocked with free Narcan nasal spray, and some also include free snacks and other products.
  • Mostly, non-profits pay for the machines, though some local governments have started operating them.
  • Finally, the high number of fentanyl deaths is augmented by the fact that users are unaware of the fatal drug being laced into several other substances including methamphetamine and cocaine.

Why is Fentanyl Dangerous? 

Our Organization’s Insights

Ashley Hubler, Chief Marketing Officer of the Wittern Group, a vending machine supplier in Iowa, said “These organizations, they may be closed at five but with a machine that could be outdoors or placed in a variety of places,” “Now the end users can access the machine regardless if it’s four o’clock during business hours or two o’clock in the morning [to] access the supplies when they need them.” 

Our organization has been selling vending machines for food and drinks for about 90 years. We believe that managed vending machines are easy to implement, offer convenience and provide many more benefits.

Case Study

Amanda Clark, a Lead in the Forsyth County Department of Public Health said, “We actually had an EMS call recently where there was an overdose happening about a block or two down the street from our jail”.

Additionally, she said, “The person who called 911 remembered that there was that Narcan machine at the jail. And so after they called 911, they actually ran to the jail to get some Narcan from the machine while they were waiting for first responders to get there. And the person was able to be revived, and by the time the paramedics got there, they were sitting up and talking and doing fine.”

Similar Initiatives and Stats

Initiatives similar to the one shown in the case study above have been taken in Michigan, Nevada, Washington, Indiana, among other states. They follow the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) loosening its restrictions on Narcan and other opioid overdose antidotes in 2019 to increase their availability.

Additionally, vending machines with Narcan are being used in other cities. The Central Washington Recovery Coalition, which is a non-profit organization helping drug users, set up three vending machines around its area, including Moses Lake and Wenatchee. Local charities give users a code, which they can input on a vending machine to receive their dose of Narcan.

The following graph shows the fentanyl deaths in the US from 2017 to 2022:

Final Words

The opioid overdose death rate is higher today than ever before. Synthetic opioids, mainly fentanyl, have contaminated the drug supply. Not to mention, it is found in almost everything these days, which is driving this spike in opioid overdose deaths.

In a Fox News interview, Jim Crotty, former deputy chief of staff for the Drug Enforcement Administration, said, “We should be carpet-bombing our cities with naloxone. That’s how dire this crisis is.”

Reference: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/healthcare/nonprofits-governments-narcan-vending-machines

 

A Life-Saving Revolution – Vending Machines To Reverse Drug Overdoses‍

Posted on by John Van Horn

A Life-Saving Revolution - Vending Machines To Reverse Drug Overdoses‍

 

Drug addiction and opioid overuse are major threats to life in the United States, with reports suggesting that 70,000 Americans fell prey to the epidemic in 2018, 92,000 in 2020, and 1,08,000 last year. To reverse the effects of these drugs and prevent the loss of precious lives, cities and aid groups have come up with a solution that is increasingly gaining popularity – Narcan-stocked vending machines. This article offers in-depth coverage of vending machine’s brand-new avatar – as  lifesavers. 

The Problem – Drug-Overdose Deaths

The statistic above makes for a distressing read. It indicates that the opioid crisis is only getting worse year by year. This complex issue is caused by a combination of factors – including the overprescription of opioids by doctors, the illicit production and sale of opioids, and the increased availability of powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The Fentanyl content (a powerful synthetic Opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than Morphine) present in cocaine or fake pills, has been silently killing the many who are unaware of its mixture or potency.  The result is an epidemic of drug overdose deaths ravaging our society and claiming the lives of far too many people. To make it worse, no situation at hand has proven effective in curbing this. The police and the EMT are at loggerheads, as they could only reverse 1% of the 8,711 overdoses recorded. 

The Solution – Vending Machines Stocked With Overdose-Reversing Nasal Spray

The solution discovered – vending machines stocked with overdose nasal spray, an approach that has even found favor with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). America’s governing body for food & drug safety has joined a few states in easing the restrictions on medications such as Narcan to facilitate its lifesaving role.

Narcan is an opioid antagonist. It binds the opioid receptors in the brain, therefore blocking the effect of opioids. This can reverse an overdose and save a person’s life. 

Narcan is a safe and effective medication that is easy to use and can be administered by anyone. It is available in the form of a nasal spray, which can be sprayed into the nostrils of a person who is overdosing. The nasal spray is now available in vending machines located in public places such as schools, libraries, and parks. 

Vending machines stocked with Narcan or similar medications can be lifesaving. The easier availability of Narcan also serves to destigmatize addiction. It normalizes the conversation about addiction, thus reducing the shame and isolation often experienced by people struggling with addiction. 

In addition to Narcan, vending machines are now stocked with fentanyl test strips. These test strips detect the presence of fentanyl in a drug sample and help prevent accidental overdoses. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid often mixed with other drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. It is highly potent and deadly if taken in large doses (as seen above).

How Is It Distributed? 

Vending machines stocked with Narcan overdose nasal spray are becoming increasingly available. In the United States, Narcan is available in more than 40 states. It is also available in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. It is distributed in various forms, including nasal spray, tablets, and injectables. 

Nonprofits across the country are working hard to install vending machines for this purpose. The Wittern Group first received a call from such an aid group, requiring us to outfit a few used vending machines to dispense Narcan. More than 100 such groups contacted us last year requesting quotes for vending machines. A few of the customers we now cater to in this segment include a Rhode Island group that volunteers to provide clean needles to drug users, Yale University, and agencies in California funded by Anthem Blue Cross. 

“They’re putting them in fire stations, jails, churches, places that are public,” – Julie Burgess, The Wittern Group. 

Final Words 

The availability of a tool, even something lifesaving as a Narcan stocked vending machine, does not license the abusive use of substances that could derail the health of individuals and the community. We will do well to understand that the solution we have in hand isn’t something drug users can resort to as a remedy to their addiction. 

Used right, we have something that could take us on the long road to tackling the ugly menace of drug addiction,  After all, innovations, even the little creative ones, have always shaped the fabric of our existence, helping us enjoy the fruits of healthy existence that seemed impossible even decades ago.

Reference link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/vending-machines-dispense-narcan-to-reverse-opioid-overdoses-11669003881

How to Make Every Minute Count in Your Distribution Center?

Posted on by John Van Horn

Time is money in your distribution center

Efficiency is critical while running a distribution center. Wasted time translates to wasted effort, unused space, and inefficiencies in labor. Considering that the core value added by a distribution center is holding material, time and effort become the most significant contributors to cost. Optimizing these two factors is the key to making the most of the distribution center. Time-related efficiency can be affected by several parameters like:

  • Cost of unused duration

Maximizing holding time and minimizing material movement or handling are some of the primary objectives of any warehouse. A warehouse can only charge its customers or beneficiaries for the utilized duration. The duration for which the space is unused has a direct impact on the revenue. But that is not all. Operational expenses like utilities, rent, and labor continue to accrue while the space lies unused. It is a double whammy.

  • Inefficiencies in storage and retrieval impacts throughput

Material or stock moving through the distribution center usually goes through a six-step process. Inward docking – unloading – storing – retrieving – loading – dispatch. Most of these stages contribute to what Lean Process Experts call a “Muda Waste.” This means that these processes are essential but are considered to contribute to inefficiency as they do not add value to the business. For example, a delay in inward docking can cause new arrivals bottlenecks. Timely docking and unloading can minimize wait times and the associated logistics costs.

  • Unavailability of equipment

Equipment enables efficiency in material handling and material movement. Such equipment includes forklifts, ladders, scissor lifts, hoists, conveyors, drives, and other machinery that facilitate the transit between the dock and the storage space. If such equipment is unavailable, it brings material mobility to a grinding halt. “A faulty $100 barcode scanner can misplace consignments worth millions.”  This is another example where the resulting idle time costs money to the distribution center and results in a loss of revenue.

Harnessing the power of technology to save time

Time is a critical resource that can affect the revenue and profitability of a distribution center. Thankfully, technology can drive efficiency that helps distribution centers make the best use of time in the various aspects of their operations. Different hardware, software, and process combinations can help minimize waste, improve utilization, and increase the throughput of the material handled in the center. Some of these are discussed here.

Inventory tracking

Tracking the arrival and consumption of inventory can help maintain continuity in the processes that depend on the warehouse for their operations. Reorder levels, and buffer quantities are essential to avoid delays due to unavailable stock. But maintaining too much buffer is expensive and comes with a lot of wasted space and costs associated with material handling. Inventory management solutions can help address this by providing information about the optimal reorder levels.

Asset management

As discussed earlier in this article, there are a lot of assets that are used in the distribution center. They include material handling equipment, power systems, storage racks, lighting equipment, cold storage equipment, and several others. Asset management solutions can track all such assets and establish a transparent chain of custody. This encourages users to surrender unused assets to be available for others who may need them. Asset management also ensures prompt maintenance that can prevent downtime due to unplanned outages or equipment failures. This ensures no time is wasted waiting for equipment to be returned or repaired. “After all, labor is valuable when it is busy on the production floor, not while in a queue waiting for equipment.”

Device management

The modern warehouse uses a lot of electronic devices for smooth operations. Supervisors and technicians use tablet PCs to update the status of the material. Tag printers and handheld scanners are used for digitizing material information for easy processing. These devices must be checked for proper usage, timely maintenance, and Over-The-Air (OTA) updates. Device management systems help track, monitor, maintain, and upgrade such devices remotely. Centralized device management helps cut idle time on the floor due to unavailable or malfunctioning electronic devices.

Interoperable Systems and Peripherals

Inventory management, asset management, and device management are enterprise-level technology applications that help reduce waste time in a distribution center. However, when they operate in silos, there is no flow of intelligence between different systems. This results in the loss of valuable information and insights that can still cause disruption to the flow of material. Moreover, peripherals like barcode printers, handheld scanners, keycards, tablet PCs, and workstations need to capture, digitize, and share information with the enterprise systems.

With dispersed warehouses or remote-control centers, it also becomes vital to have cloud-based connectivity. With so many moving parts and data custodians, there is no longer a single source of truth that provides accurate, real-time visibility to the center’s operations. Hence it is crucial to have a seamless solution consisting of enterprise systems, physical equipment, and cloud infrastructure to ensure an efficient distribution center.

An effortless way to accomplish this would be by working with a solution provider with end-to-end connectivity across all these systems. A case in point is IDS’s VendSafety solution. Between supply dispensers and lockers, VendSafety provides an easy, efficient inventory management solution. The cloud software iQ Technology connects all the disparate hardware that needs connectivity through common workflows tailored to the needs of each delivery center. Finally, reports and notifications can be viewed on any device using a simple web interface secured by administrators to allow access only to certain users. This combination of hardware, software, and reporting ensures an efficient distribution center.

Conclusion

Distribution centers form an integral part of the supply chain for several industries. Their efficiency has an impact on the efficiency of other businesses that are reliant on them. While several factors can affect the efficiency of such centers, technology can be used to address the factors that can cause delays or waste of time.

But the key to distribution center management success is the ability of different pieces of technology to interoperate rather than work in disparate silos. Our experts at IDS can consult with you to help build the right solution for your distribution center to help you make every minute count. Click here or talk to us at 1-866-853-1935 to know more.

Tips and Tricks to Track and Manage Your Organization’s Inventory

Posted on by John Van Horn

 

idsvending.com - Tips and Tricks to Track and Manage Your Organization's Inventory

A well-managed inventory is key to successful operations. If you are looking for ways to take your business to a new level, an inventory management system can help. An inventory management system will streamline your supply chain processes and keep you organized. This article discusses different inventory management tips to help you track and control your supplies more effectively.

Categorize Inventory Carefully: Inventory categorizing is crucial when dealing with physical goods because it safeguards your profit margins and reduces the risk of write-offs and losses from spoilt stock inventory. It also marks the initial stage in demand forecasting, increased costs, supply chain optimization, and the slight decrease of obsolete inventory. 

By organizing your inventory into different categories, you may quickly determine which items need to be purchased more frequently. It helps identify the quantities and priority of items required for smooth operations in a business. Experts recommend categorizing your inventory into A, B, and C categories. Items in the A category are more expensive and in limited supply. Low-cost, high-turnover products fall under the C group. Items in the B category are in the middle; they are reasonably priced and move out of the door slower than C items but more rapidly than A items. An ABC analysis is an efficient approach for a business to assess the worth of its stock and inventory. Using specialized software can further streamline the inventory management process. 

Track Your Inventory Accurately with Real-Time Data: Understanding the status of an organization’s inventory is essential for achieving efficiency and speed in operations today. Warehouse Management System (WMS), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and Material Requirements Planning (MRP) systems are three inventory management solutions. You may not need to utilize all three, but they perform best when combined. A WMS system helps keep track of your current inventory levels. It can also decrease human error and increase efficiency by automating your inventory management processes.

An ERP system is best for tracking your production schedule, ensuring you produce enough finished goods to meet demand. Making sure you have the correct quantity of items can help you avoid waste. This can be accomplished by setting up a replenishment process that tracks your inventory levels and produces a schedule to order materials. An MRP system may be used to track any timing issues in your supply chain. This can help avoid any stock-outs, which can cause a lot of disruption to your business. 

Set up a Replenishment Process to Avoid Wastage: Replenishment is one of the most important aspects of inventory management. You may have the perfect number of items, but if you do not order more when they run out, you will be out of stock. This is where a replenishment process comes into play. Use the (first in, first out) process when managing commodities that can spoil, such as materials, food products, chemicals, pharmaceutical inventory, or other items with a dated shelf life. To prevent spoilage, pay close attention to the expiration dates on your products. There are several ways to automate your replenishment process. You can set up digital barcoding and GPS-enabled RFID tags to increase security against loss and theft. This will also provide immediate inventory alerts, notifications, and real-time tracking. Another option is to create a manual system, where a person manually orders materials when needed. Always ensure that your system is based on accurate data. If your inventory is inaccurate, you will order more products than you need, resulting in extra costs and waste.

Invest in Inventory Management Software: There will undoubtedly be some challenges as you manage your inventory. Timely detection of these issues enables you to address them as quickly as possible. A problem with your system or data input practices may cause erroneous inventory data. You must find a solution if your system is not configured correctly, or your data is input incorrectly. The easiest way to solve these issues is by investing in inventory software. Inventory software automates many of the manual processes, which can reduce human error. It can also track the data, so you can make sure your system is accurate. Most companies purchase inventory management systems or use specially created databases to manage their inventories. The supplier can modify the database with inventory management software to meet their specific and overall business requirements. 

Complete Asset Tracking and Inventory Management Solution: Asset tracking systems can help with the entire inventory management process by making it easier to track inventory assets. Asset inventory management tracks all equipment and devices inside an organization – from one location to another. Managing your inventory is challenging and time-consuming but is critical to running a successful organization. 

An efficient inventory management automation program simplifies implementation by using a single vendor for hardware, software, and support. Intelligent Dispensing Solutions offers all the required hardware, software, and support to help you regain control of your inventory. IDS offers not only the most feature-rich inventory management solution but also the most comprehensive solution by a single provider. Call us today to know more.

How Smart Lockers Enhance Inventory Management

Posted on by John Van Horn

Today’s inventory management, while complex and demanding, is a crucial part of every organization’s functionality. Therefore, it’s necessary to invest resources in the latest solutions that will increase efficiency within your organization.

Smart Locker storage is soon changing the way we track and manage inventory. This wonderful technology enables the distribution of inventory at the point of need. Smart Lockers simplify inventory distribution by reducing costs and taking away many processes that require hours of management. 

How Smart Lockers can be the difference?

On a basic level, smart lockers are modular storage devices that organizations can use to protect their most valued assets. But these are devices with a cutting-edge proposition, a highly secure digital platform that can simplify asset management in various ways. iQ Technology from Intelligent Dispensing Solutions, can systematically maintain a real-time digital record of transactions, which helps keep track of assets. The accountability of each of these assets will be clearly specified. It can meet the various requirements of organizations without any need for the employees to search for supplies, as they have what they’ll need with a click of a button. 

Smart lockers feature live analytics and multi-featured dashboards. iQ Technology software allows you to track all your items in one location.

 We at IDS design Smart Lockers that can fully address your team’s needs, facilitating the storage of critical reusable assets, consumable products, and other inventory. 

Automate your processes

Maintaining and tracking asset details through spreadsheets and scheduled audits is laborious, error-prone and time-consuming. Any lapses in the process could lead to a significant loss of time and money. These efforts can now be easily managed with easy-to-access Smart Lockers that can automate tasks and generate usage reports. The analytics and usage reports provided by iQ Technology make inventory management more simple and accurate.

Users will have access to analytics and data reporting that can help identify critical issues that require immediate attention. Real-time updates and notifications help management provide accountability and understand the details of each asset transaction. This accountability also provides reminders to help employees be aware of any assets that must be picked up or restored.

Assigning and identifying accountability 

It only takes a moment for an asset to be misplaced, stolen, or destroyed. With Smart Lockers, you can restrict the usage of assets to a select few employees. Credentialed employees can access the locker compartments through RFID badges, barcodes, mag stripes, and even an ID barcode card. The detailed layout offered by Smart Lockers enables management to have a thorough understanding of asset usage, including the people assigned with the responsibility for the asset, where and when they have used it. Assigning an asset, which takes hours in a typical manual setting, can be done with the click of a button. Moreover, the web of security provided by usage logs meets the standards of internal security and policies based on industry-based regulations. 

IDS Adjustable Lockers can be used for secure asset management in the form of single-dispense, multi-dispense, will-call, check-in/check-out and storage for high-dollar items or user-specific items that contain sensitive data such as laptops, tablets and smartphones. 

Intelligent Dispensing Solutions is a pioneer in developing innovative dispensing solutions for inventory management and have proved our expertise as a leader in inventory control dispensing for over 20 years. As one of the world’s largest manufacturers of integrated Supply Dispensers and Supply Lockers, we offer solutions that match the unique needs of our client base around the world. We’d love show you how it works.