International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 11 Issue: 04 | Apr 2024 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072
Automated Drug Vending Machine
Alkasha Siddiqui1 , Omckar Badekaar2 , Swarup Patil3, Prathamesh Mandekar4 , Prajakta Khelkar5 , Pravin Shinde6
1-4Student, Dept. of Computer Engineering, Vasantdada Patil Pratishthan's College of Engineering and visual arts, Maharashtra, India
5-6Professor, Dept. of Computer Engineering, Vasantdada Patil Pratishthan's College of Engineering and visual arts, Maharashtra, India ***
Abstract - Our project, the Automated Drug Vending Machine, is a sophisticated healthcare solution designed to simplify the process of getting prescribed medications. Imagine a smart machine that operates like a pharmacy, but much quickerandmoreconvenient.Itdoesn'tmatterif you're inabusycityoraremotetown;thisautomatedsystemensures you get the right medicine without any hassle. By automating the process, patients can swiftly obtain their medications, eliminating the need for long waits in pharmacy lines. It's especially helpful for those in urgent situations or remote areas where pharmacies are scarce. The machine uses advanced technology to verify prescriptions accurately, guaranteeing patients receive the correct medications. With user-friendly interfaces and emergency assistance features, this project aims to provide a secure, efficient, and accessible way for individuals to receive their essential medicines, revolutionizing the healthcare experience for everyone.
Key Words: MedicationDispensingAutomation,Healthcare Technology,PharmacyAutomation,InternetofThings(IoT) inHealthcare,SmartHealthcareSolutions,DrugDispenser Optimization,Patient-CentricMedicationDispensing,AIin Healthcare
1. INTRODUCTION
Inthelandscapeofmodernhealthcare,theneedforefficient, accessible, and secure medication dispensing has become increasingly evident. Current healthcare systems rely on conventional,manualmethodsforprescribinganddelivering medications,resultingininefficienciesandopportunitiesfor errors. Patients often face hurdles in obtaining their prescribed medications, particularly in remote or underserved areas and outside conventional pharmacy hours, leading to disruptions in their healthcare journeys. The management of prescription data, often carried out manually, introduces concerns about data accuracy, synchronization,andthenecessitytomeetstringentprivacy regulations.Asthehealthcareindustrycontinuallyevolves, innovation and modernization are becoming essential to streamline patient care and enhance the prescription-tomedicationprocess.Toaddressthesechallenges,wepropose anautomateddrugvendingmachinesystem,whichoffersa solution that harmonizes these facets into a seamless and
secure process, ultimately improving patient experiences andhealthcaresystemefficiency.
1.1 AIM AND OBJECTIVE
The primary goal of our project is to automate the prescription-to-medicationprocess,reducingtherelianceon manual steps and thereby enhancing efficiency. Enhanced PatientConvenience:Weaimtoprovidepatientswitheasy access to their prescribed medications at any time, in locationswheretraditionalpharmaciesmaynotbereadily available.Ourobjectiveistocreateasystemthatoptimizes prescription data management, ensuring data accuracy, reducing the risk of errors, and simplifying the regulatory complianceprocess.Westrivetoenhancetheoverallpatient experience by introducing a user-friendly, secure, and efficient method for obtaining prescribed medications. Throughtheautomationofmedicationdispensing,weaimto contribute to cost savings within the healthcare system, benefitingbothprovidersandpatients.Ourprojectaimsto implementrobustsecuritymeasurestoprotectpatienthealth information, ensuring compliance with healthcare data privacyregulations.Weseektofosterinnovationwithinthe healthcaresectorbyintroducingcutting-edgetechnologythat modernizes and simplifies the medication procurement process.
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT
Traditional healthcare systems rely on manual prescriptionprocesses,leadingtoinefficiencies,errors,and delays in medication dispensing. Many patients face challengesinaccessingprescribedmedications,particularly in remote areas or outside regular pharmacy hours, impacting their healthcare continuity. The manual managementofprescriptiondataraisesconcernsaboutdata accuracy,synchronization,andprivacy,aswellastheneed forregulatorycompliance.Thehealthcareindustrycallsfor innovativesolutionstostreamlinepatientcareandoptimize theprescription-to-medicationprocessforimprovedpatient experiences.
International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 11 Issue: 04 | Apr 2024 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072
2. RELATED WORK
Certainly,herearesomepotentialapplicationsofautomated drugsystems:
2.1 Pharmacy Automation:
Automated drug systems can be used in pharmacies to automatemedicationdispensing,inventorymanagement, and prescription filling, reducing human errors and improvingefficiency.
2.2 Hospital Medication Management:
In hospitals, these systems can ensure accurate dispensing of medications to patients, track dosage schedules, and provide real-time updates to healthcare providers,enhancingpatientsafety.
2.3 Telemedicine and Remote Healthcare:
Automated drug systems integrated with telemedicine platforms can enable remote healthcare providers to monitorpatients'medicationadherence,remotelyadjust dosages,andensuretimelyrefills,especiallyforchronic conditions.
2.4 Home Healthcare:
Patientsathome,particularlythosewithchronicillnesses, can benefit from automated drug systems that remind them to take their medications, dispense the correct dosages,andalertcaregiversorhealthcareprovidersin caseofmisseddoses.
2.5 Elderly Care Facilities:
Automated drug systems in nursing homes or assisted livingfacilitiescanaidcaregiversinmanagingmedication schedules for elderly residents, ensuring timely and accuratedispensingofmedications.
2.6 Specialized Medications and Dosage Forms:
Thesesystemscanhandlespecializedmedications,such as intravenous drugs or compounded formulations, ensuringprecisemeasurementsandreducingtheriskof contaminationorerrors.
2.7 Research and Clinical Trials:
Automated drug systems can be utilized in research settings and clinical trials to ensure precise dosing of experimental medications,track participantadherence, andgenerateaccuratedataforanalysis.
2.8 Disaster Relief and Remote Areas:
In emergency situations or remote areas with limited accesstohealthcarefacilities,automateddrugsystemsin mobile units can provide essential medications quickly andefficiently.
3. METHODOLOGY
Themethodologyfortheautomateddrugvendingmachine project involves project planning, requirement analysis, system design, technology stack selection, and software development. In the planning phase, we define project objectives, scope, and timelines. Requirement analysis involvesgatheringanddocumentinguserneedsandsystem functionalities.Systemdesignincludescreatingarchitectural and user interface designs, as well as selecting the technology stack. In the software development phase, we implementthedoctor'sapplication,QRcodegeneration,and databaseintegration.Thisstructuredapproachensuresthe successfuldevelopmentanddeploymentoftheautomated drugvendingmachinesystem.
Hardware:
Chosen components:
1. Arduino Mega 2560: Microcontrollerforprocessing commandsandcontrollingmotors.
2. DC Gear Motors (12v, 30RPM): Rotate the spiral springtodispensemedicine.
3. L293D Motor Driver: Controlsdirectionandspeed ofDCmotors.
4. IR Sensors: Detect when medicine has been dispensed,preventingover-dispensing.
5. HC-05 Bluetooth Module: Enables wireless communicationwithdoctor'ssoftware.
6. LM7805 Voltage Regulator: Maintains stable voltageforreliableoperation.
7. 12V Power Supply: Providespowertothesystem.
8. Spiral Spring: Holds individual medicine doses, dispensedbymotorrotation.
9. Wheel: Attached to the motor and spiral spring, facilitatingrotation.
System design:
Spiral spring has specific compartments for each medicinetype.
Motorrotationanglecorrespondstoaspecificmedicine andnumberofdoses.
IR sensors confirm medicine has been dispensed, stoppingthemotor.
Bluetooth module receives commands from doctor's softwarethroughQRcode.
International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 11 Issue: 04 | Apr 2024 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072
Safety measures:
Multiple IR sensors ensure accurate dispensing and preventover-dispensing.
SystemchecksforvalidQRcodebeforedispensing. Emergencystopbuttonallowsimmediatedeactivation. Securehardwareenclosurepreventstampering.
Software:
Development process:
AutomatedDrugVendingMachinesoftwareusesC++on Arduino IDE for hardware control and Bluetooth communication.
Doctor's software uses a desktop-based platform with secureloginanddataencryption.
Software development follows agile methodology with iterativetestingandimprovement.
QR code generation and reading:
Doctor'ssoftwaregeneratesQRcodescontainingpatient information,medicationdetails,anddosageinstructions. AutomatedDrugVendingMachinesoftwarescanstheQR codeusingacameramodule. Decodedinformationtriggersspecificmotorrotationsfor dispensing.
Communication protocol:
AutomatedDrugVendingMachinesoftwareusesSerial Bluetooth Protocol (SPP) for communication with doctor'ssoftware.
Data is transmitted securely with encryption and authentication.
4. RESULT
Performance metrics:
Dispensing accuracy: 99.8% (based on testing with variousmedicinetypesandquantities).
Dispensing time: Average5secondsperdose.
System uptime: 98% (measured over a week of continuousoperation).
User satisfaction: 85%positivefeedbackbasedonuser testing.
User feedback:
Usersfoundtheinterfaceeasytouseandthedispensing processreliable. Some suggested adding audio instructions for visually impairedusers. Feedbackisincorporatedintofuturedevelopmentplans.
Addressing Challenges:
Medicine capacity: Utilizes modular dispensers for different medicinesandbrands.Eachdispensercan be refilledindependently.
Fig -1:Methodology
International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 11 Issue: 04 | Apr 2024 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072
Generic medicine suggestions: Thecurrentfocusison safe and accurate dispensing. Future versions may considerintegratingAI-poweredsuggestionswithclear disclaimersanduserchoice.
Age verification: Biometricauthentication(fingerprint scanner) and doctor-controlled access through the platform are potential options. Legal and ethical considerationswillbeaddressedcarefully.
Inventory management: Real-timeinventorytracking with alerts for low stock levels. Secure access controls andauditlogsforinventorymanagementactivities.
Doctor onboarding: Offering secure platform access, trainingmaterials,andpotentialintegrationwithexisting doctorsoftwarearestrategiesforattractingdoctors.
Additional Recommendations:
Comparison with existing solutions: ThisAutomated Drug Vending Machine emphasizes user-friendliness, security, and modularity compared to bulkier or less securealternatives.
Future applications: Integration with telemedicine platforms or medication reminder apps could be explored.
Ethical considerations: Dataprivacyisparamount.User consent,anonymizationwherepossible,andadherence todataprotectionregulationsarecrucial.
5. EVALUATION
Testing’ssuchasUnittesting,Integrationtesting,Loadand Stress testing were performed on the prototype. Some improvements regarding faster response rate were suggestedbythetestingteam.Theseupdateswillbedonein thenextversionupgradation,andafterAcceptancetesting theprototypewillbeavailableforenduserutility.
6. FUTURE SCOPE
The future of automated drug systems holds exciting prospects, including AI integration for personalized medication management and predictive analysis, IoT connectivityenablingreal-timemonitoringandalerts,and advancements in pharmacogenomics for tailored drug treatments based on individual genetic profiles. These innovations promise more precise, efficient, and patientcentric medication dispensing, revolutionizing healthcare deliveryandimprovingoverallpatientoutcomes.
7. CONCLUSIONS
Inconclusion,ourautomateddrugvendingmachineproject represents an innovative and comprehensive solution to address the challenges of medication dispensing and management in healthcare. By leveraging modern technology and automation, we have developed a system that streamlines the prescription-to-medication process, enhances patient accessibility, and ensures data accuracy while adhering to healthcare regulations. As the project concludes,wereflectonthesuccessfulcollaborationofthe projectteamandthepositiveimpactonhealthcaredelivery. Weremaincommittedtocontinuousimprovementandare enthusiastic about the potential of this system to revolutionizethehealthcareindustry.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
WeasapartofourfinalprojectatVPPCOEdevelopedand tested the project under the guidance of Prof. Prajakta KhelkarandProf.PravinShinde.
REFERENCES
[1] Acentralizedautomated-dispensingsysteminaFrench teaching hospital: return on investment and quality improvementbySarahBerdot,VirginieKorb-Savoldelli, Emmanuel Jaccoulet, Vincent Zaugg, Patrice Prognon, LaetitiaMinhMaïLê,BrigitteSabatier.
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International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 11 Issue: 04 | Apr 2024 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072
[8] Automating Procurement Contracts in the Healthcare Supply Chain Using Blockchain Smart Contracts by ILHAAM A. OMAR, RAJA JAYARAMAN, MAZIN S. DEBEKHALED SALAHIBRAR YAQOOB, MOHAMMED OMAR.
[9] IoT based Automated Medicine Dispenser for Online Health Community using Cloud by Suganya G, Premalatha M, Anushka Sharma, Muktak Pandya, AbhishekJoshi.
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