Biometric Powered ‘Medicine’ Dispenser…Dude

Biometric technology stands ready to change forever the way we visit the pharmacy…potentially rendering a lot of people in white lab coats obsolete in the process. Anytime Vending Machines or AVMs went into operation in California today and employ a variety security features designed to make the automated vending of controlled and prescription medicines possible without any human intervention. The first product to benefit from AVM technology, however, might catch you a little by surprise. It’s marijuana, and here is how the process works:

Patients have to present a prescription and be fingerprinted before they are issued with a pre-paid credit card that stores the dosage and type of drug prescribed. […] Vince Mehdizadeh, owner of the Herbal Nutrition Centre in Los Angeles, where one of the first machines is based, said patients could get access to prescribed drugs after hours. "They'll be greeted by a security guard right there. They'll slide the card in and they'll fingerprint in to verify that it's them,'' he said. "A camera takes a picture of them, verifying that they're actually at the machine. And they get the medicine and they move on.''

AVMs are a very cool device, though I think they might end up with an interesting reputation given their market entry strategy. In any case, I would I am not sure the necessity of a full-time security guard standing next to the AVM fits terribly well with the automation concept being pitched.