Tired of long waits to see your GP? Consult doc and get medicine at Jalan Besar telemedicine kiosk

SINGAPORE – Residents of Jalan Besar can beat the crowd and avoid long waits at the doctor’s by visiting a new neighbourhood “clinic”.

The twist? The “clinic” is a fully automated self-service machine.

Installed in September at Jalan Besar Stadium, the headquarters of the Football Association of Singapore, the Charazoi Telemedicine Kiosk is a collaboration between SmartRx, a local pioneer in automatic pharmacy machines, and healthcare group Ninkatec.

The kiosk comprises two main parts. The first is a vending machine which sells over-the-counter medicines round the clock.

The second is an attached pod where patients can consult doctors from Ninkatec’s Charazoi Medical Clinic virtually and obtain prescription-only medicines. Teleconsultations are available on weekdays from 9am to 12pm, and from 2pm to 5pm.

About 75 products are available from the machine. Besides over-the-counter and prescription-only medicines, the offerings include pharmacy-only medication and other medical consumables such as sunscreen and first-aid products.

Prescribed medication is sold at the same price as the medication at the in-person Charazoi Medical Clinic at 380 Jalan Besar, a five-minute walk from the kiosk. For example, the price for antibiotics ranges from $16 to $29 at both locations.

But while a consultation at Charazoi’s physical clinic would typically set a patient back by $40, a standard teleconsultation at the kiosk costs only $27.

To consult a doctor at the kiosk, users start by registering or logging in to the machine’s system using their identification card (IC) number and selected PIN.

After making payment, which can be done only via cashless methods, the telemedicine pod is unlocked. Patients then input their IC number and PIN again to start the teleconsultation.

Consultations are conducted through the pod’s integrated touchscreen, microphone and speakers.

Devices to monitor temperature, blood pressure and heart rate, and take height and weight measurements, are available in the pod.

Doctors will be able to guide patients through the process during each virtual consultation, and abnormal readings from the devices in the pod will be verified with other Health Sciences Authority-registered devices.

After the consultation, users exit the pod and log back in on the machine’s system to pay for the medication prescribed by the doctor.

This prompts the machine to dispense the medicine with labels specified for the individual user – just like at any physical clinic.

If a required drug is not available at the kiosk, an option for home delivery will be presented.

Dr Choo Dee Pheng, a family physician at Charazoi Medical Clinic, said: “With the vast selection of medication dispensed at the kiosk, we are confident that the community can take the initiative for their healthcare needs with even more convenience.

“Not only will teleconsultation through the kiosk reduce waiting time at the physical clinic, but timely assistance can also be administered on-site if required, due to the kiosk’s close proximity to our physical clinic.”

Asked to elaborate on the time-saving aspect, Dr Choo said the kiosk’s automation streamlines the registration and payment processes.

It also allows for prescribed medication to be dispensed instantaneously and medical certificates to be issued immediately via e-mail.

Furthermore, the kiosk taps a wider network of eight more doctors from Ninkatec and is not limited to the two doctors present at the physical Charazoi clinic.

And all patients’ consultation histories and follow-up records are kept on the clinic’s electronic medical records system. “All this information is captured within the same platform across the group for continuity of care,” Dr Choo said.

The kiosk is restocked and disinfected once a week. The machine’s inventory alert system sends notifications to the clinic directly, informing administrators when inventory is running low.

Mr Tong Ping Heng, co-founder and managing director of SmartRx, said: “This aids with flexibility as the clinic can set its own threshold for the inventory alert. As some medications are more popular than others, doctors will set (the inventory levels) based on the trends of the demographic.”

SmartRx, which was set up in 2019, will conduct maintenance on the machine on a quarterly basis.

Mr Tong said SmartRx monitors the system remotely, “and if there is an issue picked up on our end, we will come down to solve it”.

He added that cameras installed around the machine help to monitor it for damage and the need for maintenance in the event that it is abused by anyone.

The kiosk is the first of the installations SmartRx aims to roll out at sports facilities.

Mr Tong said: “Sporting facilities are located within the heartland and are readily accessible to all in the community.

“The Charazoi Telemedicine Kiosk will enhance the surrounding community’s engagement and experience at the sports centre, aiding their efforts in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.”

Mr Tong estimates that the three-week-old kiosk now records one to two transactions a week.

SmartRx launched its first telemedicine kiosk with healthcare group Minmed at the Singapore University of Technology and Design in March. This kiosk has since seen roughly 10 to 15 transactions a month.

“It was a long journey of more than three years, including working with various medical partners to be able to come up with such an innovation,” Mr Tong said.