On the medication distribution system for home health care through convenience stores, lockers, and home delivery

Abstract

Medication distribution service can be delivered based on a combination of home delivery and customer pickup. That is, medications are delivered either to customers’ homes directly or to the pickup facilities (e.g. lockers) close to customers’ homes. In Taiwan, there are more than 11,000 convenience stores that provide a 24-h service for customers to pick up the ordered items from e-commerce, which is unique to the world. In the medication distribution system, convenience stores can provide a unique opportunity for customers to more conveniently collect medications at stores, and also can reduce the operating cost for a logistics company providing the medication delivery service. Therefore, this work proposes a medication distribution system through convenience stores, lockers, and home delivery. Under this system, this work investigates how to simultaneously determine employment of convenience store chains, the convenience store locations to be visited, locations of lockers, vehicle routes for convenience stores and lockers, and vehicle routes for customers’ homes, so that the total operating cost is minimized. This work further proposes a genetic algorithm to solve the medication distribution problem. Through simulation, the experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is able to solve the problem efficiently.

Emerging technologies for supporting person-centred integrated home health care

“…This special issue features one article reporting on work developing medication distribution system to support existing home medication services that link convenience stores, lockers and home delivery in Taiwan. 14 The proposed system allows simultaneous determination of convenience store chains, pickup locations of convenience stores and lockers, vehicle routes for convenience stores and lockers, and vehicle routes for customers' homes. Initial simulation has showed that the system can potentially fit individual needs for customers, minimize operation costs and improve the efficiency of medication home delivery.…”

Project SAPPORO (StAff prescription – bluPORt optimization): Quality improvement report on the expanded use of secured medication lockers for hospital staff during COVID-19 pandemic

“…However, there is newfound impetus to leverage on this service considering its unique contactless nature which is critical during the pandemic season. 3 Similar locker service models have also been successfully implemented in countries such as Malaysia, 4 Netherlands 5 and Taiwan 6 in response to COVID-19.…”