PPE for Pharmacies
The pandemic, lockdown and physical distancing has changed our lives and the way we interact with people, objects and the environment around us. We have replaced handshakes and hugs with verbal greetings, are either keeping out of common spaces or maintaining safe distance.
Some of us have even begun sanitising objects like door knobs however there remains a list of shared essentials that continue to be passed from one’s hands to another’s, unprotected. These regular interactions may need to be tweaked for the these times of Corona.
TinkerLabs is taking some Creative Leaps as an effort to fill this gap with frugal interventions. It is our attempt to use everyday objects to work around the everyday problems we face.
The Problem
Pharmacies have become all the more essential in these times yet front-line pharmacists face high risk of exposure due to the face-to-face interactions and the higher possibility of their customers being infected.
The International Pharmaceutical Federation has advised pharmacists and staff to maintain safe distance from patients/customers and limiting contact. Under such circumstances, they need to avoid directly touching objects that have been handled by patients- including medical prescriptions and bank notes.
We wondered if there could be a way for pharmacists and staff to handle prescriptions without directly coming in contact with them.
Our team thought of different ways in which customers could show their prescriptions but the pharmacist may not have to directly touch it.
Displaying it on the mobile phone from a distance may need the pharmacist to move closer to the customer. Sticking it on a surface may require multiple people interacting with the tape. Clipping it over the counter may not be possible for the different arrangements of pharmacies.
While thinking of different ways to hold yet be able to read the medical prescription, we thought of the transparent file folders used to cover and enclose documents and papers.
Amongst multiple possible accessories for handing over a medical prescription, there are few which account for the pharmacist to carry it along to the shelves while identifying and retrieving medicines. The pharmacist we tested with said that he will talk to his manager regarding this idea since a plastic file could be sanitised unlike paper prescriptions.
Let us know of any other way that comes to your mind to help our front-line workers to protect themselves while providing essential services. Also drop in any problems and challenges you observe in this new world and we could take a shot at filling the gaps with frugal interventions.
Stay tuned to take creative leaps with us!
Authors:
Urvi Bidasaria, Design Researcher & Visual Designer at TinkerLabs and
Meru Vashisht, Design Researcher & Social Impact Catalyst at TinkerLabs
