No one disputes the benefits of over-the-counter (OTC) medications in the workplace.  An article from a July, 2000 Safety + Health magazine states, “A new study suggests that employees who have access to over-the-counter medications can increase productivity and lost time due to illness.”  What is under dispute are the headaches associated with dispensing OTC medications.  Our remedy is medical vending with a high quality machine.  Consider use of a Fast-Aid Center if you answer yes to even one of the following questions: 

1. Are your employees abusing the privilege of free access to over-the-counter medications and running up unnecessary expenses?  Enjoy cost cutting relief and continue the benefits of OTC medications when you install a Fast-Aid Center.  Companies report up to an 80% savings with a medical vending machine.

2. Are employees spending too much time away from their job sites when seeking OTC medications?  Consider installation of more than one Fast-Aid Center.  With OTC medications conveniently at hand, your employees will spend less time away from their job site to give you increased employee productivity.

3. If healthcare professionals (or any other employees) are handing out OTC medications a Fast-Aid Center will free that time to spend on more productive duties.  For instance, an American Association of Occupational Health Nurse’s Journal states, “Occupational health nurses are influential health care professionals responsible for the promotion, protection, and restoration of worker’s health”.  When nurses have more time to spend on these priorities the employer will benefit as the health and safety of all employees improves to further increase productivity and company profitability.

4. Does a potential liability exist if an employee suffers a reaction when medications are handed out free?  Rather than take a risk, many companies are turning to medical vending where it is thought that employees take responsibility for their own actions.  Of course, it is recommended that legal counsel be sought for final answers on this issue.

5. Are the benefits of OTC medications available to all shifts?  Are OTC medications available to your employees at all?  The Health + Safety article also states that employees who don’t have access to OTC medications “would have stayed at work anyway.  They would simply suffer through the symptoms, most likely reducing productivity and increasing chance of injury.”  Painless relief is available with a Fast-Aid Center.

A January 2004 Health + Safety article quotes a recent study from the Journal of the American Medical Association (Vol. 290, No. 18):

“Pain is a very common and disabling condition in the workforce that leads to lost productivity, a new study concludes.  These losses cost American businesses an estimated 61.2 billion annually.”

Obviously, OTC medication availability in the workplace is a valuable tool in preventing lost productivity.  Medical vending takes it one step further and prevents employee abuse of those OTC medications and increases the productivity of all employees including health care professionals.   Fast-Aid Centers take it to the top by offering maximum reliability, durability, versatility and security in the process of dispensing OTC medications and numerous other items.  Medical Vending is only as good of a solution as the machine is reliable.  Please review the “Competitor Analysis and Comparison” Chart on this site for further details on this subject.  In the meantime, if we can answer any questions or be of further service please feel free to contact us.