When I was seven The Jetsons came on network television. I loved that show. I thought that they had produced several seasons, but I just Googled it and learned that it was only on for one year, 1962. (There were a total of 24 episodes – that’s 3 years in television production today.) I must have watched the show in reruns because I would swear it was on for at least five years.
Anyway, the reason that I loved The Jetsons was because I believed everything that it showed would come true one day. We would all fly in our own personal airplanes, Rosie the robot would make my bed and clean the house, and food would be instantly available 24/7.
Instead we got mass transportation, in some places, with delays and grumpy people. I have to make my own bed. And the closest we’ve come to instant food is Uber Eats and mashed potato buds.
I was afraid that I might start circling the drain before The Jetson’s magic started.
And then I went to fill a prescription in Portugal.
The Frictionless, Fast Farmacia
For starters, you have to see the prescription.
The first thing you will notice is that the prescriber can put up to four prescriptions on this one page. The next curious thing are the barcodes. I am not completely sure what information they contain but here are my guesses:
- The top one is all about me – my name, my insurance number, my address.
- The prescriber’s ID.
- The prescriber’s location.
- The medicine itself.
Now get ready for magic.
You carry this paper into your local farmacia. There are several in each neighborhood. Ours in around the corner and down the block.
When you walk in (following the COVID protocol direction signs), you’ll see six counters with technicians standing behind plexiglass (more COVID protocols). You slide your prescription through the slot. Bom dia’s all around. This is where they find out I can’t speak correct Portuguese and they switch to English.
The technician/pharmacist scans the bar codes and abracadabra your medicine falls down through a slot from heaven (or maybe from an automated dispenser upstairs). This takes a grand total of 45 seconds! I kid you, not 45 seconds! You pay and you leave through the appropriate exit (COVID Protocols).
I have a few theories about how they are able to make this happen.
- First, the bar codes. No one had to input any information.
- Second, insurance. Everyone who is a citizen or a temporary resident and is registered with Portugal’s National Health Care system has a Número Utente, or user number. The farmacias do not have to take the time to see if insurance will cover a prescription. If the doctor writes it, you are good to go.
- Third, simple, consistent packaging. My prescription for blood pressure medicine was written for a two month supply – 60 pills. The medicine comes in a box of 56 pills – 8 blister packs of 7 pills – two month’s worth. No time wasted repackaging – measuring, labeling, or filling a bottle.
- Finally, one person takes care of one customer throughout the process. No handoffs. No waitig. Easy peasey!
Wrapping Up
A couple of additional thoughts.
First, notice that the top of the box is in braille. What a great idea. No special packaging needed for the vision impaired.
Second, if you think The Jetsons was just a lowly cartoon with no impact on our future, you’d be dead wrong. The Smithsonian Magazine called it “single most important piece of 20th century futurism” that had a “profound impact on the way that Americans think and talk about the future”.
The Jetson’s gave kids my age, like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, a clear and exciting vision of what the future could be. I’m guessing that youngsters like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Andrea Sreshta and Anna Stork caught the reruns.
When you were a kid, what did you expect would happen in the future? Tell us about it in the comments or via the Contact Form.
See you in the future! / Vemo-nos no futuro,
Mary
The Cook
Still in the US- here was my pharmacy visit this week:
Very simple topical cream, off the shelf, no measuring, filling required.
Dr office said they sent prescription ahead to pharmacy- all I had to do was pick it up (ha! not so fast!)
Arrived at pharm- told clerk #1 what I needed. (pause,wait) She had to ask pharmacist if prescription was received.(pause, wait, pause) Clerk #1- pharmacist too busy to look- can I come back in 5 minutes? (seriously!)
Five minutes later, Clerk #2 -what do you need? I gave her the update- she seemed to find prescription without asking pharmacist. Said, okay- come back in 15 minutes and it will be ready.
I left pharm and went to wait in my car (no waiting inside due to Covid). Cell phone rings- it’s the pharm. Can I come back in with my insurance card? They can’t start filling prescription until they see my card (OMG- I was just there with card in hand but no one asked for it!!)
Back to pharm- Clerk #1- takes insurance card (pause-wait-pause-wait) okay- Can I come back in 10 minutes?
Thirty minutes later I finally had my little tube of antibiotic cream and about 10 yards of paper attached to the little box. Can’t wait to move to Portugal next Spring!!!
Hey Darci,
I’m glad you finally got your meds. Wow, what a cluster…. I’m also glad you didn’t catch Covid as many times as they exposed you. We can’t wait to have you in Portugal. Keep yourself well and if you have any questions we are always available to help.
Of course The Jetsons we’re my favorite cartoon! I must have watched countless reruns as well LOL …… CVS could benefit greatly from this technology
I now know why I like you so much – we have the Jetsons in common. Waiting at CVS for an hour is the worst. I hope all is going well with you and your family. I miss you. Stay safe.
So interesting Mary. Sweden has a similar way to dispense drugs. So easy. No waiting. Not sure about the braille there though. Very cool. For small countries to be that advanced over USA is incredible. I guess I was too old to watch the Jetsons as I was in high school. Sounds like I missed a good show.
Hi Alice,
Sorry we missed your comment last week. There are all sorts of things about the Portuguese government and bureaucracy that anyone could complain about, but there are also so many things that are surprisingly good.
You can probably find the Jetsons on line – maybe YouTube?
Have a great week!
Mike
I love this. There are so many inefficiencies in our world and medicine seems like an important place to start. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Bonnie. We use bar codes for everything why not in medicine?
This blog post needs to go viral in the U.S.
Thanks for sharing such an informative post and helping to make me feel less crazy for wishing for this type of efficiency with the American health care system.
Thank you Shannon. I have to say how amazed I was. I have been to the pharmacy twice and both times I have tried to take it all in. I remember once when Mike had surgery, and I had to pick up his pain medication. I left him in a hot car while I waited over an hour for the script to be filled. It is expensive and time consuming.
Several things I’d like to say: firstly, what a great, informative and practical post. Thank you!
Secondly, I found myself singing the Jetsons theme song the instant I saw the title card, and I know I watched that show for several years as a kid.
Finally, as someone who has spent the past 20 years working with people with visual impairment and blindness, I spotted and was impressed by the Braille on the box – and that you didn’t ask for it, it just is there, making life easier and safer for folks who have to navigate a visual world that forgets about them more often than it includes them. Bravo, Portugal!
Hello Heather, I’m so glad you remember the Jetsons. I was really pleased about the use of Braille on the box. It is such an easy fix for the visually impaired and blind people.
I can’t wait to meet you on your visit to Porto.