| Getting your drugs from a vending machine Tuesday, June 21, 2005 By Rhonda L. Rundle, The Wall Street Journal There's a new antidote for long lines at the drugstore pharmacy: machines that serve up your prescription refills like a can of Coke or a Snickers bar. The idea behind the machines, which look much like a typical bank ATM, is to expedite a process that is often bogged down by long lines and frustrating waits. Once customers have filled an initial prescription with the pharmacist, they can register to retrieve and pay for their refills at a vending machine inside the store -- even when the pharmacy counter isn't open. Consumers order their refills in the usual way, either online or by phone. A pharmacist then fills the script and places packaged medicines in the machine. To pick up the order, consumers log on with a user name and p
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