Information Kiosks Systems Ltd, an Australian company which supplies touch screen information systems to community pharmacies, says that visitors to the Conference were expressing interest in the systems as soon as Pharmex started.
Mr Max Crofts (managing director, Kiosk Information Systems) told The Journal on September 13 that the company was exhibiting in the United Kingdom for the first time, following an invitation extended by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society during the Pacific Australian Congress in March this year. The company has been selling information systems for over 11 years and currently has over 1,000 kiosks installed in pharmacies in Australia and New Zealand. Mr Crofts said that the company was hoping both to gauge the level of interest in the system through Pharmex and to make some sales.
Mr Crofts explained that each booth contained a liquid crystal touch screen display, a laser printer and a multimedia computer. The computer was loaded with over 3,000 health topics, covering medical conditions, dietary advice and complementary medicines. The information was divided into two parts: that for the general public and that for pharmacists and their staff to use for counselling or training. Information could be customised according to product availability within countries and for individual pharmacy preferences.
Customers using the system can retrieve information by touching topics displayed on screen or typing in a subject. All the information is referenced and can be printed. The system notes what information has been accessed and printed.
Further details about the kiosks can be found on Information Kiosk Systems's website (www.infokiosks.com).
Mr Crofts was pictured displaying one of the company's information booths in last week’s issue (Conference on camera, p452).