Medicine Dispensers Support Living at Home and Make Every Nurse’s Work Easier
In the Northern Savo Wellbeing Services County, the number of Axitare medicine dispensers in home care has been increased due to good results. Medicine dispensers can deliver good results quickly without compromising service quality, says Service Unit Manager Marja Kavilo.
The Northern Savo Wellbeing Services County currently has approximately 600 Axitare medicine dispensers in use among home care clients. During 2024–2025, 400 additional units were added due to good results and positive feedback from both staff and clients.
"Service hours have decreased by around 20% since introducing medicine dispensers. We have been able to take on new home careclients while focusing more resources on complex home visits that require in-person care and cannot be replaced by remote services or technology.," says Marja Kavilo, Service Unit Manager for home-delivered services.
If a client is able to take their medication independently from the dispenser, the nurse visit can be scheduled at a different time or reassigned to another client. This reduces nurse visits made solely for medication purposes, allowing nurses to spend more time with clients who genuinely need physical assistance.
In home care, morning rush periods place particular strain on staff, and medicine dispensers have provided significant relief. " The morning period between 7:00 and 11:00 a.m. is the busiest time in home care. By using medicine dispensers, we have been able to reduce the growth in service hours during these peak morning hours by 33%" Kavilo says.
Increased Client Autonomy
Marja Kavilo is responsible for monitoring and managing the use of medicine dispensers in the Northern Savo Wellbeing Services County. Home care staff assess the suitability of the medicine dispenser for clients based on shared criteria.
"The medicine dispenser is suitable for clients with adequate vision and hearing. They can detect the device's audio and visual signals and independently collect their medication from the dispenser. It is particularly beneficial for those with memory, mental health, or substance use problems, as the dispenser reminds them to take their medication," says Kavilo.
The Axitare medicine dispenser stores medications in dose cups that are familiar to many home care clients from hospital settings The dispenser holds 48 doses, and dosing can be managed remotely. "Axitare is well suited for time-critical medications, such as those used to treat Parkinson’s disease. It is also good for medications where the doses vary weekly."
A nurse can remotely administer as-needed medication, such as pain relief, when the client's condition requires it. This provides both flexibility to the wellbeing county's operations and responds to changing client needs.
In practice, the Axitare medicine dispenser prompts the client to take their medication via voice guidance, after which the dose is presented and further highlighted by a light at the dispensing hatch. Client feedback has been positive. Many have felt that their days have become calmer, and their sense of capability has grown — both of which support longer independent living at home.
"Client autonomy improves with the use of the medicine dispenser, as they are no longer dependent on the nurse's schedule," says Kavilo.
Good Results Quickly Without Compromising Service Quality
The Northern Savo Wellbeing Services County has approximately 3,500 clients in regular home care, plus around 1,500 in temporary care and assessment periods. Home care employs over 1,500 staff.
Digital services are the primary mode of home care delivery in Northern Savo. Medicine dispensers are currently used by 27% of regular home care clients. The dispensers administer medication at the correct time approximately 74,000 times per month. The area also uses medicine dispensers from manufacturers other than Axitare, with around a thousand dispensers in total.
"Growing service needs among elderly clients, staffing conditions, and tight financial constraints require new solutions. Our focus is on consistent and effective services. Medicine dispensers can deliver good results quickly without compromising service quality," Kavilo says.
Remote care, in which a nurse guides a client via video connection, reaches 16% of home care clients in Northern Savo daily. Nine percent of all home care visits are delivered through remote care. When a client has both a medicine dispenser and remote care equipment, this combination can also enable supervised medication administration in addition to other remote care. Axitare also offers medicine dispensers with an integrated video connection, allowing the nurse to speak with the client. This feature is not yet in use in Northern Savo.
Staff Committed to Digital Solutions and Satisfied
The aim of medicine dispensers is to save and better allocate staff resources and achieve financial savings. Progress toward these goals and the development of dispenser numbers are reviewed monthly by the Northern Savo Wellbeing Services County management team.
The rapid growth in the number of Axitare dispensers has been achieved by running a dedicated project and hiring project workers responsible for assessing suitability, training staff, and ordering dispensers. Nurses always have access to a support number for help with the medicine dispenser. Axitare has also provided staff training.
Kavilo emphasizes that introducing medicine dispensers requires staff commitment. Nurses need to understand the purpose of the change and the benefits it can deliver. Ultimately, medicine dispensers and other remote care options make every nurse's job easier.
" Staff really appreciate Axitare. The dispenser is clear and easy to use, and both staff and clients would not want to give it up.," Kavilo says.
