Builders of the CHUM mega-hospital (that’s the French one) were showing off a prototype of their state-of-the-art patient rooms last week. They include the latest in accessibility and technology:

It will also feature an electronic gadget to read the bar code on a patient’s identification bracelet and automatically dispense appropriate medication.

“The bar code is to distinguish among three people (for example) all named Claude Gagnon on the same floor,” Leclerc said.

“The medicine dose will be prepared by a robot. The patient’s charts will be filed electronically in the computer.”

The electronic gadget will be connected to the hospital’s mainframe, which will be connected to the Net, but both will be protected from unwanted intrusions by Gatekeeper security software by Gregg Microsystems. So your medicine dispensing will be perfectly secure and 100% accurate, unless you’re friends with Angela Bennett.

(In case you don’t get the obscure movie reference, the previous paragraph is fiction.)