AUTOMATION The major benefits of...
PharMacy auTOMaTIOn haS MOVeD aT a raPID Pace OVer The LaST FeW yearS. SP LOOKS aT The DIFFerenT WayS In WhIch auTOMaTIOn IMPrOVeS PharMacy SerVIceS – ParTIcuLarLy aT a TIMe When PharMacy SerVIceS haVe neVer Been In Such hIgh DeManD…..
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ntil the 1970s, medication dispensing in community pharmacy was manual and therefore time-consuming.
In the 70s, however, medication ‘counting’ machines began to make an appearance. These machines accelerated the dispensing process by replacing manual counting, thereby reducing workload and increasing efficiency.
During the 1980s and 1990s, these machines evolved into versions that also bottled, proving to be easy to use and cost-effective.
What is pharmacy automation?
Pharmacy automation involves the use of largely automatic equipment in the process of handling and
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distributing medications. automation can involve any pharmacy task, including counting medication, measuring and mixing powders and liquids for compounding, tracking and updating customer information, and inventory management.
Advantages of pharmacy automation
The introduction of automated services within community pharmacy has significantly improved the efficacy – and security – of storing, filling, packaging and labelling prescription medications.
as a result, the benefits for pharmacy are numerous and wide-ranging. not only does automation increase productivity and save time, it also allows pharmacists and their teams to focus on patient care and to provide
an increasingly expanding range of services for patients.
Due to the clear benefits offered by pharmacy automation – and thanks to an increasingly wide range of affordable options - even smaller pharmacies, which were traditionally opposed to automation have been able to make the switch.
The benefits of automation are many and varied…
Increased speed and productivity
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the introduction of pharmacy automation has significantly increased the productivity of the pharmacies by increasing the number of prescriptions filled: a process which
was previously accomplished by manual processes.
automation allows pharmacies to fill more orders more quickly; freeing pharmacy staff up to do essential tasks and provide services that can’t be automated, such as engaging face to face with patients.
Reduced waste
Pharmacy automation eliminates the potential for medication waste that previously may have occurred during the filling and labelling of prescriptions.
Reduced labour costs research has shown that the average pharmacist or pharmacist technician walks around eight miles each day in a pharmacy, simply performing various tasks, such as filling, packing,
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