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The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7240 p353
15 March 2003

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Robot dispenser gives pharmacists time for medicines review under LPS

The robot dispenses for two pharmacies

What the robot allows

Staff time released by using the automated dispenser allows the pharmacists to provide a medication review service, principally for patients from the two surgeries who have been admitted to Berwick Infirmary.

The infirmary has around 100 beds and no onsite pharmacy. Many of its patients have been transferred from Wandsbeck District General Hospital at Ashington, about 50 miles south of Berwick.

Patients spend an average of two weeks at the infirmary and all can expect to be visited by the pharmacists during that time. Medication reviews are also being provided at the surgeries.

The LPS pilot also covers discharge planning and "one-stop" dispensing for these patients.

A robotic dispenser is giving community pharmacists time to provide a medication review service to patients in hospital under one of the first local pharmaceutical services pilot to go live in England.

Pharmacists Andrew and Steve Gray have installed an ARx Rowa Speedcase automated dispenser at Well Close Square pharmacy in Berwick-upon-Tweed. Under the LPS pilot, financed by Northumberland Care Trust, the robot is used to dispense prescriptions for two pharmacies — Well Close Square and Union Brae, Tweedmouth — owned by the two brothers. Each pharmacy is adjacent to a medical centre.

Andrew Gray told The Journal that the opportunity to relocate to a health centre site had prompted the decision to install an automated dispenser.

"The new site had limited space and we wanted to build in plenty of capacity. We offset some of the costs of the robot by not having to install lots of storage drawers and by not needing to take on and train additional staff."

The enhanced safety aspect of automated dispensing, which Mr Gray says all but eliminates mistakes caused by look-a-like packaging, was also considered important. The dispenser, which cost a six-figure sum, can hold 10,500 items in a seven-metre run of shelving.

Richard Copeland, pharmacist consultant in public health at Northumberland Care Trust, said that the pilot was a good example of the innovation that was possible under LPS. He pointed out that under the current pharmaceutical services contract it is not possible to dispense prescriptions at one location for another contracted pharmacy. Around 80 per cent of the dispensing under the LPS pilot is carried out by the robot. Mr Copeland added that in the future electronic transmission of prescriptions could be linked to the automated dispenser. The use of accredited checking technicians would also release pharmacists for clinical services.

Jim Smith, chief pharmaceutical officer at the Department of Health, visited Berwick last week to launch the LPS pilot officially.

Northumberland Care Trust has another LPS service at Bellford where pharmacist Andrew Booth is providing medication reviews to patients from a dispensing doctors' practice.

News Feature, p360