Robot will enable remote dispensing
Chutes deliver items to work stations, one of which is accessible
from outside the pharmacy |
West Wales General Hospital in Carmarthen has started using an automated dispensing robot and is initiating a system whereby on-call pharmacy staff can dispense items remotely from their own homes.
The robot, a tandem Rowa Speedcase supplied by ARx, is the first to be
installed in Wales and is currently being used for general dispensing
and ward box filling. Jeremy Savage, chief pharmacist and clinical director,
told The Journal last week that West Wales General plans to become the
first hospital to provide remote access to the system.
Under this scheme, the pharmacist on call would be bleeped at home and
would telephone the ward as usual. If the call was a simple supply request,
the pharmacist would be able to use a secure laptop to access the automated
dispensing system without leaving home.
The robot would pick the item from its preloaded shelves and drop it
down a chute terminating at a locked outlet for which the night site
manager holds a key. Malcolm Williams, principal pharmacist for procurement
and technical services, told The Journal: “There will still be
occasions when you will need to come in to look at a prescription, for
example, but the new system may mean not having to leave your house at
3am just to deliver one item to a ward.”
The system, due to be in operation in the near future, is expected to
be especially well received since Carmarthen is a rural area. Mr Savage
told The Journal that they were also considering installing a web cam
at the outlet hatch to enable the on-call pharmacist to watch the item
being dispensed.
Other features of the robot include the ability to pick items for eight
ward boxes in succession, to select products according to their expiry
date and the capacity to store refrigerated items. Software is currently
being updated to allow automatic labelling of items.
West Wales General is one of three hospitals in Wales that shared funds of £500,000
from the National Assembly for Wales for the first phase of the implementation
of automated dispensing (PJ, 11 January, p39). |
