Papers

Evaluation of automatic loading devices with a ROWA Speedcase system

By Steven Brice, MRPharmS, Loraine Hardy and Rod Longshaw, MRPharmS

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Steven Brice is associate chief pharmacist, and Loraine Hardy is dispensary manager, both at Freeman Hospital, Newcastle.

Rod Longshaw is (now retired) chief pharmacist for Newcastle Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust.

For correspondence please contact Steven Brice at Steven.Brice@nuth.northy.nhs.uk

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE — To establish whether the use of automatic loaders on a ROWA automated dispensing system affects the time taken to store and dispense items and to examine ways of maximising any time savings achieved.

METHODS — The study comprised four phases. Phase 1 examined the effects of using the automated loaders on the time taken to store items. Phases 2 and 3 examined the effects of using the automated loaders on the time taken to dispense items. Phase 4 examined the efficiency of the automatic loaders when they were left running, unattended, overnight.

RESULTS — Use of the automatic loaders was associated with a reduction in the time taken to store items, but an increase in the time taken to dispense items, when the loaders are in operation during normal working hours. When the automatic loaders were left to run overnight, most items were successfully put away, but each automatic loader stopped once during a five-night period.

CONCLUSION — The results suggest that, in order to maximise the time savings that the implementation of automated loading can bring, it is necessary to maximise the efficiency of the automatic loaders so that they can be left running overnight.