The American pharmacy chain Walgreens has decided to use robots to prepare the prescribed medications for customers. In this way, he wants to relieve busy pharmacists and save money at the same time. Until recently, no one would have thought that robots would do anything other than work in factories. Meanwhile, technology continues to evolve and advanced machines are developed that can perform more and more duties. Admittedly, they do not always succeed, as is the case a robot from Żabka trying to prepare a hot dog for a customerhowever, they are getting better and better at it.
The robots fulfill patients’ prescriptions
The American pharmacy chain Walgreens decided to use robots to fulfill prescriptions provided by customers. The company uses a robotic arm that prepares the client’s medications written on the prescription by the doctor. Workers fill the machine with pill containers, from where the machine takes a certain amount of pills, then puts them in the package and sends them to the pharmacy. Drug vials travel on a conveyor belt, where barcode scanners read barcodes, and then medications are taken from them. Subsequently, documents are printed and associated with the appropriate prescriptions. Each order is packed and placed in a special bag and then delivered to a specific pharmacy. Walgreens says the use of robots will ease the burden on busy pharmacists. This will reduce their workload by as much as 25 percent, and at the same time save the company about $ 1 billion a year. Obviously, the robot will not be able to fill all prescriptions. Pharmacists will continue to sell controlled drugs, as well as prescriptions that require signature and approval.
The company believes that by 2025, about half of the prescriptions in its pharmacies will be filled in this way. Thanks to this, pharmacists will be able to focus on more direct interaction with patients and providing them with appropriate help. The testing ground for the new technology is a robotic plant belonging to the network in Dallas, Texas. Every day it carries out 35 thousand. prescriptions for 500 pharmacies, but it is possible to prepare as many as 100,000 in this way. prescriptions per day. The machine’s trays can dispense approximately 900 different medications.
Machines will relieve pharmacists
So far, around 30 percent of prescriptions are processed in a traditional way, outside of the automated packaging line. This applies to, for example, asthma inhalers, eye drops, or medications stored at a controlled temperature. In the future, however, the machines are expected to keep getting better and take over more responsibilities. The company plans to launch two more distribution centers near Phoenix and Memphis in the near future. It is worth mentioning that Walgreens is not the only pharmacy chain that uses machines in its operation. The robots are also used by the CVS Healt network, which uses them to fill prescriptions in selected stores. Walgreens, however, is a leader in this field. The company hopes to have 22 distribution centers by 2025, serving approximately 9,000 pharmacies. Source