AUPCC Employee Pharmacy Installs ScriptPro Robot
he AUPCC Employee Pharmacy installed a ScriptPro SP 200 robotic dispensing unit on May 1, 2008. The machine counts medications into an appropriate sized vial and places the label on the vial. Accuracy and speed of dispensing are increased, with bar-coding and electronic scanning used to double-check that the correct medication has been dispensed. A similar system has been used in the AU Student Pharmacy for the past ten years.
The advantages of using a robotic system in a pharmacy primarily revolve around safety and time issues. Research shows it reduces medication errors. It’s highly efficient in eliminating the tedious task of sorting medications and it even takes stock of inventory and expiration dates. The time saved is more effectively used by pharmacist to counsel patients on things like drug interactions and possible side effectsand to answer any questions the patient may have.
HSOP has a unique connection to this high tech device because Dr. Kenneth Barker, HSOP Director of the HSOP Center for Operations and Design, and his associate Dr. Elizabeth Flynn have been involved in the development and evaluation of pharmacy automation for the two market leaders, Pyxis and ScriptPro.
In addition to the large robot, both the AUPCC Employee Pharmacy and the AU Student Pharmacy have just added mobile check point devices. These portable signature pads will allow us to obtain and store electronic signatures for the prescription medications that are delivered on campus. We will know who signed for your prescription and the time it was delivered.
Finally, both pharmacies have also added prescription scanners. When you present a paper prescription, it will be scanned into our system. The scanned image will be displayed every time the prescription is refilled, allowing the pharmacist to be sure that the refill that was entered from your profile is indeed the medication you are receiving.
