When we were planning our total shop refurbishment, we also decided to include state of the art technology and invested in a BD Rowa VMax automated medicine dispenser. There were many compelling reasons to introduce automation so now we are well equipped for the future with modern stock logistics and inventory efficiency.

The advantage of automation is that it frees up the space, time and the resources needed to allow us become more customer facing, handle additional services and grow the business.

By reducing the risk of human error, the dispensing robot software connects to the correct medications via bar-code scanning technology, resulting in a dramatic reduction in general picking errors. Medication is then dispensed via one of the 4 chutes directly to the dispensary staff who no longer need to rush around each other collecting medicines from shelves so the chaos has been replaced with calm, despite the volume of prescriptions being filled.

Wastage is minimised as the robot reads data matrix 2D codes for exact expiry dates, providing instant access to information on which products will soon go out of date. All manufacturers are ‘linked’ and prioritised by the shortest expiry date when picked; and where possible, part packs are also selected first.

Our Robot now frees up the resources needed to introduce new services such as flu, (and potentially COVID-19) vaccinations; stop smoking service clinics and adherence support services. Our Pharmacists have become more patient facing and can spend more time with patients.

The robot is a highly organised, automated stock room and stores medications far more densely than traditional shelving and provides space for up to 13000 products. Medicine levels are monitored in real time to support the ordering process and ensure availability for patients and the arduous job of storing deliveries is also streamlined, so overall productivity is greatly improved.

We enjoy working with our new technology and know that we can rely on our robot as it works fast and efficiently, even cleaning and tidying while we all sleep!