At My Health Career we have been hearing more and more about the uptake of “dispensing robots” in pharmacy, particularly in the hospital sector. We decided to ask the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA) what their stance is on these robots. Following is their statement.

“Robotics that improve the medication supply process have been available for many years and adoption within Australia is growing. While the term “dispensing robots” is widely used, it does not accurately describe the functions performed by existing commercially available technology in Australia. For example, in many cases the robotics automate only one specific component of the dispensing process, that is providing the correct medication, after computer selection, to a technician or pharmacist, who must then label the product manually. This function can reduce medication selection errors. Many of the other aspects of dispensing are still not automated. SHPA welcomes the ongoing development of this technology to further reduce errors associated with the dispensing process and to streamline the processes associated with medication stock management.

SHPA does not see dispensing robots as a threat to pharmacists. Mrs Sue Kirsa, former Director of Pharmacy at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, now Director of Pharmacy at Monash Health said, ‘dispensing robots are definitely an opportunity, not a threat. Some believe that robots may be a threat to pharmacy technician positions but my experience at Peter MacCallum was that the dispensing robot made the dispensary more efficient. It enabled technicians to more effectively assist the pharmacists and free up the pharmacists to provide medicines management services.’

She added, “a major advantage of dispensing robots is that they are of great help in managing stock. With a dispensing robot we know that stock balances are always correct, we can track usage better, we can keep less stock on hand and can track expiry dates more efficiently. However, it is important to note that they are not a panacea; they work best in combination with other modern procurement and distribution methods, such as direct to ward, or ward box delivery systems.”

In summary, robots are an adjunct to well-trained pharmacists and technicians in a modern hospital pharmacy. They allow staff to do the things that automation, in a range of forms, can’t do – speaking to patients, ensuring that medicines are stored and utilised safely by patients and at the bedside, and so on.”

More articles on My Health Career:

• SHPA position statement on interdisciplinary teams
• Are patients becoming more open to pharmacists in general practice?
• The Pharmacists’ Support Service – pharmacists supporting pharmacists

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