The adoption of ICT and robotic automation systems in the pharmaceutical industry

Background: South African pharmacies face challenges like cost reduction, inventory management, and employee efficiency. Balancing dispensing error rates and customer satisfaction, along with ensuring accurate medication dispensing, is also crucial. An effective solution to these challenges is adopting automatic robotic dispensing systems, which enhance stock inventory management, integrated systems, and accurate dispensing capabilities. Objectives: The study delved into IT and robotic automation in South African pharmaceutical dispensing, assessing current methods and advocating for integrated IT and Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems in retail and hospital pharmacies. Method: The research used a quantitative approach to gather data from public and private hospital pharmacy employees, aiming to understand their requirements and expectations. It assessed the potential improvements that could result from adopting a new system. Results: The study found that most government and private pharmacies in South Africa prefer automated dispensing systems to reduce errors, lower costs, improve customer service, and enhance inventory management. Benefits also included minimising medication errors, improving operational efficiency, and ensuring patient safety. Conclusion: The study holds importance as it underscores the necessity of integrating Information Technology (IT) and Robotic Automation in the pharmaceutical sector to address prevailing issues. It identifies factors contributing to medication dispensing errors and demonstrates the potential of automated robotic systems in mitigating these errors. Contribution: South Africa's pharmaceutical sector must enhance efficiency and competitiveness by adopting integrated IT and Robotic Automation Systems. The study identified key factors for future implementation and emphasized the need for clear pre-implementation policies outlining functions and benefits.

Construction Practice of Modern Pharmaceutical Logistics and Dispensing System in Outpatient Pharmacy / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To introduce the experience on how to build modern pharmaceutical logistics and dispensing system in outpatient pharmacy,and to provide reference for the construction of modern outpatient pharmacy. METHODS:The pharmaceuti-cal logistics system could be constructed by setting up secondary warehouse,pharmaceutical supply chain management system (PSCMS) and electronic drug storage system (EDSS);pharmaceutical dispensing system could be constructed through allocating automatic drug dispensing machine with different functions reasonably to carry out dispensing way of different modes combination, building automated pharmacy management system and developing emergency plan for the system fault of the automated pharmacy. The effects of logistics and dispensing system in our hospital were evaluated through comparing related index before and after the application of the systems. RESULTS:With the aid of PSCMS,the drug purchase information could be collected and calculated au-tomatically,the frequency and working time of the purchase were reduced by 50% and 75% respectively,and the accuracy of the purchase plan was increased by 12.5%;with the EDSS,the position and number information of the drugs could be acquired imme-diately,and the complementation and inventory time were decreased by 67% and 58% respectively;the time for manual dispens-ing was reduced by 68%,and the incidence of internal mistakes was decreased by 76.7%;under new dispensing system,the pre-scription could be distributed automatically and intelligently,the rate of automatic prescription processing was increased to 72.7%, and the average waiting time to pick up drugs was controlled to below 10 min. CONCLUSIONS:The pharmacists’working effi-ciency and the quality of pharmaceutical care have been improved by the modern pharmaceutical logistics and dispensing system, which settle the foundation for the transformation of the pharmaceutical care mode.

Dispensação farmacêutica: uma análise dos conceitos legais em relação à prática profissional / Pharmaceutical dispensing: an analysis of legal concepts in relation to professional practice

O âmbito profissional do farmacêutico sofreu mudanças ao longo dos anos, provocando a descaracterização das farmácias comunitárias em virtude da acentuada concepção mercantil que vem apresentando e do distanciamento do farmacêutico na relação direta com a comunidade. Dessa forma, a dispensação de medicamentos se tornou um ato mecânico, desprovido dos cuidados necessários para a assistência à saúde, havendo, contudo, uma tendência de incorporação de novas práticas. Nesse sentido, ao estudar os conceitos de dispensação explicitados nas legislações sanitárias e profissionais brasileiras, esse artigo tem como objetivo analisá-los em relação ao contexto atual. Trata-se de um estudo teórico, realizado com a técnica da análise de conteúdo. Os resultados mostram que apesar das necessidades e novas demandas apontadas no cenário farmacêutico, ocorreram poucas mudanças nos conceitos de dispensação nas legislações estudadas, apontando a necessidade de se reafirmar a dispensação como atividade inserida no contexto da assistência à saúde.

The pharmacist?s professional scope of practice has changed over the years, causing a loss of the special role of community pharmacies, due to the strongly market-oriented conception that is emerging and the distancing of the pharmacist from a direct relationship with the community. Thus, the dispensing of drugs has become a mechanical act, devoid of the care necessary for health provision, there being, however, a tendency to incorporate new practices. Therefore, by studying the concepts of dispensing spelled out in the health laws and by health professionals in Brazil, the aim of this article is to analyze them in relation to the current context. This is a theoretical study, carried out by the technique of content analysis. The results show that despite the new demands and requirements noted in the pharmaceutical scenario, there have been few changes in the concepts of dispensing in the laws examined, indicating a need to reaffirm dispensing as an activity that has a place within the context of health care.

Research on the Problems of Pharmaceutical Dispensing Fee Brought into the Scope of Basic Medical Insurance Compensation / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the countermeasures for the problems of pharmaceutical dispensing fee brought into the scope of basic medical insurance compensation under New Medical Reform.METHODS:The difficulties of scheme formulation and practical operation of pharmaceutical dispensing fee brought into the scope of basic medical insurance compensation were analyzed.Compensation method,compensation levels and related management supporting measures were investigated based on the experience of foreign and domestic experience.RESULTS & CONCLUSION:Referring to foreign and domestic experience,reasonable compensation scheme should be formulated to play the coupling effect of systems.The supervision and management mechanism should be improved to play the role of pharmaceutical dispensing fee in the control of drug expenses.