When people hear the term pharmacy automation, it is easy to picture a dispensing robot working behind the scenes. While robotic dispensing is an important part of the technology now available to pharmacies, automation can mean much more than a machine selecting and dispensing medication.
A recent example from a pharmacy in Leeds demonstrates this well. The pharmacy introduced a scan-to-shelf workflow that allows prescriptions to be tracked as they are prepared and placed onto collection shelves. The pharmacy reported fewer queries from patients asking whether their prescription was ready, giving the team more time for patient care and other services.
It is a useful reminder that pharmacy automation does not necessarily mean automating an entire process. Sometimes, a relatively focused change can remove a recurring problem and make the wider workflow more efficient.
For pharmacies considering automation, the question is therefore not simply whether a robot could dispense medication faster. It is about understanding where time is being spent, where processes are creating unnecessary work and where technology could make a meaningful difference.
What does pharmacy automation actually mean?
Pharmacy automation covers a broad range of technologies designed to reduce repetitive work, improve the movement and tracking of medicines or make everyday processes easier to manage.
Some systems automate physical tasks, such as storing and retrieving medication. Others use software, barcode scanning or connected systems to improve visibility and reduce manual administration.
This means that two pharmacies could both be looking at automation while having completely different requirements.
One may be struggling with dispensing volume. Another may have limited storage space. A third may be spending too much staff time preparing MDS packs, while another may be dealing with a constant flow of prescription collection queries.
The starting point should therefore be the pharmacy’s workflow rather than a particular piece of equipment.
Prescription management and storage
One of the simplest places to start is with what happens after a prescription has been dispensed.
In a busy pharmacy, prescriptions may need to be stored across shelves, fridges, safes or collection areas before the patient arrives. As volumes increase, locating a particular prescription can become another task that repeatedly takes staff away from other work.
Digital prescription management can help pharmacies keep track of where items have been stored and make the collection process easier to manage. Systems such as Scriptlife use barcode scanning and digital records to track prescriptions and can automatically notify patients when their medication is ready.
Scan-to-shelf is another example of how a relatively straightforward digital workflow can make a difference. Community Pharmacy England highlights benefits including improved tracking, fewer misplaced items and fewer routine prescription-status queries.
The important point is that this type of automation does not need to change the fundamental way a pharmacy dispenses. It can simply remove some of the manual work and uncertainty around what happens afterwards.
Stock handling and medication storage
Stock management is another area where automation can have a significant impact.
Pharmacy teams spend time receiving medication, putting stock away, locating medicines, monitoring stock levels and managing different batches and expiry dates. These tasks are necessary, but they can also involve a considerable amount of repetitive movement and manual checking.
Automated storage and retrieval systems can change how medication is stored within the dispensary. Rather than relying entirely on conventional shelving, medication can be stored in a system that records where it is and retrieves it when required.
For some pharmacies, the value of this approach is not simply faster retrieval. It can also be about making better use of available space and reducing the amount of time staff spend searching for stock.
This is particularly relevant where prescription volumes are increasing but the physical footprint of the pharmacy is not.
Dispensing automation
Dispensing is perhaps the area most commonly associated with pharmacy automation.
Robotic dispensing systems can automate parts of the process involved in selecting and retrieving medication, reducing the amount of repetitive manual handling required from the pharmacy team.
However, there are different approaches to dispensing automation. Original pack dispensing systems can store and retrieve medicines in their manufacturer packaging, while other systems combine storage and retrieval with high-speed dispensing channels or other automated processes.
The right approach depends on the pharmacy’s dispensing volume, medication profile, available space and wider workflow.
As we explored in our article on dispensing automation, the objective should not simply be to find the fastest machine. It should be to create more capacity across the pharmacy and make the overall workflow work better.
Read: How Dispensing Automation Can Create More Capacity in Your Pharmacy
MDS and adherence packaging
MDS is another area where automation can reduce repetitive manual work.
Preparing monitored dosage systems involves selecting medicines, organising doses into the appropriate positions and checking the completed pack. For pharmacies supporting a growing number of MDS patients, the amount of manual preparation involved can become significant.
Automation can help by dispensing medicines directly into pouch or blister-card packaging as part of a controlled workflow.
AcornRX’s MDS solutions include RapidPakRx for pouch-based adherence packaging and RapidCardRx for blister-card packaging. Both systems use universal cartridges and incorporate verification into the packaging process.
The wider point is that automation can be applied to a specific part of the pharmacy service without requiring the pharmacy to automate everything else around it.
Read: How MDS Automation Can Make Pharmacy More Efficient
Prescription collection
The final part of the prescription journey can also create pressure.
Collection may involve queues, repeated handovers and patients arriving at times that do not necessarily suit the pharmacy’s busiest periods. For teams already managing dispensing and clinical services, the cumulative effect can be significant.
Prescription collection automation provides another way to approach this part of the workflow.
MedLocker, for example, provides secure prescription collection outside the traditional counter interaction, including 24/7 collection options. AcornRX says the system can help reduce staff time spent managing handovers while giving patients greater flexibility over when they collect their medication.
Again, the objective is not necessarily to remove the human element from pharmacy. It is to give patients another way to complete a routine part of the prescription journey while allowing staff to focus their attention where it is most valuable.
Other areas of the pharmacy can be automated too
Automation does not stop at the community pharmacy dispensary.
In other settings, technology can also be used to manage medication storage and supply. Ward-based medication cabinets, for example, can connect medication storage with pharmacy stock-control systems and provide greater visibility over what medication is held and used.
Controlled drug storage is another area where automation can support security, access control and traceability.
These examples demonstrate why it is difficult to define pharmacy automation as one particular type of machine. It is better understood as a collection of technologies that can support different parts of the medication journey.
Does every pharmacy need automation?
No — and that is an important part of the conversation.
Automation should not be introduced simply because the technology exists. A pharmacy needs to understand what problem it is trying to solve and whether automation is the appropriate answer.
For one pharmacy, the biggest opportunity may be dispensing. For another, it could be prescription storage and collection. A growing MDS service might be the area creating the greatest manual workload, while a pharmacy with limited space may benefit most from automated medication storage.
The answer will also depend on how the different parts of the workflow interact. Improving one stage of the process does not necessarily improve the pharmacy if it simply moves the bottleneck somewhere else.
That is why understanding the whole workflow matters.
Finding the right place to start
The growth of pharmacy automation gives teams more options than ever before, but more options can also make the decision more complicated.
The best starting point is to look at how the pharmacy actually operates. Where is staff time being lost? Which processes are repetitive? Where are patients experiencing unnecessary delays or uncertainty? And which parts of the workflow are likely to become more demanding as the pharmacy develops?
Once those questions have been answered, it becomes much easier to identify where technology could have the greatest impact.
At AcornRX, we work across different areas of pharmacy automation, from prescription management and collection to dispensing, MDS and medication storage. The aim is not to automate for the sake of it, but to understand the pharmacy and identify where technology can create a more efficient and sustainable workflow.
If you’re considering pharmacy automation, our next guide looks at how to decide where you should start with pharmacy automation.
For a wider overview of every area, see our guide to pharmacy automation in the UK.
