Automated Pharmacy Systems Make Patient Care More Efficient

Pharmacy automation systems can have a significant impact on medication storage and dispensing operations, and in the process can be the foundation for more efficient patient care. In today’s unsettled health care market, more efficient care can go a long way to boosting bottom line performance.

Hatfield, PA, November 04, 2011-- The application of automated storage and retrieval systems to pharmacy operations—specifically integrated inventory management and control software and vertical carousel technology—offers hospitals central pharmacies and healthcare systems the advantages of improved workflow efficiency, optimal inventory management, and a reduction in the potential for human errors.

In these integrated systems, dedicated pharmacy inventory management and control software, such as AutoPharm3 from Talyst, gives pharmacies the ability to easily store, track and dispense medications, and enables barcode-driven pharmacist checks for improved patient safety and easier, more accurate recordkeeping and accountability. These systems can be integrated with ERP Hospital Information System (HIS) or Pharmacy Information System (PhIS) software to provide precise inventory management.

More detailed and precise inventory management adds efficiency and security to pharmaceutical dispensing operations by:

Automatically tracking and documenting storage and retrieval activities.
Comparing inventory stock levels to par levels to facilitate accurate and timely restocks.
Automating receiving and put-away functions.
Recognizing priority orders with movement to the head of the line.
Automation of wholesale ordering to eliminate the need to walk the shelves.
Improved response time and accuracy for STAT and first dose orders.
Recalling medications and tracking lot numbers and expiration dates.
Reducing the time required for ADU replenishment and cart fills.

Vertical storage and retrieval systems, such as Sapient Avenger® Vertical Carousel, are enclosed storage devices designed with rotating shelves that move up or down in response to operator commands. Stored items are delivered to an ergonomically positioned window for easy removal. Vertical carousels take advantage of unused overhead space to recover 60% to 85% of the floor space typically required by shelving and drawer systems, and often decrease total pharmacy storage space by 30% to 50%. Because of their vertical design, these systems can be used to link multiple operations located on different floors, further reducing the amount of space required for storage and retrieval activities while improving workflow.

Improving Staff Efficiency
Conventional static storage systems like shelving require technicians to spend up to 70% of their time traveling aisles searching for items. Vertical automated storage and retrieval systems deliver items automatically to the operator, eliminating wasted walk and search time, reducing time-on-task to fill orders. The access area of vertical systems is ergonomically designed to present stored items at about waist high. Typically, a technician’s walk and search time is reversed from that of conventional systems to 70% picking and only 30% dwell time. In many applications, this reversal of walk and search time can reduce labor requirements by up to 66%. Even with a smaller workforce, productivity can increase by more than 2.5 times, on average, in typical pharmacy applications.

About Us
Sapient Automation, a subsidiary of MDCI, is a leading provider of automated storage and retrieval systems for healthcare, manufacturing, distribution, warehouses, institutions, retail and wholesale. A full provider of automated and robotic Viper Vertical Lift Modules (VLMs), Avenger Vertical Carousels, Hornet Horizontal Carousels, Shark Inventory Management Software, Spitfire Pick Carts and more.

Contact Information
For information about Sapient Automation call 888-451-9711, email: info@getsapient.com or visit the Sapient Automation web site at www.GetSapient.com.

Sapient Automation, a subsidiary of MDCI, is a leading provider of automated storage and retrieval systems

Contact :
Ed Romaine
Chief Marketing Officer
Sapient Automation
2398 North Penn Road
Hatfield, PA 19440
267-640-8172
eromaine@GetSapient.com
http://www.GetSapient.com

This release was published on openPR.