Automated medicine dispensing system saving time and improving safety

A new automated medicine dispensing system has been installed at Pinderfields Hospital Pharmacy to speed up the dispensing of controlled drugs and increase patient safety.

This state-of-the-art equipment houses all of the controlled drugs in a secure cabinet, linked to a computerised system and accessed by fingerprint.

When a prescription request for a controlled drug comes down from a ward, a member of staff carries out a series of checks, before inputting the details into the system. The automated cabinet calculates the amount of the drug required and highlights the correct medication in the cabinet.

The pharmacy team member then scans their fingerprint to open the corresponding door and remove the drug. Once the door is closed again, the cabinet cannot be opened unless another prescription request is entered into the system.

Phil Deady, Director of Pharmacy at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, said: “This technology is helping to improve patient safety by reducing picking errors, thanks to the system’s unique guiding light technology. It is also more secure as the cabinet requires a fingerprint as the final step before the door is open.

“Previously, these drugs would have been stored under lock and key in secure cabinets – but this system is much more efficient, and is already having a positive impact, saving valuable time for the Pharmacy team, and allowing staff on wards to focus more time on caring for patients.”

This new technology adds to the robotic dispensing system that has been in use at the Pinderfields Hospital Pharmacy for some time. This robot can dispense both individual prescriptions and stock for wards. The pharmacy team member inputs the drug name and prints the label, before the robot picks the correct items from the shelves, ready for collection. As the medication is accessed by robot, it means stock can be more densely stored, saving space and time.

Mr Deady added: “This latest project is a great example of the Trust’s commitment to innovation and exploring how investing in new technology can improve patient care and experience.”