Dispensing services become fully automated
Traditional tasks such as dispensing and checking of medicines are replaced by technology due to process automation. Pharmacists are no longer required to interpret prescriptions or dispense medicine; the task is redistributed to ‘guardians’ of the technology-led system. Hub-and-spoke models – sending electronic prescriptions from the high street to remote distribution centres and delivering medication straight to the patient’s home – are successfully piloted and are adopted by the large multiples. Pharmacists move away from traditional supply roles and focus on enhancing public experience and increasing the safety and effectiveness of their actions.
Proposed workforce impact
- Reduced demand for community pharmacists in traditional roles as technology displaces labour.
- Redistribution of baseline tasks from pharmacists to pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistants.
- New roles and responsibilities for pharmacists emerge.
- Potential changes to the training requirements of pharmacists to increase focus on the patient rather than drug products.
Sources or references
- http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2011/03/9510/new-ucsf-robotic-pharmacy-aims-improve-patient-safety
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2827025/
- http://www.wahcnews.com/newsletters/wa-gcalderon-0112.pdf
Additional research questions
- When will this technology become commonly used?
- How will demand for service from pharmacists shift?
- What are the outcomes in other countries that have implemented wide-scale e-dispensing, e.g. USA?
Some of the information in this section is provided by stakeholders and expert groups, and does not necessarily represent the views of the CfWI.
