Pharmacy automation improves workflow in long-term care and central fill pharmacies, increasing productivity and helping you grow your pharmacy

Automation supplies and equipment will reduce the time that you spend on tedious tasks, minimize human errors, and increase efficiency. By integrating pharmacy automation into your business, you can provide exceptional service to all your customers.

If you’re considering upgrading your pharmacy automation systems, research the automation equipment and supplies available. There are several key automation pharmacy systems to consider. Whether you want to expand your production without moving to a larger space, or you want to upgrade to a complete system, several solutions can seamlessly integrate with your current pharmacy management software and technology.

These are some essential pharmacy automation supplies and equipment that every pharmacy should consider integrating into their workflow.

Strip Pouch Packaging Systems

The Xana strip pouch packaging system features a unique design that provides speed, accuracy, and safety by increasing productivity and reducing errors. It includes predictive software that informs your operators when to add stock. This system can hold up to 400 unique oral solid NDC cassettes. The system also provides custom printing, so you can include patient information directly on the packages to meet the demands of LTC facilities.

The Xana 2040 saves space with a 6 square foot design. It fits through most standard doorways so you can easily install it in your pharmacy. It also takes up less space than other packaging systems. The Xana Z series also has a compact modular design to meet the space demands of almost any location.

The Benjamin Tray System

When you need to include split doses or less common medications, you want a solution that can streamline this process. Usually, adding in a less common medication can create a bottleneck in your workflow. You may have to stop production and manually load pills. It also introduces the possibility of more human error.

The Benjamin tray system enables you to quickly load trays while the machine is in production. This system works with your Xana strip pouch packaging system to improve your workflow. It offers a safe, fast, and easy method for adding split dose, and less frequently used medications to your workflow. Loading the tray system is quick and easy, and can be loaded into the machine in moments. This tray system uses intuitive LEDs to help the operators know where to place each medication, and the Xana system indicates when you should add the tray. Best of all, these trays can be pre-loaded for greater efficiency.

Medication Detection Machines

Verifying medications can be a tedious task. A Medication Detection Machine can save you time by reducing the number of pill pouches that must be verified manually. Medication detection machines come in a variety of sizes to fulfill the needs of your pharmacy.

The NV1 is best suited for a smaller pharmacy. It fits on a countertop or table, and visually checks each pouch against a custom-built image library including every medication in your formulary. The pouches are imaged with high-speed cameras to verify that the right pills are being delivered to the right patient. Anomalies are flagged for pharmacist verification, reducing the number of medications that need manual verification.

The NV2 medication detection machine is capable of imaging 75 pouches per minute. It includes a separator unit for even more accuracy. We recommend this machine for LTC and central fill pharmacies.

The NVPro medication detection machine is a high-capacity complete package. It combines verifying, cutting, and sorting in one system. It includes a built-in automatic winder, and even provides user-defined batch cutting. You can automatically cut, roll, and tape pouch strips for each patient or facility based on your needs.

Medication Detection Check-Out and Repair

The Medication Detection Workstation is the final stage in the detection process. The Medication Detection Check-Out (MDC) system provides additional access and functionality in your pharmacy by highlighting pouches for review and providing instant access to data for any pouch. All of the flagged orders are grouped together for easy visual verification, and the system allows the operator to check and clear flagged pouches while at the MDC or remotely.

The MDC can even be combined with a Repair Station. After repairing pouches, you can quickly document repairs. Pictures of the repaired pouches are archived for future reference, as well as attached to the order for review. This increases the efficiency of checking and repairing pouches.

Pharmacy Automation Accessories

Pharmacy automation accessories can increase the ease of medication delivery in LTC facilities. These include automatic winders and pill splitters.

Automatic Winders

Hand-winding strips can be time-consuming. Eliminate the need to hand-roll with an automatic winder. Winders come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit your needs. There are table winders that easily fit on a desktop and stand-alone winders that can be moved to different locations. You can also invest in winders that are integrated with your strip pouch packaging system. Neatly wound rolls of pouches improve organization in your pharmacy and in LTC facilities.

The Blade Pill Splitter

Splitting pills is another time-consuming activity that’s easily automated. The Blade Pill Splitter is a unique pill splitting system that produces highly accurate cuts. This innovative blade produces clean cuts with less dust.  You can easily split up to a full magazine completely hands-off. This saves your technicians time while increasing the accuracy of dosages. The Blade Pill Splitter has a space-saving design, and it easily fits on a countertop or a desk. Finally, this pill splitter does not require any external filtration due to its precise, clean cuts.

Pharmacy Automation Equipment Increases Efficiency

Pharmacy automation systems increase the efficiency of your pharmacy. Automated pharmacy systems quickly sort medications into pouches, verify medications, and alert pharmacists to any errors. With the right automation solutions, you can increase your speed and efficiency without moving to a larger space or hiring more staff. Find out more about automated solutions from Noritsu and how these solutions can improve your workflow.

Speak with a Pharmacy Automation expert

Call us today at (800) 521-3686