Skip to content

Hospital pharmacists pioneering in installation of an automated dispensing system in General Public Hospital, Chania, Greece

Pdf

PDF Icon

European Statement

Selection, Procurement and Distribution

Author(s)

Marinos Petrongonas, Maria Fragiadaki, Eleni Rinaki, Leonidas Tzimis

Why was it done?

HPs were facing challenges related to:
• Stuff shortages in a high risk environment with increasing uncertainty
• Implementation of Directive 2001/83/EC on Falsified Medicines; deadline for Greece is 2025
• Medicines’ shortages for which optimal inventory management procedures are needed • Patient safety and quality of pharmaceutical services: quality assurance processes, medicines’ traceability, monitoring expiration dates and respond-time to ward’s requests

What was done?

During the last 2 years, hospital pharmacists (HPs) actively participated in the supply, installation and functional integration of the first Automated (Robotic) Dispensing System (ADS) in Greece, in Chania General Hospital (CGH). It is a centralised distribution system installed in the pharmacy department which receives, stores and distributes packages of medicines.
It has a storage capacity of approximately 20,000 packages, including one robotic arm, three distribution exits, two loading ways (semi- and fully-automated), with software comprised. Speeds range from 200 to 900 for loading and 350 to 760 packages/hour for unloading. Under HPs’ direction, medicine management procedures were modified to ensure ADS’ functionality.

How was it done?

Since Pharmacy department of CGH was the first to install an ADS, a new route had to be inaugurated, concerning how HPs:
• Developed the proposal
• Documented and justified such a supply to be prioritised in funding
• Performed market research in Europe, as no such national market existed
• Drafted technical specifications, to assure the best system supplied
• Participated in an international tendering procedure (budget 130,000 euros)
• Planned and supervised installation and functional integration of the system
• Managed interoperability between ADS’ software and the pharmacy’s Information System
• Faced issues related to different barcodes on medicines’ packages

What has been achieved?

After 3 months of use:
• 50% of medicines’ codes and 35% of total packages are dispensed with ADS monthly
• 1.4 full-time pharmacy assistants equivalent is saved
• Response time to requests decreased
• Traceability and quality are better assured
• Falsified medicines’ check can run automatically
• Storage space is saved

What next?

HPs are ready to share nationally and internationally their experience in developing and installing an ADS with colleagues interested in adopting similar solutions. Hospitals from the same region have already shown their interest.

×

EAHP Forum

All the EAHP team is working on providing a Forum that can help connect all the members in Conversations and Groups to talk about important matters for the European Hospital Pharmacist.

The Forum will be accessible for all the EAHP members, you don’t have to create a new account to browse and participate.

Conversations and groups

The Conversations will be moderated by our team to provide documents and relevant topics for the community.

The Groups will connect all members that share a category. Members who work on the same assocation, on the same hospital, that have the same role, etc.

Stay tuned for the realase of the forum. Soon on EAHP.