PillPick^® is a 100% barcode-enabled solution that supports centralized, decentralized, and hybrid pharmacy operations. The system receives electronic patient medication orders, sorts them by priority, and automatically creates individual doses by retrieving and portioning drugs that are stored in its drug nest, a high-density drug storage warehouse. The drug nest stocks the hospital’s medication dosages required for that hospitals’ inpatients for 3 days. Every patient-specific drug dose is assembled on a Pick Ring^®, a plastic ring that keep doses secure and in chronological order. The final output is a bar-coded, chronologically organized 24-hour supply of all the medications required by an individual patient. At maximum capacity, the system can create 1,100 doses per hour, and more than 8,000,000 per year.

The main objective of PillPick^® technology is to minimize human intervention in the dispensing process, thus dramatically improving patient safety. And the PillPick^® “robot” has arms and legs that reach beyond the pharmacy: via MediTech – the hospital’s internal communication conduit – PillPick^® is linked with other systems throughout the hospital, such as the Pyxis MedStations located near each nursing station. These automated drug cabinets are capable of communicating with the PillPick^® robot and automatically requesting the replenishment of selected pharmaceuticals. Pyxis cabinets are password and fingerprint scan-secured for the management of controlled and narcotic drugs, adding an additional layer of validation. As well, the PillPick^® is the supply source for the hospital’s mobile dispensing carts called MedCOWs – short for Medication/Computer On Wheels. These rolling medication stations allow nurses to efficiently transport, track and administer drugs in the course of a day.

Krystin Szymkiewicz, Manager of the Brampton Civic Department of Pharmacy, worked behind the scenes to bring the PillPick^® system to Brampton Civic. She says that the innovative new systems are really the foundation for hospital-wide technological and process changes to come.

“The advantages of PillPick^® aren’t just felt in the pharmacy. It’s a system that benefits the entire hospital, making it possible for us to move to the next level. It’s all about patient safety, and we’re excited by the potential.”

Ms. Szymkiewicz says now that the system is in place, the goal is to increase the capacity of automated dispensing over time.

“At the moment, about 60% of meds come from the robot, but we’d like to eventually achieve 90%. We also want to be able to do order entry from anywhere in the building. The machine gives us the potential to do that.”