(Newswire.net — May 27, 2022) —
Many of the consequences have had negative effects and have forced people to adapt. However, one of these changes has shone a bright, promising light. Automated pharmacies are and will continue to positively alter the healthcare field.
The demand from the pandemic left many hospitals, clinics and pharmacies struggling. Short staffing and little resources are just some of the burdens the medical community faced. From 2017 through 2020, drug shortages were the top issue faced by hospital pharmacists, and the pandemic made the challenge even worse.
In March 2020, prescription demand across the country jumped by nearly 15%, which led to a general feeling of exhaustion amongst pharmacists as higher prescription volume is associated with greater risk of staff burnout. 70% of hospital pharmacists admitted to taking on new job responsibilities and in May 2021, 80% of pharmacies reported struggles to full open positions. On top of that, healthcare workers are retiring faster than new recruits can be trained. By 2026, more than 6.5 million healthcare workers will leave, with only 2 million new workers available to fill their positions.
But with all these demanding struggles, promising innovation is on the horizon. New, automated technologies in central pharmacies can help alleviate some of these loads pharmacists are facing. One great benefit is automation reduces medication errors. Also, automated technologies can perform a variety of tasks from inventory management to remote-dispensing systems to drug interaction and allergy checks. The technology reduces human touchpoints, leaving fewer opportunities for error while improving patient care- a winning combination across the board.
Furthermore, the cost of operating these technologies is cheaper than the average salary of a pharmacy technician. An automated dispensary can pick up to 700 medications per hour while a technician can only go up to 120 medications- another notable difference. The medication management software with automated technology can also aid in inventory tracking, which is essential.
64% of hospital pharmacists consider full supply chain visibility a critical capability. Drug recalls can take up to 10 staff hours to address and 16% of hospital pharmaceutical inventory is wasted. This new automated technology can track inventory more precisely and decrease the number of wasted inventory. In 2020, 4 in 10 hospital pharmacists stated that operational technology is critical for success. Automated capabilities can unquestionably be a part of this success.
By 2024, the global market for pharmacy automation will reach nearly $8 billion dollars. Automated technologies are already prevalent in many areas and it will undoubtedly continue to grow and infiltrate into other markets. While the debate over artificial technology taking over humans’ jobs is still prevalent, this technology can significantly alter the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry for the better. Find out more about the impacts of automated technologies in pharmacies in the infographic below.