Talk to Clark 1-4pm ET: (877) 87-CLARK or (404) 872-0750
advertisement
Looking for something on the site? Search for it here! Also see Clark's Greatest Hits
Dec 10, 2008 -- Robots now filling some prescriptions
Certain pharmacies in New England are now using robots to fill prescriptions!
The Boston Globe reports that 1.5 million people are harmed every year by getting the wrong prescription. Think about it: Handwritten scripts can easily be misread by the pharmacist, and pharmacists themselves are overworked and may inadvertently make an error when filling a script.
Automated machines, however, eliminate the chance of human error. They can be programmed to dispense up to 200 of the most commonly filled scripts, according to the article, at a rate of 134 scripts/hour. That's more than 2 scripts a minute, and it frees up pharmacists to do more face-to-face consultations with their customers.
Unfortunately, Clark won't be able to answer any questions submitted via commenting. If you have a question, please try posting it to our message boards.
Pharmacists do much more than count pills. They ensure that the medications that you get do not interact with each other and that the dosing is appropriate. They are also available to counsel you when you have a question about over the counter medications. This just scratches the surface of what pharmacists do. I could go on and on. There is a reason that we go to school for ~7-8 years...and that is for more than to just count pills.
Pharmacists
Robots filling prescriptions? Isn't that what pharmacists spent all those years in college for? I have an idea! How about making robots that spend hours on the phones with stupid insurance companies? The robots will work for much less than a pharmacist and allow the pharmacist to do what he/she does best- make sure the medicine your doctor has prescibed will actually help you and not kill you or make any of your body parts fall off!
presriptions
Retail Pharmacies need to embrace more of available technology. Outlawing handwritten prescriptions should be the next step in increasing patient safety. Embracing available technology will allow the Retail Pharmacist to practice the profession of pharmacy as they were taught in school. I currently work as a hospital pharmacist and would not work in the retail setting, no matter how much the pay, as it is currently practiced
Well, Pharmacists got to get back their education cost, which is overwhelming. Pharmacist are paid according to their level of education. How about a unionized autoworker or unionized port worker in California, get 100k a year to turn an bolt, and probably don't have a hs diploma.
Pharmacists are paid too much
Pharmacists are paid too much. There is no reason for someone who count pills to make over $100,000. Their high pay makes automation too attractive.
This will eventually take jobs away from pharmacists and creates the surplus of pharmacists in the future. Although the role of pharmacist may be expanded, the majority of the jobs still be product-oriented. Healthcare is "business". All the chains will eventually try to reduce the cost by transforming their service into the automated system. I'm concerned about the mushrooming of pharmacy schools.
