Robotics and the Future of Robotic pharmacists
Overview
In the future, robotics promises to revolutionize the pharmaceutical industry by automating tasks such as dispensing, packaging, and managing medications. With World Health Organization statistics indicating medicine errors as the third leading cause of death in hospitals, automation through robotics holds the potential to significantly reduce these occurrences. With an estimated 90% of all pharmacies expected to implement robotic technology by 2023, and 80% of hospitals considering investing in automating their pharmacies within the next ten years, the future of robotic pharmacists seems imminent.
The Emergence of Robotic Pharmacists
As technology advances, the role of robots in everyday life becomes increasingly prominent - notably so in the field of pharmacy. Robotic pharmacists designed to dispense, package, and manage medication provide a new approach to meet the demands of the future. A survey by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists found that nearly 37% of hospitals in the US are already making use of robotic pharmacy systems for medication distribution. These systems not only allow for increased efficiency but significantly reduce human error, information from the World Health Organization suggests that hospital deaths due to medication errors and mismanagement are the third-highest cause of mortality.
Significant Advancements in Robotic Pharmacy Technology
There are many significant advancements in robotic pharmacy technology. Technologies such as the PillPick Automated Packaging and Dispensing System are capable of sorting, storing, and dispensing single doses of medicine into multi-dose blister packs, thus serving multiple patients at a time. Such technologies are expected to take-off, with a 2020 Global Robotic Pharmacy Prescription Systems market research report predicting an estimated 90% of all pharmacies will use a form of robotic technology by 2023.
The Future of Robotic Pharmacists
With 80% of hospitals considering investing in robotic pharmacists in the next ten years, the future looks promising. It indicates a significant shift in the pharmaceutical industry leaning towards automation and AI. However, although the intent is high, the implementation of robotic pharmacists is not without its challenges. Issues of licensing, regulation, and safety, as well as costly initial investments, are real barriers to faster adoption.
Key Takeaways
- Robotic pharmacists have the potential to significantly reduce human error in medication management.
- According to a 2020 Global Robotic Pharmacy Prescription Systems market research report, an estimated 90% of all pharmacies are expected to use robotic technology by 2023.
- 80% of hospitals are considering investing in robotic pharmacists over the next decade.
As part of the future of robotics, 3Laws Robotics is operating at the cutting edge of safety and reliability in this field. Addressing the significant challenge of certification, 3Laws' innovative software, 3Laws Supervisor, offers robust safety features to cut through the burden of proving system robustness.
Built on Control Barrier Functions, a technology developed at Caltech, 3Laws software, provides mathematically provable safety. It is adaptable and compatible with various platforms like mobile robots, cars, drones, and manipulators, making 3Laws a versatile solution.
With proven use cases, 3Laws has delivered 40% efficiency gains in warehouse automation and enabled safe human-robot interaction – a growing need in the era of collaborative robotic solutions. Furthermore, it enables robots to navigate effectively in dynamic environments thanks to its reactive collision avoidance capability – minimizing downtime and maintaining safety.
3Laws Robotics can be positioned as a next-generation safety solution, going beyond traditional e-stop methods, offering a proactive approach to safety that can unlock the full potential of robotics with dynamic, predictive safety that can be safety-certified under ISO 3691-4 and ISO 26262.