Aug 21 2012
As Quantum International Corp. (OTCBB: QUAN) scours the globe for new
robotics technologies for commercialization, robots now under
development at the Medical Center at the University of California San
Francisco (UCSF) could soon help dramatically improve efficiency and
safety at pharmacies just as they've done in the manufacturing industry.
RoboticsTrends.com reported last week that an estimated 450,000
preventable medication-related adverse events occur in the U.S. every
year. According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, as many
as five percent of the five billion prescriptions filled each year are
incorrect.
Experts say that these problems are exacerbated by overworked
pharmacists encouraged in many cases to fill more than 100 scripts a
day. Robots may hold the key to reducing fatigue and boosting accuracy.
UCSF's PillPick robots, developed by integrated logistics supplier
Swisslog, Buchs, Switzerland, can dispense more than 10,000 doses a day.
After a year in operation, the robot has reportedly filled 350,000
prescriptions without making an error.
"We believe that emerging robots like PillPick are the solution for
meeting demand from large medical centers and hospitals, such as the
Texas Medical Center here in Houston," said Quantum CEO Robert
Federowicz. "With the number of prescriptions forecast to explode as the
world's population ages, pharmacy robots could soon be in high demand
everywhere."
Source: Quantum International Corp.