Case study

Windmill Pharmacy, Manchester (UK)

Windmill Pharmacy very successfully introduced automated dispensing with BD Rowa™ Smart to increase operational efficiency, improve safety and provide the bandwidth for a more customer facing approach.

As more people look to the Pharmacy for first-line treatment, consultations and healthcare services, the business also has to evolve. Automated dispensing has completely transformed our way of working: no more frantic searching for medication; prescriptions ready and waiting for customers; rarely used items easily located; use by dates automatically tracked and prioritised; and very cost-effective stock holding. From a safety point of view, it’s just fantastic as the robot links the prescription to the medication via barcode – we no longer have any LASAs; they have been eliminated.

Rachel Potter | Pharmacist Owner

BD Rowa in the Windmill Pharmacy, Manchester (UK)

BD Rowa™ Solution

SYSTEM

BD Rowa™ Smart

H: 2.50 m
L: 3.50 m

CAPACITY

6,500 packages

THE CHALLENGE

A small independent pharmacy on a housing estate, Windmill, provides healthcare and medication advice to the local community. Dispensing assistants and technicians were responsible for fulfilling prescriptions, but when anyone was absent, Rachel had to step in, which took her away from the patients. The challenge was finding a dispensing robot that could deliver a faster, more accurate process and offer a good financial proposition.

THE SOLUTION

Rachel chose one of the BD Rowa™ Smart range of entry-level, ready-to-use robots. It holds over 95 % of the Windmill Pharmacy stock, including part packs, and stores completed prescriptions, which can be quickly accessed when customers arrive for collection. On discovering that over the past 10 years, the cost of this equipment equates to one dispensing assistant for two days per week, Rachel felt the decision to buy was definitely a ‘no-brainer’!

KEY FACTS
  • Increased patient safety – LASAs completely eliminated
  • More time to focus on the customers
  • Staff can be transferred to other services
  • Stock levels reduced by 25 % – cash flow gains
  • Capacity to expand prescription business
  • Easily handled 25 % increase in prescriptions during COVID 19 lockdown
  • Dispensing efficiency maintained during staff sickness or holidays
  • Excellent long term financial proposition
  • BD Rowa in the Windmill Pharmacy, Manchester (UK)
  • BD Rowa in the Windmill Pharmacy, Manchester (UK)
  • BD Rowa in the Windmill Pharmacy, Manchester (UK)