The Perils of Robotic Storage and Dispensing Machines

Prescription-picking robots have been around for a while. But historically, they’ve mainly been the preserve of large dispensing operations in hospital settings.

However, as the technology evolves and costs come down, they have become attractive to smaller pharmacy dispensers too.

The benefits are clear – automated medication selection, real-time stock control, speed and efficiency. However if they go wrong, they can be expensive to fix and the lead time for replacement parts means that the pharmacy business has to go back to costly and inefficient manual processes.

The good news is that, subject to the terms and conditions, accidental damage to these machines is covered by NPAI’s Pharmacover policy.

But every business would rather prevent an accident occurring in the first place. Having dealt with a number of such claims, NPAI has identified some simple risk management steps that pharmacies can take to prevent damage or loss:

• Restrict access – make sure no one can be near to the moving parts of the machine while it is in use. Most machines have an interlocking access system which switches it off the moment an access point is opened. Another precaution is to simply isolate the power, or remove the key, before anyone accesses to the machine. The person with the key should be the person who accesses the machine so there is no chance of it getting switched on while they are inside. Finally, and obviously, don’t turn it back on until all staff are clear.
• Double check that the area round where the robotic arm travels is clear before turning the machine back on – ensure that everything you take in (bags, baskets, chairs, stools, clipboards, even pens etc) you take out again.
• In the event of a malfunction, don’t try to fix it yourself – always call the expert service engineer.

Our job at NPAI is to protect our pharmacy customers when something goes wrong. But we’d much rather that it didn’t go wrong at all. Human factors generally lie at the heart of most accidents. By following the sensible steps we’ve outlined, our hope is that pharmacies can avoid expensive and time consuming losses in the first place.

Nick Dinsdale, Director of Underwriting at NPA Insurance Ltd.

For more information about NPA Insurance’s Pharmacover policy, contact Insuranceservice@npa.co.uk or call 01727 800 410.