Oxleas Prison Services Ltd have implemented a Robotik PouchPack dispensing robot at HMP Rochester Pharmacy to automate the production of dose unit bags and compliance aids.
Where there is an identified risk to either the inmate or security within the prison caused by particular medicines, the Pharmacy is asked to produce a “not in possession prescription”. This meant that previously the pharmacy would prepare a single small bag per medication per administration time slot – a total of 25,000 manually produced per month. The new machine is changing this.
The Robotik PouchPack 88 is located at HMP Rochester Pharmacy and is producing a single bag per administration time, drastically reducing the manual effort involved in the old system and will hopefully eliminate the manual process totally as it is further implemented.
“The new robot is helping us to streamline the process” stressed Vicky Bradnam, Managing Director/Superintendent Pharmacist “before we had two additional temporary staff to cope with the manual process to produce the bags. Now we have one member staff working part time with the robot and we are planning a greater expansion of its use”.
The Robotik PouchPack solution works well in a prison environment as it helps the health care team to manage the risk of possession of pharmaceuticals by an inmate. Pouches can be supplied to an inmate in any frequency e.g. next admin time, a days supply or a months supply for patients requiring compliance aids. The dynamic nature can help in reducing risk and improving security and puts the prison and healthcare staff in control. Another benefit seen has been a reduction in time taken to administer medicines to inmates by healthcare staff using the pouches.
