March 09, 2011 News Office: Karin Rush-Monroe (415) 502-6397
Although it won't be obvious to UCSF Medical Center patients,
behind the scenes a family of giant robots now counts and
processes their medications. With a new automated hospital
pharmacy, believed to be the nation's most comprehensive, UCSF
is using robotic technology and electronics to prepare and track
medications with the goal of improving patient safety. Not a
single error has occurred in the 350,000 doses of medication
prepared during the system's recent phase in. The robots tower
over humans, both in size and ability to deliver medications
accurately. Housed in a tightly secured, sterile environment,
the automated system prepares oral and injectable medicines,
including toxic chemotherapy drugs. In addition to providing a
safer environment for pharmacy employees, the automation also
frees UCSF pharmacists and nurses to focus more of their
expertise on direct patient care. The new pharmacy is the hub of
UCSF's integrated medication management