Canadian health center tests RFID-enabled RX filling
Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre has launched a trial of a robotic, RFID-enabled medication dispensing system, the first of its kind in Canada. The PharmaTrust Dispensary, developed by Ontario-based PCA Services Inc., will operate within Sunnybrook’s pharmacy for three-month evaluation of patient experience with the automated dispensing process.
The PharmaTrust Dispensary can stock up to 220 types of prescription drugs, including pre-packaged oral and topical medications. After the pharmacist processes the prescription, a robotic system uses RFID tags and bar code scanning systems to identify, label and deliver the patient’s medication. The system is designed to eliminate the potential for dispensing errors.
During the trial, a PharmaTrust pharmacist will verify each medication dispensed, and provide medication counseling to patients using the automation-assisted dispensary. ![[end]](/resources/bullet/rfidnews-4.gif)
