Technology filling prescriptions
Smithfield -- A new employee is at work at Carroll Pharmacy.

The new hire can fill 154 prescriptions an hour and has an accuracy rate of 99 percent. The new worker does not deal directly with customers, who may be anxious to get a cure for their runny nose or scratchy throat. This employee does not even receive a paycheck. That is because the employee is not a person -- it is an innovation in technology.

Carroll Pharmacy owner Kay Carroll of Smithfield purchased the Parata Robotic Dispensing System, or RDS, last year. Parata invented the machine three years ago to fill more prescriptions in less time, reduce error rates and provide customers more time with pharmacists.

The Durham-based company sells the RDS for $187,000 per unit, but buyers also have the option to lease the machine, says Nanette Kirsch, director of marketing communication for Parata. She says the company has sold around 1,000 machines, but Carroll Pharmacy is the only drugstore in Johnston County that has one.

Before RDS came along, the pharmacy employees were doing the best they could without making many errors. Information would be put into a computer system, a bottle would be pulled and labeled and workers counted pills manually or with a pill counter.

The 28-year-old pharmacy has more than 3,000 customers from Johnston and Wake counties and fills 450 prescriptions a day.

"It is always in the back of your mind," Carroll says of possible errors. "You are going so fast, the volume is so high, you are concerned you are doing it correctly and getting everything right."

Green, white and blue baskets were piling up in the pharmacy. (The colors denote whether the customer is waiting in the store for his or her prescription, will return later or needs it delivered.) Carroll noticed that his customers were waiting longer for prescriptions. At that point, he knew the pharmacy needed some help. He began looking into different automation systems, but thought RDS was the best bang for the buck.

"I was looking at automation to take the workload off the pharmacists and techs, because at the end of the day, we would be beat to death, trying to get everything filled and talk with patients," Carroll says. "I needed to find a way to maintain the level of customer service and prescription accuracy while handling this volume." RDS fits easily in the pharmacy, run by Carroll, two other pharmacists and three pharmacy technicians. RDS has 252 cells that can hold hundreds to thousands of small, large, flat or round pills. The machine fills a 30-count prescription in 20 seconds; a 90-count prescription in 34 seconds; and a 180-count prescription in 42 seconds. It cuts the pharmacy employees' workload in half, filling around 200 prescriptions a day. When an order is sent through the machine's computer, a claw grabs a bottle and finds the appropriate drug. A vacuum pops the pills like popcorn, and air pressure shoots them into the bottle. The bottle is labeled, capped and sorted by patient's last time.

Carroll also liked that the machine had a unique safety feature. When a cell runs out of pills, employees must refill it. They scan barcodes on the cell and drug to ensure that the correct medicine goes in the right spot. If it is wrong, a loud noise, similar to a car alarm, blares out and the machine's computer locks up. It will not unlock until the medicines are stored in their correct cell.

"You have the satisfaction and comfort of knowing the accuracy right here is almost 100 percent because it is going to fill what you tell it to fill," Carroll says. "Sometimes, people have this image that an independent [store] is not as recognized as these monster chains and you don't have the latest technology," he adds. "What we have done is tried to keep up with the latest innovations and technologies."

Medicines in the cells are changed as needed. Carroll prints out a list of the 300 most popular medicines, and then those medicines, such as those for blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes, are put into the cells. RDS cannot fill liquids and prepackaged products.

Although RDS can perform multiple functions in a matter of minutes, it does not take the place of a warm smile and friendly face. It cannot explain how much cough syrup a child should swallow or how many pills will get rid of a nasty headache. While RDS cranks out prescription bottles, Carroll Pharmacy workers will still be working hard to meet the needs of their customers.

"We want our customers to feel good about coming here and realize they are welcome," Carroll says. "We want them to feel like they can approach us and ask a question without feeling like, ‘Oh, I am interrupting something,' ‘I am imposing,' or 'I am getting in the way.' I want them to feel like they can talk to us."

"Some people worry that this machine is going to take their jobs, then they realize that is not a threat," Kirsch says. "It makes their job easier and better and gives them a chance to do more of what they were trained to do."

Such as spending more time on the phone with customers who have questions about their medications.

At Carroll Pharmacy, the staff has been a happier bunch since RDS came on board. Laughter can be heard as people restock medicines, talk about their weekend plans or indulge in a cup of coffee. Much of the job stress has melted away.

"I think it has improved everyone's attitudes," Carroll says. "At the end of the day, instead of being whooped and exhausted, we have a better quality of life. We are probably easier to live with once we get home."

- Written By Herald Staff Reporter Sarah McNeil - smcneil@nando.com