Medical Store Automation with Artificial Intelligence

Executive summary

Medical store management in health facilities is time-consuming and labor-intensive,

with limited resources and weak information technology penetration. An important part of

pharmacy administration entails keeping track of all of the available medications and

determining which of those are most appropriate for each patient or customer's specific health

condition. The medical store was always crowded (Sanap et al., 2020). The vendor is solely

responsible for ensuring that the customer receives the correct drug on time. Medication is

traditionally delivered by the patient remembering the dosage. As a result, he runs the risk of

running out of medicine at the worst possible time. There is an urgent need to build a new

medical storage system that can address all of the above issues while reducing the burden on

healthcare professionals.

As the need for prescription pharmaceuticals has grown in recent years, so has the chance

to use pharmacy automation systems. Pharmacy automation technology that uses machine

learning characteristics to understand prescription medications and dispense pharmaceuticals,

with minimal input from a pharmacist, is part of AI pharmacy solutions (Shinde et al., 2021). As

a result, pharmacists are able to serve more people better and see an increase in customer

satisfaction. In addition, pharmacists may give patients more time and dispel the myth that a

pharmacy is only a business centered on transactions.

The emulation of human intelligence functions by machines, particularly computer

systems, is referred to as artificial intelligence (AI). Due to various fundamental reasons, the

automation process moves slowly, and it is currently being challenged by rising inventory levels

and budgets for drug procurement (Shu et al., 2011). When it comes to value-based purchasing,

hospitals must find a way to maximize their resources while keeping expenses in check. Long-
term savings for hospitals and better patient outcomes are two of the primary goals of pharmacy

automation. Rather than counting pills in the hospital basement, pharmacy staff can use their

professional skills to contribute to medical and service-oriented activities with the help of

automation.

Automated drawer opening systems or cabinet systems with stock information" have

been created for "medical store automation," a novel embedded system. Visual Basic software

must be used to prepare the medical data with its rack address. An "Embedded System

Technology" in healthcare applications is the focus of this project, which aims to make it easier

for pharmacists to keep track of their inventory, pick out the right medicine, and track down the

right tablet when needed. This system's goal is to speed up selection and administration in order

to improve its effectiveness.

Literature Survey

Technological advancements have enabled pharmacies to compete in a continuously

expanding market while benefiting patients and clinicians in various ways. These devices have

also cut costs by eliminating the need for manual labor. All of these elements have contributed to

the overall expansion of the market. Patients' safety and the efficiency of the hospital's nursing

staff are both improved through pharmacy automation, which includes automated dispensing,

packaging, and labeling.

Automated drug medication management systems, automated warehouse systems, and

computerized table-top counters are some of the products that make up the market segments. In

terms of market share, the automated medication management systems segment was the most

significant. In part, this can be explained by the systems' potential to prevent pharmaceutical
errors, shorten procedure lengths, and improve patient safety issues (Shu et al., 2011).

Furthermore, these systems can monitor narcotics and other regulated medications, monitor drug

consumption patterns, and eliminate manual narcotic counts, which is especially important in

inpatient care units.

Applications

Virtual control of console boxes

More intelligent technology management tools, thanks to advancements in dispensing

technology, have replaced the previous dedicated console boxes. Virtual consoles operate the

latest cabinets, which can be accessed from any computer that is connected to the Internet (Sanap

et al., 2020). Pharmacists can access the system from any location with a laptop and meet the

demands of nursing unit employees by enabling any computer to operate as a console. Using

virtual consoles, you may make modifications to the automated cabinet in real-time, which saves

you time and increases productivity. Information can be generated and emailed immediately to

nurse supervisors because the technology communicates via a virtual internet framework.

Since the old console boxes took up so much space, this is a tremendous improvement

over the way we used to communicate. Pharmacy dispensing cabinets are large and cumbersome

to operate. It is possible to control a network-based computer via a virtual console, which gives

pharmacy team members a better view of patient care environments (Sanap et al., 2020). There is

no longer a requirement for pharmacists to be present at the pharmacy at all times. With their

skills and time freed up, they can return to the hospital floor to help patients and the medical

staff.
Inventory management

As a result of new technology and increased customization, it is now feasible to store

wider and more complex products on the pharmacy floor safely and securely. The full

automation of pharmaceutical entity inventory is now possible because of recent technological

advancements. Because of this, they can now store more varied and huge products than ever

before while optimizing the available storage space (Milliorn, 2016). Now, the cabinets may

send a report to the pharmaceutical wholesalers, indicating that the cabinet is short on these five

pharmaceuticals and specifying the amount needed for each one. Orders arrive the following

morning, pre-sorted for the medicine cabinet, making refilling a snap. It used to be the case that a

pharmacy student had to go into the cabinet and retrieve each pill from a printed list that was

kept in the cabinet.

Bar code scanners are now used by pharmacists to ensure that they have the correct

medications on hand. All cabinets are equipped with bar code scanners, which notify pharmacists

when needed so that they are prepared with the necessary prescriptions (Kevin, 2016). Efficient

and safe patient care relies on accurate drug dispensing. Human error is virtually eliminated by

the bar code scanner, which contributes to the safety of the medication. Automated cabinets

allow pharmacy inventory managers to store valuable pharmaceuticals confidently. A higher

level of protection and control greatly minimizes the risk of drug diversion and the

accompanying expense.

Smarter drawers

An automated cabinet gives a nurse easy access to a wide variety of medications.

Medicine is readily available since all medication compartments have been left open. Drawer

systems are more secure and controllable because only one drug may be accessed. Automated
medicine drawers have a small opening in which just one medication may be seen, but all other

medications are safely stored in a cabinet (Milliorn, 2016). Computer-aided medication

administration (CAMA) cabinets are exclusively stocked with medications that have been

assigned to a specific patient.

To prevent unauthorized access to the pockets, modern cabinet designs lock all pockets

when the primary drawer is opened. Charge capture is simplified while drug security and safety

are improved. Original drawers can be upgraded to include lockable pockets inside the main

drawers, even if the existing hardware frame is a bit outdated. Using a secure connection, nurses

can access the patient's home meds without having to open many cabinets (Milliorn, 2016).

Pharmacy operations are being decentralized by this new technology, which places more

functions in the cabinets.

Flexible medical store configurations

It has gotten easier for medical stores to be more creative with automation cabinet

placement now that automation providers' designs are more versatile. Cabinets for dispensing

medications, made possible by the development of artificial intelligence, are now more efficient

and flexible, with drawers that may be integrated into several ways to meet the specific

requirements of a facility. With this ability to operate numerous technologies through a single

cabinet, hospital floors have seen a huge reduction in the automation footprint (Kevin, 2016).

Patients' treatment spaces can adapt the distributing cabinets without having to buy extra

equipment or take up more floor space thanks to flexible arrangements. The lower footprint

effects can reduce or remove the requirement to build out specialized medication facilities,

saving significant expenditure.

 Benefits

The automation in medical stores enables doctors to be aware of the problems resulting from

wrong dosages or incorrect alternatives for some unavailable drugs at the Medical stores. This is

a dangerous condition for pharmacists and their consumers, and it is not just an inconvenience.

As the proper dosage is dispensed, there is less chance of human error or human-induced

machine error. There is an improved patient experience since personnel can now use their

enhanced productivity to enhance the patient's experience because of the automation of most

tiresome tasks. Automated systems have made it possible for pharmacies to save money on

recruitment and selecting staff while reducing the risk of human error.

Conclusion

The goal of this project is to automate medical supply stores in the healthcare industry so

that pharmacists may better manage their inventory, pick medications with the use of computer

programs, and locate tablets with ease. Automating medical stores will save time and minimize

the stress on merchants or employees. Artificial intelligence (AI) would be useful in automating

medical stores in light of the existing and future issues and directions. There is no evidence that

robots are displacing humans in the workplace. Instead, most pharmacies that use them

redistribute resources to other regions. Allowing workers to shift away from monotonous tasks

allows them to focus on larger-scale goals, such as consulting more often with patients and

increasing services.

It is critical to enhance hospital communication by managing vendor databases and

interacting with clinicians. It is essential that inventory management automation be

straightforward and easy to use, relying on already installed gear. The dispersed nature of retail

outlets necessitates physical shop supervision (Kevin, 2016). The other pillars of effective
medical store administration are consistent documentation and employee training. It is important

that medical stores are both ecologically sustainable and financially rewarding. An encouraging

trend for the future is the provision of better patient care through the use of technology and

improved inventory management methods.

 References

Kevin, M. (2016). Pharmacy Automation Trends: New technologies improve operations and

reduce costs. PubMed. Retrieved 13 June 2022, from

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30035493/.

Kevin, M. (2016). 5 Trends in Pharmacy Automation. PubMed. Retrieved 13 June 2022, from

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30179379/.

Milliorn, K. (2016). Five pharmacy automation trends. Hfmmagazine.com. Retrieved 13 June

2022, from https://www.hfmmagazine.com/articles/2345-five-pharmacy-automation-

trends.

Sanap, V., Bafna, J., Bhoite, R., Darekar, K., & Murumkar, K. (2020). Medical Store

Automation. Irjet.net. Retrieved 13 June 2022, from

https://www.irjet.net/archives/V7/i3/IRJET-V7I3301.pdf.

Sharma, T., Mankoo, A., & Sood, V. (2021). Artificial intelligence in advanced pharmacy.

researchgate. Retrieved 13 June 2022, from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349673194_Artificial_intelligence_in_advance

d_pharmacy.

Shinde, A., Pawar, D., & Sonawane, K. (2021). Automation in pharmaceutical sector by

implementation of artificial intelligence platform: a way forward. researchgate. Retrieved

13 June 2022, from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352689094_Automation_in_pharmaceutical_se

ctor_by_implementation_of_artificial_intelligence_platform_a_way_forward.
Shu, W., Towne, P., & So, A. (2011). Transition to new automated dispensing cabinets at two

tertiary care hospitals. pubmed. Retrieved 13 June 2022, from

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21690425/.