Same Footprint, Greater Capacity: Modernising Pharmacy Automation

Case Study - How Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust increased dispensing capacity, improved workflow efficiency and created headroom for future growth with the MedPick dispensing robot and HubXpert.

  • Site

    Tameside General Hospital

  • Equipment

    MedPick, Robotic Dispensing Solution

Context

Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust serves approximately 250,000 people across Greater Manchester and Derbyshire. From its central pharmacy at Tameside General Hospital, the Trust supplies medicines to inpatient wards and out-of-hours services, supporting the care of more than 1,000 patients every day.
When its existing dispensing robot reached the end of its service life, the Trust sought a modern automation solution that could increase capacity, improve efficiency and support future demand while integrating with existing pharmacy systems.

 

Challenges

The Trust wanted to:

  1. Replace an ageing dispensing robot with a modern, future-ready automation solution.
  2. Increase storage capacity without expandinf the existing pharmacy footprint.
  3. Improve dispensing throughput and operational efficiency to support growing demand.
  4. Create a scalable platform capable of supporting future digital transformation initiatves, including EPR integration.

 

Benefits

Increased storage capacity

Delivered capacity for up to 18,000 medication packs within the existing pharmacy footprint.

Faster dispensing workflows

Enabled faster prescription processing and increased throughput through additional dispensing terminals and automated workflows.

Improved medication safety

Enhanced barcode scanning and automated expiry date management help reduce dispensng errors and minimise medication waste.

Future-ready infrastructure

Provides the scalability and flexibility required to support future growth, service expansion and EPR integration.

 

The new robot is actually a lot smaller than our old robot but holds more medication. It’s already making a huge difference to our pharmacy team. We’re seeing increased efficiency and faster turnaround times, plus better stock control with fewer medicines going to waste.
Stacey Starr, Chief Pharmacy Technician

Enhanced Pharmacy Efficiency and Capacity

The implementation of the MedPick dispensing robot and HubXpert transformed pharmacy operations, providing greater capacity, improved workflow visibility and increased dispensing throughput without requiring additional space.

Future-Proofing Pharmacy Operations at Tameside Hospital

Discover how Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust transformed central pharmacy operations with MedPick.  By replacing an ageing dispensing robot, the Trust achieved 1.8x greater storage capacity, 45% higher dispensing throughput than originally specified, improved medication safety, and enhanced stock control, all within the same pharmacy footprint. 
Watch the video to learn how automation is helping the Trust improve efficiency today while preparing for future digital transformation

Ready to explore central pharmacy automation?

Discover how NHS pharmacy teams are leveraging smart automation to optimise workflows, improve stock management and create capacity for growing demand. 

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Connected Solutions Across the Medication Journey