Robotics in acute care hospitals

Implementation of an i.v.-compounding robot in a hospital-based cancer center pharmacy

“…Volpe et al 2 Required safety mechanisms included barcode or photographic verification of product selection and gravimetric verification of the dose prepared.…”

A three-year study of a first-generation chemotherapy-compounding robot

“…3,5 Our experience is similar to that reported by other users, 3,4 highlighting the importance of planning for downtime as part of the implementation of robotic automation. 2 The robot uses only specifically branded supplies. In particular, if the vial or needle sizes are incompatible with the robot's preprogrammed specifications, the robot must be recalibrated before each preparation to accept the variant vial specifications.…”

“…The Health Robotics engineers carried out system installation, implementation, staff training, and preliminary validation, which have been described by others. 2,9,10 In March 2010, we went live with robotic preparation of a limited number of antineoplastic medications in i.v. bags (Baxter, Deerfield, IL) with volumes of 25-1000 mL.…”

“…antineoplastic medications. [2][3][4][5] One feature of robotic systems that offers an advantage over manual (i.e., volumetric measurement-based) preparation is the use of gravimetric measurements to precisely weigh the quantities of antineoplastic medications and other products needed to prepare a dose. The robot's accuracy is predetermined (a typical margin of error is ±5%); any preparation that exceeds the margin is rejected, or "failed."…”

“…These include the prohibitive cost of initial system implementation, doubts about operational efficiency (i.e., how many doses can be prepared in a given period of time by a robotic versus a manual process), a lack of knowledge regarding the long-term benefits of robotic compounding, and the unknown risks of adopting new robotic technology. 2,3 This report describes the experience of implementing and utilizing a first-generation chemotherapycompounding robot for the preparation of i.v. antineoplastic agents over a period of three years at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSH&RC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.…”