Visitors to Dubai Hospital pharmacy will now be served by a robot pharmacist after the launch of the country’s second smart pharmacy.

Dubai Hospital will be using the technology to dispense prescribed medication with the click of a button based on bar codes, minimising human error.

The robot will also reduce customer waiting time as it can store up to 35,000 medicines and dispenses around 12 prescriptions in less than one minute.

Humaid Al Qatami, chairman of the board and Director-General of DHA, said the authority will be introducing the robot in all DHA hospitals, having installed the first smart pharmacy at Rashid Hospital in January this year.

The dispensing process will be paper-free as the robot stores the prescription as soon as a doctor documents it electronically.

The use of the robot for dispensing medication will allow the pharmacist to focus on giving the customers instructions on taking the medication.

The smart pharmacy was inaugurated in the presence of Dr Ali Al Sayed, the director of the pharmaceutical services department of DHA, Dr. Abdul Rahman Al Jasmi, chief executive of Dubai Hospital and Dr Khaldoon Nabhan, acting director of finance and administrative affairs at Dubai Hospital.

Source: thenational.ae