Transcript Document

Automation: Practice
& Pitfalls
Presented by:
Geoff Phipps
Principal Pharmacist – Operations
&
David Ledger
Principal Pharmacist – Technical Services
Dudley Group of Hospitals – NHS Trust
Automation: Practice & Pitfalls
 Split into small groups (2 or 3) & take a few
minutes to think of any types of automation you
have seen or had experience of.
 Report back to this group the ideas you have
come up with.
 Consider the benefits & disadvantages of the
examples you have come up with.
 We will then give you our experiences of the
robotic dispenser recently installed @ RHH
Robotic Dispenser
Benefits of Robotic Dispensing
 Saves time
 Saves space
 Aids Stock Control & Stock Rotation
 Supports OPD & 1 stop dispensing
 Improves security
 Should reduce errors
 Allows advantageous skill mix review
Business Case Considerations
 Need a Business Case that might include:
 Original Pack Dispensing
 NHS Plan / ‘Spoonful of sugar’
 ‘Human’ Dispensing Errors
 Reduction in Patient delay
 Space saving
 Reduces waste & Improves Stock Control
 Improvement of ‘Skill Mix’
 Don’t forget Interface – 2 ends
How big will you need it?
 What will you put in it?
 Where are you going to put it?
 What is your workload activity?
What will you put in it?
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Bulk Stock
Ward & Outpatient items
Only ‘boxed’ items
Only ‘small’ items
Only ‘Bar coded’ items
Only ‘lightweight’ items
Where are you going to put it?
 What will it be used for?
 Delivery time? Chutes, Belts, or Air tube?
 What space available?
 Number of robotic arms?
 Height of the ceiling?
 Fire regulations?
 Ease of maintenance?
 Noise of Robot & delivery belts?
Where are you going to put it?
(contd)
 Also consider any weight restrictions on the
building – involve Estates Dept at an early stage
 You need an adjacent work area
Commissioning – What we did
 Having decided on position we installed:
 Direct dial telephone line
 Network connection
 Electrical Power points
 Resited Fire Detectors / Extinguishers
 Moved lights
 Decided on ‘chute’ locations & moved PC’s
 Involved Estates Dept & IT
 Built ‘Drug File’ for the Robot
Commissioning – What we did (contd)
 Initially loaded items in the robot & used for
storage – allowed familiarity
 After JAC interface loaded used the robot for
picking
 Delivery / assembly took 1 week
 Testing & training took 1 week
The Drug File
• For JAC – Input EAN code for each drug /
packsize going in to the robot
• EAN code input by scanning or keyboard
• EAN code against the FIRST supplier in list
• Exported file to EXCEL & using combination of
WORDPAD & EXCEL formatted to the suppliers
protocol
• Loaded file into robot
• Took 10 days to complete
The Drug File – (continued)
• New or missed drugs are added into the
‘Interface’ computer direct or ‘off-site’ using ‘PC
DUO’
• Must keep up with changes to suppliers
• Must add additional EAN codes into ‘Interface’
computer
• Be aware that some items have no bar code
• Be aware that some formats of bar code don’t
‘read’
The Drug File – (continued)
• Could input ALL data & codes into ‘Interface’
computer manually!
• Would take MUCH longer
• Beware of long drug names
• Trade names may be an easier way of ID ing
certain lines
What worked well
 Caused minimal disruption, but do need
‘Superusers’
 Staff accepted the change well
 Automated picking worked well, just prior to
Xmas
 Company support – Very Good
 Enabled ‘space saving’ exercise
 Perceived time saving by Storekeeper
 Job satisfaction
Problems - Initial
 Addictive – to input items
 No Official Manual
 Bar codes missing – Contract changes
 Some products input twice! Should have used
alternate EAN
 Should have had a dedicated phone line
 Only accepted 13, 7 & 8 digit bar codes
 There are also 14, 12, hyphened codes – some
products have none
 Cabinet temperature – put PCs & PSU outside
WOT! NO BAR CODE?
What can you do with products
with no readable bar code?
 Don’t put the item in the robot!
 Use a code from another product e.g. Can of
Coke, Magazine.
 Make up your own code
 13 digit EAN codes have 1st 7 digits – Company
prefix of which 1st digit is Country origin
 The next 5 digits are the item reference
 13th digit is a check digit
How do you make your own Bar
Code number?
A 13 digit EAN code has an internal check.
It prevents a misread, but also means its difficult to
invent your own.
Consider the EAN code:
501234567654A
0 + 2 + 4 + 6 + 6 + 4 = 22. 22 x 3 = 66
5 + 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 5 = 26.
66 + 26 = 92
92 + A = 100 Therefore A = 8
But how can I generate bar code
numbers?
 Set up an Excel spreadsheet
 Decide on a sequence that wont be repeated e.g.
999999912345X
 Load the formula into Excel & enter your
numbers
 Don’t enter the 13th digit, let the formula do it
for you.
EAN 13 DIGIT BAR CODE CALCULATOR
CALCULATES CHECK DIGIT (NO 13)
CHECK
DIGIT
<------------------------------------------ USE 7 X 9'S
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
.--------------.---------->
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
2
0
7
4
1
8
4
1
8
108
111
114
117
120
93
96
99
42
42
42
42
42
43
43
43
150
153
156
159
162
136
139
142
Problems - Maintenance
 Reboot ‘Visual’ & ‘Robotic’ PC 3 x a week
 Reboot ‘Interface’ PC 1 x week
 Packs must not be torn
 Don’t load items after sticky labels removed
 Beware loading when error message displayed
 Occasional wrong item picked
 Odd pack on floor!
 Only picks 1 pack @ a time – beware multiple
dispensing products e.g. Fortisip
 Keep daily diary for problems