PillMover - Smart Med Management System
Technology
Ng Teng Fong Healthcare Innovation Programme
National Healthcare Group
31 December 2024
The project aims to create a working solution targeting the above objectives: 1. PillMover system illustrated that technology and robotic could synergise and complement limited manpower to perform mundane.
Year Submitted: 2024
Published Date: 31 December 2024
Tags: Quality Improvement, Workflow Redesign, Cost Saving, Care Process ＆ Redesign, Operational Management, Inventory Management
About this Content
Aims
The project aims to create a working solution targeting the above objectives: 1. Develop autonomous robots which can transport medication delivery totes and parcels to and fro the 4 designated locations at TTSH B2 Outpatient Pharmacy. The robots need to be sturdy and do not cause any safety hazard to staff. 2. Develop a standalone tracking system (ie. not connected to TTSH Pharmacy systems) to enable easy tracing and retrieval of medication totes and parcels within TTSH Pharmacy.
Background
The demand for Medication Delivery (MD) in Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) has grown significantly with COVID-19 and will continue to grow in tandem with Pharmacy without Walls. Currently, TTSH pharmacy processes about 500 medication delivery orders daily and have plans to ramp up medication delivery within the next few years. Therefore, TTSH require a medication delivery smart management system to efficiently transport, hold and track the medication delivery parcels within Pharmacy till the parcels are handed over to TTSH delivery vendors.
Methods
Autonomous transportation of medication delivery totes and parcels within pharmacy, PillMover robot could be triggered by pharmacy staff remotely. - Transporting trolley containing medication delivery assembled totes from point A of pharmacy to point B for the medication delivery totes to be checked by pharmacy staff. - Transporting prepared medication delivery parcels from point C1 to point C2 where the medication delivery parcels would be handed over to the medication delivery vendor. Traceability of the medication delivery totes and parcels. - For totes and/or parcels that needed to be reworked/ cancelled (change request by patients e.g.), PillMover system would be able to show the current location of the totes/parcels by entering the tote/parcel ID in the PillMover system.
Results
Please refer to pg 6,7,8 – PillMover Deliverables and Outcome for the detailed POC results. • Improved Med Safety – Staff able to trace and track all medication delivery totes and parcel from the PillMover system instantly. • Efficiency gains via reduction in non-value activity time for staff that is taken over by PillMover • Slight improved staff satisfaction as mundane task of transporting medication totes and parcels within the parcel are offloaded by PillMover.
Conclusion
PillMover system illustrated that technology and robotic could synergise and complement limited manpower to perform mundane, repetitive task and increase traceability of medication parcels/totes, improving medication safety and operation efficiency. However, success of a dynamic moving is limited by the nature of pharmacy work area – narrow with high footfall. Future planning of pharmacies to include dynamic robotic automation should cater for design and sufficient spaces for the hybrid technology assisted human pharmacy operations and workflow to be successful.
Lessons Learnt
Pros - Automations, and robotics are able to reduce staff activity time by taking over mundane and repetitive task such as transportation of medication delivery parcels and totes within the pharmacy. - Coupled with RFID technology, pharmacy is able to improve traceability of all medication totes and parcel, minimizing medication errors and time spent searching for specific medication totes or parcels. Cons - For TTSH outpatient pharmacy environment that has narrow pathway and high footfall, the environment is unfavorable for PillMover robots. Despite having navigation technology, camera sensors and pathway coded in the robots, there is a need of at least clear path 1.2m for PillMover to function as intended. POC showed that without clear pathway and with current technology, effectiveness of such robotic solution is very limited due to the obstructions. - Therefore, future planning of pharmacy design and spaces should take into taken robotics to provide sufficient workspaces for hybrid of pharmacy staff and robotics to coexist.
Keywords
Automation, Robotics, Traceability, Identification, Autonomous Transportation, Autonomous Navigation
Innovators' Details
Innovators' Details
Healthcare Cluster(s) | National Healthcare Group |
Organization(s) Involved | Tan Tock Seng Hospital |
Platform(s) | Ng Teng Fong Healthcare Innovation Programme |
Healthcare Professional Group(s) | Pharmacy, Healthcare Administration |
Applicable Specialty or Discipline | Pharmacology |
Project Lead(s) | Lim Woan Chyi |
Project Member(s) | Low Chee Wee |
Connect with this contributor!
Tiew Jia Quan - Jia_quan_tiew@ttsh.com.sg