Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Canadian Hospital Selects Advanced Pharmacy Automation System

Canadian Hospital Selects Advanced Pharmacy Automation System

Hospital near Montreal selects Swisslog's PillPick system for automatically packaging, storing and dispensing bar coded unit dose medications.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) May 9, 2005

In their pursuit of providing patients the highest level of safety and efficiency in medication distribution, the Centre Hospitalier Pierre-Le Gardeur, located near Montreal, Quebec, is installing an advanced automated drug management system. The PillPick® system, as it is named, is built by Swisslog, a leading producer of pharmacy automation systems.

The PillPick system will automatically package, store and dispense solids, injectables, cups and syringes in bar-coded, unit dose bags. These packages will be stored in a high-density pharmacy robot that can hold up to 22,100 unit doses. Unit doses are then pulled from the robot onto a conveyor to be entered into a cassette module drawer when ready for cart fill operations. The hospital will use the PillPick system to automate central pharmacy packaging and dispensing to cart fill, a method that is currently used to distribute 5,500 doses each day.

Under the terms of the agreement, Swisslog will provide training for two pharmacy technicians in the operation and basic maintenance of the system. The PillPick system will be installed in May 2005.

About Centre Hospitalier Pierre-Le Gardeur

Centre Hospitalier Pierre-Le Gardeur is recognized for the quality of its short-term and ambulatory services at its new 283-bed facility located in Lanaudiere, which is located several miles northeast of Montreal. The hospital facility, completed in April 2004, offers patients advanced diagnostic and treatment capabilities. More than 285 full and part-time physicians serve the hospital center.

About Swisslog

Swisslog is a global provider of integrated logistics solutions for warehouses, distribution centers and hospitals. The comprehensive portfolio ranges from building complex warehouses and distribution centers including SwisslogÂ’s software, in-house logistics solutions for hospitals as well as software and consulting services in the field of supply chain management. SwisslogÂ’s solutions optimize the customerÂ’s production, logistics and distribution processes in order to increase their flexibility, responsiveness and quality of service, while minimizing logistics costs. Headquartered in Buchs/Aarau, Switzerland, Swisslog currently employs around 1,850 staff in 23 countries worldwide.

Swisslog Healthcare Solutions Division in North America is headquartered in Denver, Colo. Swisslog is a world leader for healthcare logistics automation having installed material transport and pharmacy automation systems in more than 2,000 hospital and pharmacies around the world. To learn more about SwisslogÂ’s healthcare solutions, visit our website at www. swisslog. com and click on Healthcare Solutions.

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