Pharmacy automation specialist KNAPP will showcase technology designed to streamline everything from medicine storage and picking to personalised dispensing at The Pharmacy Show in Birmingham this October.
The company will present its healthcare automation portfolio on stand G45 at the NEC on 11-12 October, targeting pharmacy chains, wholesalers and online pharmacies looking to cut operating costs, improve efficiency and increase capacity.
KNAPP, which has worked in healthcare automation for more than 70 years, provides automated transport, storage, picking and dosage systems across the medicine supply chain.
Among the systems being demonstrated will be Pack2Patient, designed for central dispensing hubs where individual medicines need to be processed accurately and with full traceability.
The system uses KNAPP’s KiSoft Vision image-recognition technology to capture data for lot and serial number tracking.
This is intended to help central dispensing operations meet regulatory requirements, including those under the Falsified Medicines Directive.
Pack2Patient is already used by UK pharmacy businesses including Boots, Cohens, Day Lewis, HubRx, Peak Pharmacy and PHOENIX Healthcare Distribution.
KNAPP will also highlight its D3 Daily Dose Dispenser, which automates the production of compliance packs for patients.
The system transfers tablets from their original packaging into personalised blister cards containing patient-specific instructions.
KNAPP says the technology has been developed partly in response to pressure on pharmacy workforces, with automation reducing the number of manual processes required.
The D3 system involves only one manual step, while medicines remain in their original packaging until they are dispensed.
It also tracks lot numbers and expiry dates to provide traceability for individual tablets.
The machine can store more than 5,000 different types of medication and, with two members of staff, can produce up to 120 weekly blister cards an hour.
The system has already been used at a pharmacy facility near Frankfurt supplying patient-specific blister packs to care centres.
Another technology being promoted at the show will be KNAPP’s Central Belt System, also known as the A-frame autopicker.
Developed more than 35 years ago, the modular system is designed to automate the picking of fast-moving pharmaceutical products.
It can help operations manage peak workloads while making greater use of quieter periods, and can also supply products needed for orders processed through Pack2Patient.
Customers using the technology include Alliance Healthcare, Apotek1, Cofares, DFG, Herba Chemosan, Hippocrates, Limedika, Novaltia and Sanacorp.
For community and in-store pharmacy operations, KNAPP will also demonstrate its R3000x dispensing robot.
The system automatically stores and dispenses medicines, reducing repetitive picking and handling tasks for pharmacy staff.
Image-recognition technology reads expiry dates and lot numbers during storage, while automated inventory management provides an up-to-date view of stock.
KNAPP says the approach can free pharmacy teams to spend more time with customers while maintaining safety and traceability.
The company will use The Pharmacy Show to demonstrate how its systems can work across the full medicines supply chain, from bulk storage and distribution through to individual patient dispensing.