Construction and application of an intelligent pharmacy based on robotic-arm automatic dispensing machines and a pre-dispensing mode

This study aimed to enhance pharmacy operational efficiency, reduce errors, and improve patient experience by constructing and evaluating an Intelligent Pharmacy system integrating robotic-arm automatic dispensing machines with a pre-dispensing mode. Three robotic-arm dispensing machines were deployed and integrated with the Hospital Information System (HIS) for automated prescription management. The system featured multi-channel traceability code collection, dynamic window allocation, and environmental monitoring. Operational data from a traditional pharmacy period (April–June 2024) were compared with data from the Intelligent Pharmacy period (November 2024–February 2025) across multiple dimensions, including waiting time, pharmacist workload, and dispensing efficiency. The system significantly reduced patient waiting time, with a 22.24% average decrease for same-day pickups. The combined use of machines and near-window pharmacist dispensing served 65.29% of patients, alleviating pharmacist handling and walking burdens. A 99.40% automatic traceability code collection rate was achieved, alongside real-time error identification. Dispensing efficiency increased about 33% for a single machine serving one window and about 50% in total efficiency for one machine serving two windows. The system also enabled paperless prescriptions and intelligent drug management. The integrated Intelligent Pharmacy system effectively automates and optimizes pharmacy operations, demonstrating marked improvements in service efficiency, medication safety, and resource allocation, providing a practical model for hospital pharmacy modernization.