The future of medication compounding is taking place at Uppsala University Hospital. And it’s automated.

More and more European pharmacies are purchasing compounding robots to prepare individual medication. As the first hospital in Sweden, Uppsala University Hospital (Akademiska sjukhuset) has installed its robot to prepare cytostatics and other highly-potent intravenous drugs. Increased automation and related new medical technology benefit both patient safety and the work environment.

Uppsala University Hospital prepares large volumes of medicines every year, including about 17,500 cytotoxic infusions. That staff no longer has to mix cytostatics manually has many advantages, not least for the working environment. Preparation takes place in a closed safety bench so personnel don’t risk exposure to toxic vapors. Automation also increases traceability, which is positive for patient safety.

“ Another advantage is fewer monotonous tasks and greater time-savings for pharmacists, who can now get out and about in the hospital and work with more important pharmaceutical issues,” says Mattias Paulsson, himself a pharmacist working with the introduction of drug-handling automation, in a press release from Uppsala University Hospital dated 20th December 2018.