FEDCO UNIT PHARMACY GOING ROBOTIC

CHAPIN CLARK

SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif. -- Fedco Foods here has become the latest supermarket to embrace the idea of an automated pharmacy, installing a prescription-dispensing machine at its Colorado Street store in Pasadena.

The installation was to have taken place by the end of last week, according to Christopher Thomsen, director of sales and marketing for ScriptPro, Mission, Kan., the manufacturer of the machine, called the SP 200. Fedco officials were unavailable for comment.

Thomsen added that Fedco, a 10-store chain, plans to have SP 200s installed in five stores by the end of the year.

"They are looking to expand volume without adding personnel," he said.

While a standard pharmacy staff ratio is one or even two technicians for every pharmacist, Thomsen said, the Colorado Street Fedco now employs five pharmacists and no pharmacy technicians. (Technicians typically perform basic behind-the-counter tasks like filling prescriptions, freeing pharmacists to interact as much as possible with customers.)

"That's an expensive operation," he said.

The SP 200 interfaces with already-installed pharmacy computer systems. (Fedco uses software by PDX, Dallas.) Users type instructions into the computer, which tells the SP 200 what drug to dispense.

The machine contains 200 "cells," each housing a different drug. The cells accommodate tablets and capsules in all shapes and sizes, according to company literature. With the help of a robotic arm, vials -- there are three different sizes -- are filled directly from the cells, which is supposed to eliminate mistakes.

The system also prints and applies bar-coded labels, which the pharmacist scans to verify that the filled prescription accords with the data entered into the computer.

ScriptPro claims the SP 200 can turn out as many as 60 prescriptions per hour, expanding dispensing capacity by more than 75% and shrinking manual costs by up to 66%.

Retailers have the option of purchasing or leasing the SP 200, Thomsen said. The machine costs about $150,000 to buy, $3,000 per month to lease. Fedco is leasing, he said.

According to Thomsen, ScriptPro is also in talks with Albertson's, Boise, Idaho, and Kroger's Dillon Stores division, Hutchinson, Kan.