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Robot pharmacy opens at Rashid Hospital

Dubai - The robot can dispense up to 12 prescriptions in less than a minute

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has launched the first robot pharmacy, the first of its kind in the Middle East, at Rashid Hospital in Dubai.

The robot can dispense prescribed medication at the click of a button based on a bar code, thus minimising any human error. The DHA will soon adopt the use of robot in all its hospitals.

The robot, which can store up to 35,000 medicines and dispense around 12 prescriptions in less than a minute, will start serving customers from Sunday.

The new smart system was launched by Humaid Obaid Al Qattami, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director-General of the Dubai Health Authority.

As the robot can dispense up to 12 prescriptions in less than a minute, it will significantly reduce a person's waiting time, Dr Ali Al Syed, Director of the Pharmaceutical Services Department, said. The dispensing process will be paper-free as the robot will store the prescription as soon as a doctor documents it electronically. Leveraging the robot for dispensing medication will also allow the pharmacists to focus on giving the customers right instructions on taking the medication, he added.