Automation and the future practice of pharmacy--changing the focus of pharmacy

Automation technology offers great potential in pharmacy practice. To realize the full benefits of the potential inherent in automation systems, it is necessary to understand basic concepts of automation and to realize that automation is simply a tool to help achieve the goals of practice. The goal of pharmacy practice is pharmaceutical care. Through using the techniques of reengineering, pharmacies can be redesigned with the help of automation to facilitate the accomplishment of that goal. Essential to achieving that goal is the necessity to change the focus of pharmacy from distribution to pharmaceutical care. Reengineering and automation are the tools to help make that change in focus.