Happy Harry's installs robotic dispensing

Drug Store News , July 7, 2004

NEWARK, Del.- Regional drug chain Happy Harry's has found a remedy to help it overcome the pharmacist shortage plaguing the industry — a robotic dispensing system.

"The pharmacist shortage caused us to look at our customer service levels, and in stores where we were short staffed, we had difficulty finding the time to provide the customer service we're known for," stated Jack Murphy, vice president at Happy Harry's.

As a result, the company is installing ScriptPro Robotic Prescription Dispensing Systems in some of its 73 locations in an effort to ease the workload for pharmacists and to enable them to spend more time counseling patients.

"Our goal with ScriptPro is to make the systems work in areas where we have a pharmacist shortage so we can free up our pharmacists to be in the aisles talking to our customers," Murphy said. "We are absolutely convinced we save a minimum of one-half of a pharmacists' time, sometimes up to a full pharmacist."

The chain employs about 250 pharmacists and currently has about six vacant pharmacist positions, he added.

Happy Harry's now has four such automated systems in place and plans to install eight more units over the next few months. Murphy told Drug Store News that the automated systems work best in pharmacies that experience intermediate volume —specifically between 1,600 and 2,400 prescriptions per week — and that are in need of a third pharmacist. The system has the capability to handle as much as 40 percent of the prescription volume.

According to Murphy, the savings on staffing directly benefits the return on investment. "Saving the salary on one-half to a full pharmacist means the ROI is very quick," he stated.