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SAN DIEGO — Giant Eagle Inc. is testing a pharmacy workflow automation system from RxSafe.
The San Diego-based provider of automated robotic storage and retrieval systems for pharmacies said Thursday that it recently installed an RxSafe 1800 system at one of Giant Eagle’s Pittsburgh-area supermarkets.
A comprehensive workflow automation solution for prescription medication in native packaging, the RxSafe 1800 is designed to enable pharmacies to accurately fill and track prescriptions, manage inventory, eliminate theft and diversion, and avoid expired product.
"When we decided we wanted to investigate an automation system for our pharmacies, we looked for providers that had the required technology and the highest level of expertise," Randy Heiser, vice president of pharmacy for Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle, said in a statement. "RxSafe was the top contender in both areas, and we’ve been extremely pleased with our initial one-store pilot."
Designed to be easily customizable, the RxSafe 1800 stores and automates up to 5,400 native prescription containers in less than 40 square feet of space and has a peak capacity of up to 500 scripts per hour in multi-operator mode, according to RxSafe.
"We’re honored to have our leadership in pharmacy automation technology validated by Giant Eagle’s interest in our new system," commented RxSafe founder and chief executive officer William Holmes.
Giant Eagle has 223 supermarkets, including 211 stores with pharmacies, in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland.
Last December, the food and drug retailer received an award from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) for high standards of accuracy in its pharmacy operations.
Giant Eagle was recognized for its efforts to provide a high level of customer service and accuracy in its pharmacy, including two quality initiatives: No Defects Passed Forward (NDPF), which urges staff to flag errors before they reach the pharmacist for final verification, and a program that prevents point-of-sale errors by linking the pharmacy dispensing system to the registers.
