2,500 blister per week
Pharmacist Wolfgang Schleier supplies 2,500 patients in the Nuremberg region with weekly blister packs. The D³ Daily Dose Dispenser from KNAPP now offers a technological innovation boost.
Wolfgang Schleier's ten-strong pharmacy team looks intently through the glass panes of the D³ Daily Dose Dispenser. The dispensing modules whir back and forth and fill the individual cups of the weekly blister with the respective tablets in just a few seconds. In the next step, the sealing film and cover card are packed onto the blister, which leaves the machine a short time later.
A process for which Wolfgang Schleier, owner of the easy pharmacy and Königs Apotheke, currently has to plan considerably more time, is carried out in seconds in the demo center - fully automatically and with integrated quality assurance! The technology-enthusiastic pharmacist runs four pharmacies in the Nuremberg region and supplies around 2,500 care home patients with his team. Of these, around 1,500 cup blisters are prepared manually in the pharmacy, while 1,000 pouches are supplied.
In future, the time-consuming task of preparing the medication will be taken over by the D³ Daily Dose Dispenser. For Wolfgang Schleier and his team, this means above all more safety, more capacity in patient care and enormous time savings.
Five questions to...
Pharmacist Wolfgang Schleier
What was your first thought when you heard about fully automatic blister packaging with the D³ Daily Dose Dispenser?
Wolfgang Schleier: My first thought was, this cannot work! I saw the prototype of the system for the first time two years ago and over time all my concerns and questions were answered. And to see the system now in its final form is amazing and a confirmation that it can work after all!
How many patients do you currently supply with weekly blisters?
Wolfgang Schleier: We have four locations and supply around 2,500 patients in total, whereby we produce around 1,500 cup blisters ourselves and have 1,000 pouch blisters produced.
Are you receiving more inquiries from nursing homes?
Wolfgang Schleier: Absolutely! Unfortunately, we have to put the brakes on a little at the moment, as we simply don't have the capacity at the moment. The facility would enable us to increase our supply capacity enormously and meet new requests.
The demand for outpatient care services is also increasing. We have seen a significant increase in this area over the past one to two years. As it is difficult for the services to cope with blister packaging in terms of personnel, they are very grateful when we take over this service.
You are currently still blistering manually, which activities take up the most time?
Wolfgang Schleier: Our manual work processes are already supported by computer technology. On average, an experienced employee manages around 10 blisters per hour. With our number of patients, this is a very time-consuming process.
What key advantages do you see in the innovative D³ Daily Dose Dispenser?
Wolfgang Schleier: The work processes are much more efficient for us. We work with pharmacy robots and prescription scanners at all locations. This means that we are already technically advanced in the respective areas. I would also like to see this development for blister packaging. We also want to be at the cutting edge of technology in this area and be able to work as efficiently as possible.
Keyword shortage of professionals - how can automated processes support the supply of medicines?
Wolfgang Schleier: For me, it is crucial that we want to work in a customer-oriented way. For us, the customer is at the center of our work. To this end, I would like to deploy my specialists in an even more targeted manner, including in home care and outpatient care.