5PSQ-014 Impact of robotic dispensing systems on medication errors in telepharmacy procedure: a comparative analysis

<h3>Background and Importance</h3> Telepharmacy services rapidly expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic. As telepharmacy grew, so did concerns about medication errors (ME). In our hospital, medication was prepared manually until a robotic dispensing system was installed in May 2024, transforming it into a semi-automatic process. <h3>Aim and Objectives</h3> The study seeks to compare medication errors before and after implementing a robotic dispensing system. The objectives include identifying the types of errors that occurred, quantifying the errors in both periods. <h3>Material and Methods</h3> Observational, descriptive and retrospective study carried out in the area of telepharmacy in a tertiary hospital during two distinct periods: before the robotic system was introduced (December 2023 to April 2024) and after its implementation (May to September 2024). ME were collected in a local database. We registered date, patient data, shipping codes, destination community pharmacy, type of error and organism who reported the error. <h3>Results</h3> In the pre-robot period, 13 errors were recorded: wrong medication being sent (n=7) 53, 86%; incorrect dosage (n=2) 15, 38%; missing medication (n=2) 15, 38%; excessive medication (n=1) 7, 69% and medication for another patient (n=1) 7, 69%. The ME rate per month was 2, 6. 11 ME (84, 62%) were reported by the patient and 2 (15, 38%) by the community pharmacy. After the robot was implemented, 14 errors were recorded: missing medication (n= 10) 71, 43%; medication for another patient (n= 2) 14, 29%; bad conditioning (n=1) 7, 14% and wrong medication (n=1) 7, 14%. The ME rate per month was 2, 8. 10 ME (71, 43%) were reported by the patient and 4 (28,57%) by the community pharmacy. <h3>Conclusion and Relevance</h3> The robotic dispensing system altered the types of errors but it did not reduce the total number of them. Incorrect dosages and wrong medications decreased, but missing medication surged after the robot’s implementation. This shift suggests that while robotic systems may help reduce certain manual errors, they may also introduce new challenges. Although the errors did not directly affect patient safety like those made during the pre-robot period, continuous monitoring and optimisation are essential to fully benefit from robotic dispensing systems. <h3>References and/or Acknowledgements</h3> <h3>Conflict of Interest</h3> No conflict of interest