More than half (59 per cent) of UK pharmacies plan to invest in automation in the next 12 months, according to a survey of 49 community pharmacists carried out between July and October by pharmacy automation company Omnicell.

Kath Hughes, senior sales manager for Omnicell UK & Ireland, believes the findings demonstrate pharmacists’ commitment to take proactive steps to save costs, improve productivity and enhance patient safety.

“It is encouraging that a majority of pharmacists are looking at long term investment to put themselves in the strongest possible position to compete and drive growth. Pharmacies must free up time in their existing work schedules to take on additional responsibilities, and the only proven way of doing this is through the adoption of automation,” she said.

The biggest obstacle preventing many from fully embracing automation was financial, with two thirds (67 per cent) deterred by the initial outlay costs, the survey found.

“Independent pharmacy owners are, understandably, feeling extremely nervous where their finances are concerned. But they must be bold to remain financially viable in the long-term,” said Ms Hughes.

“When used in the right way, automation can be an excellent catalyst for growth. While initial costs can be a deterrent, there are several pharmacy finance providers with options to help with this, and tax relief is also available.

“In addition, Omnicell offers a ‘return on investment’ calculator that provides a reliable estimation where cost and time savings are concerned for specific automated solutions. For example, we estimate that half of UK pharmacies would see a ROI of just one year with an automated prescription collection point, such as the Pharmaself24.”

Additional key findings from the survey include:

• Staff workload (78 per cent), drug shortages/supply chain issues (69 per cent) and staffing shortages (51 per cent are the three greatest challenges in today’s environment
• Initial outlay costs (67 per cent), a lack of knowledge (37 per cent) and reliability of system (35 per cent) are the biggest barriers to automation investment
• 84 per cent welcome the Pharmacy First initiative, with over half (53%) believing it recognises community pharmacies are more accessible than local GPs and 30% that it makes community pharmacies more important to the local community.

Omnicell can support community pharmacists with stock management and pack handling; packing and checking of MDS trays; and provision of secure collection points.