Abstract
INTRODUCTION
Although pharmacy automation dates back to the 1970s with the introduction of
pill counting machines, the pharmacy automation market is anticipated to make
generous strides in technology and efficiency through the forecast period
outlined in this study. The continually increasing demand for accuracy,
safety, industry standards, and competency in the pharmacy environment by
regulatory authorities, manufacturers, healthcare professionals, and consumers
has forced the growth of this market.
New opportunities in various settings will continue to surface-from small,
private, family-owned pharmacies to large hospital and mail-order service
facilities, such as Medco Health Solutions, Inc. Many small, private
pharmacies are still conducting operations through manual and semi-manual
methods, particularly in regions outside the United States. The opportunity to
fully automate these pharmacies surfaces more often each year, and with a
growing compliance with bar coding standards, this trend will continue to
increase at a rapid rate. A large portion of inpatient facilities are already
highly automated; however, there are advancements in technology and
performance improvements every year, and these pharmacies will continue to
seek out the most efficient system to upgrade to. In order to remain
competitive in the pharmaceutical dispensing business, organizations will be
highly dependent on efficient automation systems. Therefore, upgrades are
likely to be an ongoing process.
SCOPE OF STUDY
This report contains:
- Descriptions of various pharmacy automation products for inpatient
pharmacy automation settings including acute care and long-term care and
outpatient pharmacy automation settings including fast-track, hospital retail,
mail order and retail pharmacies
- The current global market status for pharmacy automation, with trends and
forecasts for growth over the next 5 years
- Analysis of the pharmacy automation industry on a worldwide basis, both
from market and application perspectives
- The latest technological advancements along with a thorough patent analysis
- Profiles of leading companies in pharmacy automation including Pyxis Corp,
Parata Systems, McKesson and ScriptPro.
METHODOLOGY
All market data pertains the global market at the manufacturers' level. Data
is expressed in current U.S. dollars. The base year of the report is 2007,
with historical data provided for 2005 and 2006, and forecast data provided
for 2012. Historical base year and forecast data are provided for each market
segment of the report. Competitor market share estimates are provided for each
market segment for the 2007 base year.
Although this study provides information on a variety of pharmacy automation
equipment, it does not include a comprehensive list of products available.
Many companies offer products to a variety of industry types, including but
not limited to the following industries:
- Appliance industry
- Aircraft industry
- Automotive industry
- Electrical and electronics industry
- Communications industry
- Food production industry
- Some systems not covered in this study include those that are primarily
used in other industry types, but are, however, designed to accommodate other
settings, including the medical and pharmacy industries.
ANALYST CREDENTIALS
Melissa Elder is an experienced healthcare market analyst specializing in
prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and
emerging healthcare technologies. Ms. Elder has more than 13 years experience
in the healthcare industry, specializing in market research for the past 10
years. This experience has given her substantial insights into pharmaceutical
market analysis. Her work in the medical community, including emergency room
medical training and healthcare information system coordination, has enhanced
her ability to provide insight into many healthcare markets.
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