Streamlining Pouch Checking with PillPacPlus’ Camera System
Cooper’s Pharmacy serving over 1000 community and care home patients was under strain due to the time-consuming, manual process of checking medication pouches. With a pharmacist tied up five days a week on visual inspections, capacity was limited and workflow efficiency suffered. To streamline operations and free up clinical time, the pharmacy turned to PillPacPlus to implement an advanced pouch checking camera system, transforming accuracy, traceability, and workload across the board.
Pharmacy:
Cooper’s Pharmacy
Challenge:
Time-consuming, error-prone process placing strain on pharmacist resources.
Goal:
To reduce the time and pressure involved in pouch checking while maintaining high levels of accuracy and patient safety.
Solution:
PillPacPlus installed a pouch checking camera system, enabling automated verification and digital record-keeping.
Products Used:
PillPacPlus pouch checking camera system with integrated image capture and anomaly detection software.
At a Glance: PillPacPlus in Action
Pharmacy Type:
Independent pharmacy serving community and care home patients
Patients on Pouches:
1000+
Previous Workflow:
Manual visual pouch checking by pharmacist, 5 days per week
Main Challenge:
Time-consuming, error-prone process placing strain on pharmacist resources
Solution Implemented:
PillPacPlus pouch checking camera system
Results:
- Checking time reduced by more than 80%
- Pharmacist time freed up by at least 3 days per week
- Increased capacity to take on new pouch patients
- Full traceability with stored pouch images
- Improved accuracy and peace of mind
Background:
Cooper’s Pharmacy, a trusted group of independent community pharmacies in Belfast, was facing increasing pressure from rising patient numbers, growing demand for compliance aids, and the need to free up clinical time in a busy dispensary environment. With over 1000 community and care home patients on pouch medication, the team turned to PillPacPlus to implement an advanced pouch checking camera system, helping to reduce workload, improve accuracy, and support sustainable growth.
Pharmacy Goal:
Cooper's Pharmacy primary goal was toultimately freeing up pharmacist capacity to focus on patient care, care home support, and pharmacy operations.
The Challenge:
Before implementing PillPacPlus’ camera checking system, the pharmacy’s pouch checking process was entirely manual. Each pouch had to be visually inspected by a pharmacist, creating a workflow that was messy, time-consuming, and inefficient. Baskets and pouches cluttered the dispensary, and one pharmacist’s time was almost completely consumed by the task, dedicating five full days a week just to checking pouches.
“Pouch checking was a full-time job. It took up so much time and space, with baskets and pouches everywhere in the dispensary. It was incredibly labour-intensive.”
– David Nelson, Pharmacist
The Solution:
The pharmacy installed the PillPacPlus pouch checking camera system. While there was some initial hesitation, confidence in the technology grew steadily. Over time, the system proved its accuracy and reliability, detecting anomalies with a level of precision that surpassed human inspection.
“I was initially apprehensive, but like any relationship, trust grew. After using it for over a year, I now have complete faith in the system… We’ve never seen it make a mistake.”
– David Nelson, Pharmacist
The Outcome
The impact has been transformational. Not only has the pouch checking process become faster, but it’s also more accurate and scalable. The pharmacist now spends significantly less than half the time checking pouches, freeing up at least three additional working days each week.
This time is now used for patient queries, pharmacy administration, and care home communications, relieving pressure across the board. The pharmacy now feels confident taking on new pouch patients, knowing the checking process no longer creates a bottleneck.
“The time savings are significant. I have so much less pressure now. We’re happy to take on more patients without worrying about the extra checking workload.”
Another major benefit is traceability. Every pouch is photographed and stored in the system, allowing the pharmacy to quickly resolve queries from community patients or nursing homes with confidence.
“If we receive a query about the medications in a pouch… we can access our database and quickly resolve the issue. Unlike a pharmacist, the camera system does not experience fatigue or loss of focus, and is consistently accurate.”
– David Nelson, Pharmacist
%
80% Time Saved with Optical Pouch Checking
Key Outcomes:
Over 80% reduction in pouch checking time
The automated camera system cut checking time in half, significantly improving workflow efficiency.
Pharmacist time freed up by at least 3 days per week
With reduced burden at the checking stage, the pharmacy can confidently grow its compliance service.
Improved accuracy and reliability
The camera system consistently detects anomalies with a tolerance for error even tighter than human inspection, with zero recorded mistakes since implementation.
Reduced pressure on dispensary staff
Less manual workload has eased day-to-day strain and improved overall team efficiency.
Enhanced Traceability
Every pouch is photographed and stored, enabling quick resolution of patient or care home queries.
Enhanced Increased confidence in automation
Initial scepticism was replaced by full trust in the technology, supporting long-term scalability.
At a Glance: PillPacPlus in Action
Pharmacy Type:
Independent pharmacy serving community and care home patients
Patients on Pouches:
1000+
Previous Workflow:
Manual visual pouch checking by pharmacist, 5 days per week
Main Challenge:
Time-consuming, error-prone process placing strain on pharmacist resources
Solution Implemented:
PillPacPlus pouch checking camera system
Results:
- Checking time reduced by more than 80%
- Pharmacist time freed up by at least 3 days per week
- Increased capacity to take on new pouch patients
- Full traceability with stored pouch images
- Improved accuracy and peace of mind
Background:
Cooper’s Pharmacy, a trusted group of independent community pharmacies in Belfast, was facing increasing pressure from rising patient numbers, growing demand for compliance aids, and the need to free up clinical time in a busy dispensary environment. With over 1000 community and care home patients on pouch medication, the team turned to PillPacPlus to implement an advanced pouch checking camera system, helping to reduce workload, improve accuracy, and support sustainable growth.
Pharamacy Goal:
Cooper's Pharmacy primary goal was toultimately freeing up pharmacist capacity to focus on patient care, care home support, and pharmacy operations.
The Challenge:
Before implementing PillPacPlus’ camera checking system, the pharmacy’s pouch checking process was entirely manual. Each pouch had to be visually inspected by a pharmacist, creating a workflow that was messy, time-consuming, and inefficient. Baskets and pouches cluttered the dispensary, and one pharmacist’s time was almost completely consumed by the task, dedicating five full days a week just to checking pouches.
“Pouch checking was a full-time job. It took up so much time and space, with baskets and pouches everywhere in the dispensary. It was incredibly labour-intensive.”
– David Nelson, Pharmacist
Key Outcomes:
Over 80% reduction in pouch checking time
The automated camera system cut checking time in half, significantly improving workflow efficiency.
Pharmacist time freed up by at least 3 days per week
With reduced burden at the checking stage, the pharmacy can confidently grow its compliance service.
Improved accuracy and reliability
The camera system consistently detects anomalies with a tolerance for error even tighter than human inspection, with zero recorded mistakes since implementation.
Reduced pressure on dispensary staff
Less manual workload has eased day-to-day strain and improved overall team efficiency.
Enhanced Traceability
Every pouch is photographed and stored, enabling quick resolution of patient or care home queries.
Enhanced confidence in automation
Initial scepticism was replaced by full trust in the technology, supporting long-term scalability.
The Solution:
The pharmacy installed the PillPacPlus pouch checking camera system. While there was some initial hesitation, confidence in the technology grew steadily. Over time, the system proved its accuracy and reliability, detecting anomalies with a level of precision that surpassed human inspection.
“I was initially apprehensive, but like any relationship, trust grew. After using it for over a year, I now have complete faith in the system. – We’ve never seen it make a mistake.”
– David Nelson, Pharmacist
The Outcome:
The impact has been transformational. Not only has the pouch checking process become faster, but it’s also more accurate and scalable. The pharmacist now spends significantly less than half the time checking pouches, freeing up at least three additional working days each week.
This time is now used for patient queries, pharmacy administration, and care home communications, relieving pressure across the board. The pharmacy now feels confident taking on new pouch patients, knowing the checking process no longer creates a bottleneck.
“The time savings are significant. I have so much less pressure now. We’re happy to take on more patients without worrying about the extra checking workload.”
Another major benefit is traceability. Every pouch is photographed and stored in the system, allowing the pharmacy to quickly resolve queries from community patients or nursing homes with confidence.
“If we receive a query about the medications in a pouch… we can access our database and quickly resolve the issue. Unlike a pharmacist, the camera system does not experience fatigue or loss of focus, and is consistently accurate.”
– David Nelson, Pharmacist
%
80% Time Saved with Optical Pouch Checking
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