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Packaging a blockbuster prescription drug such as AstraZeneca’s Nexium blister- and wallet-packs (shown in photo) demands efficiency. At AstraZeneca’s plant in Södertälje, Sweden, nine robotic cells, featuring a mix of 16 robots from ABB Robotics and other suppliers, is providing that efficiency during case packing and palletizing on multiple packaging lines.
Providing quality healthcare while holding the line on costs continues to be a priority throughout much of the life sciences industry. Watching expenses is a critical task at Group Health as well, where the company’s Seattle facility handles mail-order prescriptions and serves as a central fill location for its 26 pharmacies located in both Washington and Idaho. Since adding a Maverick Enterprises UPM B/T (Universal Packaging Machine with Bottle and Tote infeed), Group Health has reduced its labor needs, improved efficiency within its confined 7,000 sq’ area, and readied itself to handle growing sales volume. In turn, those benefits help to hold down Group Health member costs.
Dangerous and costly medication errors come in many scary varieties, such as administering the wrong drug, or in the wrong dose, or at the wrong time. There are a lot of nightmarish scenarios built into that list of variables, and when one or more goes wrong, the results can include patient suffering and additional financial costs.
