US Pilot Tests Fully Autonomous Robot Pharmacy System

In the United States, the decline of local pharmacies and a shortage of pharmacists have prompted the testing of a “robot pharmacy” that can automatically handle prescription verification, compounding and inspection. The system is still in the prototype stage, but it expands automation beyond simple storage and delivery kiosks to include the actual compounding process. Silicon Valley‑based healthcare startup Queue recently announced a fully autonomous robot pharmacy system and has started pilot operations with large pharmacy chains. This development comes as major chains such as CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid have undergone restructuring and store closures over the past several years.