AutoBox

Swisslog(Denver, Colo) recentlyintroducedthe AutoBox, astaging carouselthat improves theefficiency andspeed of its automatedpharmacypackaging systemfor hospitals.The product is a component of Swisslog's PillPicksystem, a total automated packaging, storage,and dispensing solution for transforming bulkstock into bar-coded unit-dose medications in thehospital pharmacy. The PillPick process commenceswhen bulk solid medications are preparedfor packaging. Tablets and capsules areplaced inside canisters that are encoded with aradio-frequency tag containing medicationspecificinformation. These bar-coded, tamperresistantcanisters are then placed by a pharmacystaff member into the AutoBox, whichstages up to 12 canisters in preparation for barcodeunit-dose packaging. The AutoBox automaticallytransfers the canisters into the packager, and,when packaging is finished, the canisters are automaticallytransferred and discharged from the unit.For more information, visit www.swisslog.com, orcall 800-764-0300.