BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a medical technology company, has agreed a pharmacy automation partnership with Henry Ford Health to develop the health system pharmacy of the future, with an initial focus on a robotic solution that will enable patients to pick up select prescriptions at their convenience – 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Through this first-of-its-kind collaboration in the US, BD and Henry Ford Health will develop multiple applications of the BD Rowa Vmax, a sophisticated pharmacy automation robot.
The first deployment will enhance the prescription retrieval processes at Henry Ford Health’s hospital-based community pharmacies in Southeast and Central Michigan as part of their ongoing commitment to innovation and patient-centered care.
Jennifer Tryon, MS, FASHP, chief pharmacy officer at Henry Ford Health, says: “Modern pharmacy needs industrial-grade reliability and human-centered design. That’s the driving force behind our High Value Pharmacy Enterprise – uniting every pharmacy touchpoint under one vision to deliver safer care, better access and measurable outcomes.
“This partnership with BD advances that vision. By introducing this automation, we free our teams to focus on high-impact, patient-centered work. It’s a bold step toward transforming how we serve our patients, our communities and our industry.”
Widely used across Europe, BD Rowa Vmax is renowned for its high-speed, modular high-capacity robotic storage system that automates the storage and dispensing of medications.
By integrating BD Rowa Vmax into Henry Ford Health’s pharmacy operations, patients will benefit from enhanced access to their prescriptions – whether picking up from a community location or upon discharge from the hospital.
Henry Ford Health is committed to ensuring patients leave with medications in-hand at the time of discharge or after their clinic visit.
The partnership offers several key benefits, including:
- Use of automation to improve the overall community pharmacy experience
- Automated, high-capacity storage that safely and accurately retrieves patients’ prescriptions while improving pharmacy staff efficiency, enabling them to focus on higher value patient care tasks
- 24/7 prescription access supports continuity of care and ensures convenience for patients
- Real-time prescription tracking and modular scalability
- Housing prescriptions, refrigerated medication, supplies and over-the-counter products patients may need for their ongoing care
Chad Glover, vice president and general manager of pharmacy automation at BD, says: “Henry Ford Health has one of the most innovative and patient-centered visions for what a health system pharmacy can do for patients.
“BD’s robotics and pharmacy automation technologies are well aligned to support such a vision, and we are looking forward to this initial implementation as well as future collaborations to further advance Henry Ford Health’s hospital and community pharmacies.”
BD is working closely with Henry Ford Health to identify additional use cases for this automated pharmacy solution and other cutting-edge technologies, further reinforcing their shared commitment to health care innovation, improved clinical outcomes, and enhancing the patient experience.
