Faced with challenges in the retail pharmacy sector, Walgreens is intensifying its focus on automation.
The pharmacy giant is set to expand the reach of its micro-fulfillment centers, which utilize robotic technology to streamline the fulfillment of thousands of prescriptions for patients managing chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension.
This initiative aims to relieve pharmacy personnel from routine tasks, cut down on inventory waste, and enhance customer interactions. By reducing the volume of prescription fill tasks, Walgreens envisions staff can devote more time to clinical services, such as administering vaccinations and conducting health tests.
“They are currently the backbone of our operations, enabling pharmacists and technicians to focus more on patient engagement,” stated Rick Gates, chief pharmacy officer at Walgreens.
“This approach gives us significant flexibility to lower costs, enhance care, and expedite therapy delivery—all crucial for our success,” he added.
How Walgreens micro-fulfillment works
Upon receiving a prescription, Walgreens’ system assesses whether it should be processed at the retail location or redirected to a nearby micro-fulfillment center. Routine and maintenance medications often get routed to these centers, especially refills not requiring immediate collection.
Improvements to robotic prescription fills
Retail pharmacy staff see benefits
