Spence the Robot Brings the Future to Martin's Point Pharmacy

First in Maine with robotic prescription dispensing technology

PORTLAND, Maine á Martin's Point Health Care, Maine's largest primary care practice, has again broken new ground in the area of health care technology with the introduction of a new robot named Spence to assist in dispensing prescriptions, enabling pharmacists to spend more time with their patients.

The SP 200 Robotic Prescription Dispensing System, installed recently at the Martin's Point pharmacy in Portland, is the first in Maine. Although a pharmacist will continue to oversee all filling of prescriptions, the robot will perform the time consuming task of counting pills, filling vials and labeling them at a rate of up to 100 prescriptions per hour. ScriptPro, based in Mission, Kansas, manufactures the system which uses bar code scanning to assure that the correct drug is given to the patient. The pharmacist then makes the final check for accuracy, comparing the pills in the vial with a computer screen image of the drug. The new system will dramatically reduce waiting time for patients.

"Our pharmacists can now devote more time to answering questions, giving advice and personally counseling patients, which to many is the most important aspect of health care," explained David H. Howes, M.D., president and chief medical officer at Martin's Point. "Previously, the demands of manually counting and dispensing pills monopolized more than half a pharmacist's time."

The name Spence was chosen from those submitted by Martin's Point employees as part of a contest in conjunction with the unveiling of the robot last week.

This is how the system works: When the Martin's Point pharmacy receives a patient's prescription, the robot automatically chooses a vial, takes it to the correct drug cell, and fills it. Spence the robot then labels the filled vial and sends it down a conveyor to the pharmacist for final inspection and capping. The system has bar code scanning steps along the way to ensure the proper drug and strength are dispensed. The final check screen shows an image of the drug for visual verification by the Martin's Point pharmacy staff.
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This is the second major high tech initiative Martin's Point has undertaken in the past year. Last July, Martin's Point introduced Patients Personal Points, an Internet-based program that allows patients to discuss medical issues with their physicians, request prescription refills and appointments, and seek and receive health care information, all confidentially with the click of a mouse on their personal computers.

Established in 1981, Martin's Point Health Care employs 290 healthcare professionals who serve 44,000 patients at clinics in Portland, Windham, Brunswick and Newington, N.H. Headquartered in Portland at 331 Veranda Street, Martin's Point accepts all major health plans and insurance, including but not limited to HealthSource, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Harvard Community Health Plan, Maine Partners, Champus, Tricare, Aetna, Cigna and NYLCare.

For more information about Martin's Point Health Care, please call Amy Weinschenk, director of communications, at 774-5801, extension 2231, or visit the Martin's Point website at www.martinspoint.org.

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NOTE TO EDITORS/REPORTERS: If you would like to photograph the robot and/or see Spence in action, please arrange by contacting Beryl Wolfe at Wolfe Public Relations at (207) 775-5115 or Amy Weinschenk at Martin's Point at (207) 828-2436 ext. 2231.