Interviewer: Tell me, what type of dispensing are you doing at Okidai Pharmacy?

We mainly take prescriptions from otolaryngologists, but we also take those issued by general hospitals and other hospitals. We average 150-160 prescriptions per day, but during peak times, it can be as high as 200.

Half of our patients are children, and the rest are people of all ages with about forty percent of prescriptions being granulations. Syrups are most common for children between one and two years of age, but for anyone older it is usually granulations. Our staff consists of two to three pharmacists and two to four clerks.

What events led you to introduce the DimeRo?

The biggest factor was “securing pharmacists.” DimeRo provides me with the work of 3.5 people with only three, if not one, onsite pharmacists. In Himeji, it’s moderately difficult to secure human resources and DimeRo offers greater work efficiency considering the shortage.

Our company representative was impressed by DimeRo when they visited the Yuyama and planned to introduce it to one of the Yagi Pharmacy Group stores. Two other locations were put up as candidates, but due to the size of DimeRo, we were selected.

I heard from other pharmacies that size was an obstacle preventing them from introducing DimeRo. You can see the DimeRo from the waiting room. Was that planned from the start?

That was only the place I could put it, due to the size. Ideally, I would have liked to place it closer to the front, because I think young children would be interested in seeing the robot up close.

It would be exciting for children to see such a robot up close, and I am sure they would enjoy watching it work. Did the installation go smoothly?

I had heard from other pharmacists that the installation would take time, so I scheduled the installation for first thing in the morning. I had to unhinge the front door, but had no problems with the size or bringing it in. The installation was completed in one day, which was faster than expected. Unless you need to knock down a wall, I think any pharmacies with adequate space can complete it in a day.

Did you have any anxieties about introducing the DimeRo?

DimeRo is high-tech compared to other dispensing devices, so I was slightly concerned about malfunctions. I have had some malfunctions that needed repairing, but the number is within what I expected. I got a fast response when I had problems, so I have no complaints.

I’m relieved to hear that you got a prompt follow-up on any issues. How much are you currently using DimeRo for your dispensing work?

We prepare about 90 percent of prescriptions with DimeRo. We do manual dose dispensing for less frequently prescribed medications with a V-mass packaging machine. We currently have 6 medications and six cassettes on DimeRo.

What advantages do you see in DimeRo, after having used it?

Not having to assign a pharmacist to powder medication preparations while they are busy giving prescribed medications to a patient. My main goal was work efficiency, but using DimeRo has also shortened patient wait times. Under normal circumstances, the time from receiving the prescription to handing it over is about five minutes. Even in busy times, we can deliver the medication in about 20 minutes. The process used to consist of powdered medicine preparation and inspection, but DimeRo looks after the preparation and journal recording and our pharmacists do only the inspection. The entire process is condensed into one step, in that respect.

Another benefit on top of efficiency, is that pharmacists can leave work earlier. In the busy season, the staff don’t have the time to manually input data into the electronic record on the spot and must stay back to write out the medication records after business hours. DimeRo eliminates the need to go into the dispensing room to prepare powdered medicines and allows more time for writing out medication records in the reception area. In addition to reducing patient wait times, it creates a more comfortable working environment for our pharmacists.

The flow from receiving prescriptions to handing over medications is much smoother without having to go back and forth between weighing and giving dosage instructions.

Increasing the pharmacist numbers from three to four persons would be faster, but doing the work with one DimeRo and three pharmacists is more economical. Our clerks cannot weigh granulations on behalf of a pharmacist, so DimeRo is a welcomed addition.

DimeRo is easy to operate so trainees and new pharmacists can start using it early on. Granulations take the longest to prepare, so being able to automate this process is extremely helpful. Our store has an overwhelming amount of granulation prescriptions of a wide variety, so weighing each package individually is a big job. Pushing a button on DimeRo is much easier. It is not connected to our dispensing system, but we use the Do app to call up prescriptions.

It seems that DimeRo makes the pharmacists’ job much easier.

Definitely. A standard dispensing machine requires you to weigh granulation packs each time, but with DimeRo, we can automatically mix granules with a push of a button. At our store, we only mix two types of granules, but for stores that mix three or four types, the weighing process alone would take a considerable amount of time. Having the DimeRo would be valuable, I think.

How easy is it to maintain?

I handled the DimeRo very prudently at first because it was the first time to see such machinery. It had that precision machine feel. After a Yuyama salesperson came by and assured me that it was safe to touch, I realized that I did not need to be so cautious.
Most packaging machine manufacturers use a similar structure, so I had a basic idea of how to handle one from past experiences. However, DimeRo was a completely new shape, and I had no idea what to do in the case of a malfunction.

How time-consuming is it compared to a packaging machine?

It is not particularly time-consuming, but I do handle it more carefully than other packaging equipment. Yuyama always creates dream machines such as DimeRo. I feel like the Yuyama trade show booth is one step ahead of other manufacturers when it comes to innovative products.

Thank you. Our goal is to continuously pursue new and better cutting-edge technology and products.

I believe that. The first time I saw DimeRo felt like when standard mobile phones suddenly became smartphones. It was truly unbelievable. Currently, I have a team of three pharmacists, but I would need another pharmacist in some situations if it wasn’t for DimeRo.

I’m pleased to hear that DimeRo is playing such a valuable role. Thank you for your time today.