First 'dispensing robot' installed at pharmacy in Tullamore hospital

The issuing of medication to patients at the Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore will now be carried out with help from an unusual source, after a €170,000 'dispensing robot' was installed in the hospital's pharmacy.

The HSE confirmed to the Offaly Independent that the "innovative" use of the robot in Tullamore represents a first for a hospital in its 'Midlands Integrated Health Area', which takes in the counties of Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath.

The HSE's building and equipment capital plan for 2026, published yesterday, included a €170,000 allocation for the "provision of a dispensing robot for the pharmacy' at the hospital, with the plan stating that this project was now 'complete'.

When contacted this week, a HSE spokesperson said: "Midlands Regional Hospital Tullamore is the first hospital within the Midlands Integrated Health Area to implement a dispensary robot.

"This innovative development supports the HSE’s National Technology and Transformation strategy, leveraging digital solutions to modernise healthcare delivery."

In 2024, a pharmacy in county Wicklow was in the news when it unveiled a state-of-the-art robot that it said was helping to improve the speed and accuracy of fulfilling prescriptions.

The HSE spokesperson said this week that the investment in the dispensing robot in Offaly was "in line" with the 'Digital for Care' framework, a 2024 HSE report which "set out a roadmap to digitally transform health services in Ireland and improve access for patients".

In addition, the spokesperson said the hospital in Tullamore was "aligning with key national initiatives, including the National Electronic Health Record programme and the continued expansion of virtual care and telehealth services".

This week's capital plan for buildings and equipment also included provision of €140,000 towards appraisal work on a "pharmacy reconfiguration and extension" at the hospital in Tullamore.