The pharmacy of the Azienda Ospedaliera Cardinale Panico in Tricase (LE), a healthcare hub for the Salento area with 400 beds, has undergone a major technological and organizational transformation thanks to the installation of two SILO² multi-floor Vertical Lift Modules (VLMs) by ICAM. Installed side by side, the two units directly connect two floors of the building, creating a continuous vertical flow of medicines between the storage area and the pharmacy.
From manual management to automated logistics
In the past, medicines were stored on fixed shelving scattered and unorganized between the basement, used as storage, and the first floor, where the hospital pharmacy is located.
This management model was complex, required several operators, and did not guarantee traceability or accurate batch control.
Today, thanks to the installation of the two SILO² VLMs, the hospital pharmacy of Panico Hospital has become a benchmark of efficiency for the healthcare system. With a total storage capacity of 20 m³, the VLMs hold around 20% of all medicine SKUs, but cover over 70% of the daily demand from wards, managed by just one operator. Efficiency, safety, and flow optimization have become concrete and measurable results.
Multi-floor installation: a seamless flow
Both SILO² units, 6.4 meters high, were configured in multi-floor mode: they span two building levels, eliminating the need for stairs or elevators to directly connect the basement storage area with the first-floor pharmacy. This configuration allows staff to access stored goods from multiple floors, ensuring a continuous and uninterrupted operational flow.
Separate management for common and temperature-sensitive medicines
The second SILO² is dedicated to temperature-sensitive medicines, such as antibiotics and oncology medicines, which must be stored within a controlled temperature range of +2 °C to +8 °C. Redundant refrigeration systems, humidity and temperature sensors, insulated panels, and a sealed station door ensure these critical storage conditions are always maintained, preserving the therapeutic effectiveness of these drugs.
Streamlined daily operations
Every morning, between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., a single operator completes the picking from both SILO² units to prepare therapies for the wards, spending the rest of the day on stock replenishment, batch control, and, when needed, supporting colleagues.
Before automation, almost the entire working day was absorbed by picking for the wards, leaving little time for higher-value tasks, which directly impacted service quality for patients and the efficient management of stock and inventory.
Advanced traceability and AIFA alert management
ICON, the ICAM warehouse management software, is fully integrated with the hospital ERP and the oncology cleanroom systems.
Each SKU is tracked by batch and expiry date, with immediate handling of any AIFA alerts requiring medicine recalls. Real-time inventory updates are always available with a simple click, eliminating the need for lengthy manual checks.
Operationally, ward requests are entered into the hospital ERP the evening before and validated by a pharmacist. They are then transferred to ICON, which automatically generates the picking lists that the operator views the following morning on the workstation PC. Thanks to barcode readers, every inbound and outbound transaction is tracked in real time.
Security as a strategic value: medicines protected like in a vault
Beyond operational efficiency, the two SILO² VLMs provide vault-level protection: anti-intrusion panels, controlled access profiles, and detailed logs of every picking activity. This security system has already proven its effectiveness, preventing losses during an attempted break-in.
Integration with other ICAM storage solutions
In the basement storage area, alongside the SILO² units, there are refrigerators at different temperatures, traditional fixed shelving, and ICAM’s COMPATTA LIGHT mobile racking system for managing low-turnover or temporary storage of medicines and materials.
This complementary approach demonstrates how an integrated logistics ecosystem can combine different technologies to maximize space and efficiency, achieving the right balance between storage needs, architectural constraints, available budget, and automation levels.
Tangible benefits for hospital management
The adoption of the two SILO² VLMs has delivered measurable results:
- Automated and traceable management of over 70% of daily demand with just one operator
- 57% reduction in picking and order preparation times, freeing resources for clinical tasks
- Real-time traceability of each batch and expiry date, ensuring safety and therapeutic continuity
- Always up-to-date inventory through barcode integration
- Enhanced protection of high-risk or high-value medicines during storage and distribution
- Rational space utilization: 20 m³ of medicines concentrated in just 16 m² of floor space
- Software integration with hospital information systems and the oncology cleanroom
A model that not only improves the pharmacy’s operational efficiency but also translates into safer, faster, and more reliable service for patients.
A state-of-the-art hospital pharmacy
“For us, the SILO² VLMs are a true flagship: a 60-year-old hospital that can pioneer automation,” highlights Dr. Antonietta Ferraro, Head of the Hospital Pharmacy at A.O. Cardinale Panico.
With SILO², the Panico Hospital pharmacy has radically transformed medicine flows, security, and management, becoming a model of excellence for the entire healthcare system.