Industry
Hospital pharmacy
C. Panico Hospital: automated hospital pharmacy with multi-floor SILO² VLMs and COMPATTA Light
- Hospital pharmacies
- COMPATTA Light
- SILO²
- Finished products
Medicines always available, fully traceable and continuously distributed
At Cardinale Panico Hospital in Tricase (Italy), medicines management was enhanced through an integrated intralogistics project combining two multi-floor SILO² VLMs and a COMPATTA Light mobile shelving system.
One of the VLMs operates in a temperature controlled environment for sensitive medicines, while COMPATTA Light is used for inventory storage and management.
Products
SILO²
COMPATTA Light
Key result
57% reduction in picking and order preparation time
Real-time management of AIFA alerts
Key features
• Multi-floor connection between the pharmacy and storage area
• Temperature controlled environment maintained between +2°C and +8°C
Cardinale Panico Hospital: a centre of excellence for regional healthcare
Cardinale Panico Hospital in Tricase is a 400-bed healthcare facility serving the Salento region.
The hospital pharmacy is responsible for managing and distributing medicines across hospital departments, relying on safe, fully traceable and highly coordinated processes.
The hospital pharmacy is responsible for managing and distributing medicines across hospital departments, relying on safe, fully traceable and highly coordinated processes.
The logistical challenges
Before the project, medicines were distributed between the basement storage area and the hospital pharmacy, relying on traditional shelving and manual management processes.
Inventory management consumed a large part of the working day, limiting the time pharmacy staff could devote to higher value clinical activities.
The main critical issues were:
- no accurate traceability of batches and expiry dates
- manual processes spread across multiple floors
- long picking and medication preparation times
- daily operations required multiple operators
- clinical risk caused by medication errors or misplaced medicines
Multi-floor SILO² VLM for standard medicines: storage and pharmacy connected across two levels
Configured across two floors of the building, the 6.4 metre high SILO² VLM connects the hospital pharmacy with the basement storage area. Two picking stations serve the pharmacy floor, while a third station at basement level is used for stock replenishment.
The system manages around 480 SKUs organised according to FIFO principles, with storage locations optimised to minimise handling times.
The Vertical Lift Module creates a seamless workflow, eliminating movement between floors and removing the need for stairs or lifts.
The system manages around 480 SKUs organised according to FIFO principles, with storage locations optimised to minimise handling times.
The Vertical Lift Module creates a seamless workflow, eliminating movement between floors and removing the need for stairs or lifts.
SILO² VLM for temperature sensitive medicines: +2°C to +8°C with redundant cooling
Designed for the storage of temperature sensitive medicines, including antibiotics and oncology drugs, the SILO² VLM maintains a stable +2°C to +8°C environment. Redundant cooling, temperature and humidity sensors, insulated panels and a closing door at the access opening ensure continuous protection of stored medicines.
ICON connects the hospital information system with the oncology clean room, ensuring full traceability by batch and expiry date. When an AIFA alert is issued, affected medicines can be identified instantly without manual checks.
ICON connects the hospital information system with the oncology clean room, ensuring full traceability by batch and expiry date. When an AIFA alert is issued, affected medicines can be identified instantly without manual checks.
COMPATTA Light: organised storage for pharmacy stock
Located in the hospital’s basement storage area, COMPATTA Light complements the intralogistics project by managing reserve medicines, slow-moving items and temporary storage needs.
The mobile shelving system consolidates storage within a compact footprint, opening only the required aisle and maximising the use of available space.
Integrated with the SILO² VLM and the other storage systems in the facility, it helps maintain organised material flows while supporting different storage strategies according to product type and turnover.
The mobile shelving system consolidates storage within a compact footprint, opening only the required aisle and maximising the use of available space.
Integrated with the SILO² VLM and the other storage systems in the facility, it helps maintain organised material flows while supporting different storage strategies according to product type and turnover.
Key results
A more efficient, safer and fully traceable hospital pharmacy
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70% of daily medicine demand fulfilled within 3 hours
a single operator completes all ward picking activities between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., freeing up the rest of the day for clinical and control activities.
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57% reduction in picking and medication preparation time
tasks that once occupied the entire working day are now completed in just three hours
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Storage and pharmacy connected across two floors
by connecting the basement storage area directly to the pharmacy, the SILO² VLM eliminate physical movement between floors, stairs and waiting times.
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Full traceability by batch and expiry date
ICON is integrated with the hospital information system, enabling real-time AIFA alert management while automatically updating inventory with every transaction. No manual checks are required.
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Temperature sensitive medicines protected
stable +2°C to +8°C environment with redundant cooling and continuous temperature and humidity monitoring
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Controlled access and protected medicines
security is ensured through anti-intrusion panels, role-based access control and detailed transaction logs, an approach that has already proven effective during an attempted break-in.
Efficient hospital pharmacy logistics depends on the seamless flow of medicines and healthcare supplies from supplier to end user. Speed, accuracy and continuity are ensured through the automated storage systems implemented by ICAM.
Discover how Cardinale Panico Hospital transformed medicines management
Discover the products selected for C. Panico Hospital
SILO²: the Vertical Lift Module
From 2 to 7 storage columns, over 120 tray size configurations and a specific tray load bearing capacity of up to 1,000 kg/m²: SILO² is ICAM’s solution for high-density storage of small and medium-sized items.
Explore SILO²
COMPATTA Mobile Shelving System
The mobile shelving system for document archives, libraries, hospitals, museums and bookstores. Available in manual push, mechanical handwheel and electromechanical versions.
Explore COMPATTA
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