Gangbuk Samsung Hospital Introduces Chemotherapy Drug Preparation Robot 'Apothecary Kemo'

A pharmacist is preparing anticancer drugs using the anticancer drug preparation robot APHOTEACAchemo. (Photo by Gangbuk Samsung Hospital)

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] Kangbuk Samsung Hospital of Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine announced on the 1st that it recently introduced the chemotherapy drug preparation robot APOTECAchemo to provide more accurate treatment for cancer patients.

APOTECAchemo is a robot adopted by world-renowned hospitals such as Johns Hopkins Hospital and Cleveland Clinic in the United States, and it has also been introduced mainly in large general hospitals in Korea. Kangbuk Samsung Hospital is the fourth in the country to adopt it.

Chemotherapy drugs must be prepared in a sterile environment with precise dosages down to decimal points. The APOTECAchemo preparation robot scans the drug’s exterior 360 degrees to verify the medication, measures the final mixture’s weight, and then prepares it. Additionally, it maintains a clean environment inside the equipment through five HEPA filters and ensures sterile and negative pressure conditions for hygienic preparation. This enhances the accuracy of chemotherapy drug preparation and patient safety.

Through the introduction of this robot, not only has the accuracy of preparation and patient safety increased, but the safety of the preparers has also improved. This is because the chemotherapy drug preparation process carries risks such as needle sticks or exposure to drugs due to container breakage. The chemotherapy drug preparation robot separates the preparer from the preparation space, blocking exposure to these risks and significantly improving the preparation environment.

Shin Ho-cheol, director of Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, said, “By introducing the chemotherapy drug preparation robot, we have further strengthened the accuracy of preparation and patient safety,” and added, “We will continue to strive to create precise treatment and a safe preparation environment for patients.”

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