Impact of pharmacy automation on dispensing efficiency, medication safety, and user satisfaction in hospital pharmacies: A systematic review and meta-analysis of G20 countries

Abstract

Aim : This study assessed the effects of pharmacy automation on dispensing efficiency, medication safety, and user satisfaction in hospital pharmacies across G20 countries. Methods : A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect identified studies evaluating dispensing-related automation in hospital settings. Eligible studies were analyzed using Review Manager 5.4. Pooled standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated using a random-effects model, and heterogeneity was assessed with the I² statistic. Results : Twenty-three studies were included, representing hospital pharmacy settings across 10 G20 countries: Saudi Arabia, Australia, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Japan, Germany, Brazil, and Canada. Automation significantly reduced medication administration time (SMD –4.35; p = 0.01) and dispensing-related medication error rates (SMD –3.89; p < 0.00001). Improvements were also observed in perceived dispensing efficiency (SMD 0.60; p = 0.04) and perceived patient safety. However, no statistically significant differences were observed in dispensing time or patient time within the dispensing system. User satisfaction was consistently higher following automation implementation. Substantial heterogeneity was observed across outcomes. Conclusion : Pharmacy automation in hospital settings is associated with improved dispensing efficiency, reduced medication errors, and increased user satisfaction, supporting its adoption despite variability across studies.