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Automation systems designed to provide and control medicine distribution at a smaller scale than typically encountered in hospital-based installations (i.e., clinical pharmacy automated medication dispensing systems). Medication distribution from these systems will typically be via individual containers for use in outpatient or ambulatory care settings. These systems typically consist of a combination of hardware and software that includes a cabinet-like or enclosed shelving unit that may perform all or most of the operations of counting, packaging, bar-coding, labeling, and dispensing solid oral prescription medications (e.g., tablets, pills, capsules) of different sizes and shapes, recording the individual deliveries and maintaining an inventory of the stored drugs. Most systems can exchange data with automated pharmacy and/or ambulatory care or other information systems.
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