Use and impact of technology-assisted workflow (TAWF) systems for drug compounding in pharmacy practice: a scoping literature review

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to review studies describing the use and the impact of technology-assisted workflow (TAWF) systems for drug compounding in hospital pharmacy. Content This is a scoping literature review. A search was conducted on studies describing or evaluating the use of TAWF published from January 1st, 2015 to July 31st, 2021. Two databases were searched (PubMed and Embase), followed by a search on Google Scholar. Summary 218 articles were screened and 17 were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria. TAWFs all included preparation assistance software (17/17), barcode reader (17/17), photo or video taking (17/17), and some included gravimetric systems (8/17), and the use of robots (2/17). A majority of the studies included used technology for parenteral preparations (15/17, one for oral preparations only (1/17), and one used technology for both types of preparations (1/17). Most of the articles selected presented drugs prepared for adults (10/17), the others presented drugs intended for children (4/17) or for a mix of adults and children (3/17). Four parameters were evaluated: error detection rate (n=15), preparation and validation time (n=7), and costs generated or saved (n=7). Ten studies evaluated the pre-post impact of implantation of a TAWF (10/17). Outlook Given the heterogeneity of the data available, the use of TAWF was associated with an increased ability to detect preparation errors, a reduction in preparation time and costs, and increased satisfaction of pharmacy technicians and pharmacists. However, better quality studies are needed to confirm the positive impacts studied.