By Jad Jaroudi
Across the UK and Ireland, pharmacies are standing at a critical inflection point. Rising workloads, expanding clinical responsibilities, and persistent workforce pressures demand a new operating model; one where automation is not merely supportive, but central to pharmacy transformation.
At BD Rowa, we believe the next five years will redefine what pharmacy teams can achieve, and the decisions pharmacy owners make today will determine who thrives in that future.
Rethinking pharmacy automation: start with insight, not hardware
When pharmacies explore automation, the spotlight often falls on cutting-edge robotics and digital tools. But the real journey begins long before the technology itself. True transformation starts with understanding where your pharmacy is losing time, efficiency, and capacity today.
Automation isn’t just for high-volume sites. Its value lies in supporting your vision, whether that’s easing daily workload, boosting accuracy, expanding clinical services, or preparing your business for tomorrow. You don’t need five figure item volumes to unlock meaningful impact.
At BD Rowa, we partner with pharmacies to analyse dispensing workflows, stock handling demands, queue bottlenecks, error risks, and clinical service utilisation. These insights often reveal just how much time is tied up in manual, repetitive tasks and how much more your team could achieve with the right support.
By starting with data, our customers invest with confidence, choosing solutions that deliver measurable improvements, smoother operations, and a faster return on investment.
“Our (BD Rowa) goal is simple: Empower pharmacies to reinvest every hour released by automation into patient-facing care and sustainable business growth.”
Technology must follow strategy
Many pharmacies know they need change but haven’t yet defined what they want that change to deliver. BD Rowa partners with pharmacy owners, branch managers, and their teams to articulate a clear future vision:
- Do they want to expand clinical services?
- Improve patient experience and widen customer base?
- Strengthen staff retention and job satisfaction?
- Build a scalable, resilient model for growth?
Once that vision is clear, BD Rowa designs a tailored automation roadmap incorporating dispensing robotics, pick‑up solutions, digital workflow optimisation, and system integrations. This strategic alignment differentiates BD Rowa from suppliers who lead with products rather than outcomes.
“The BD Rowa approach ensures pharmacy teams don’t just adopt new tools. They embrace a new way of working, with automation seamlessly embedded into daily operations”
The next five years: a connected, automated, hybrid pharmacy model
With the recent updates in the regulatory landscape and increasing pressure on NHS, the pace of change in community pharmacy is accelerating. As a preferred partner, BD Rowa is helping shape a new standard of smart automation across the industry.
1. Integrated digital and physical workflows
Dispensing robots communicating intelligently with PMR systems, clinical platforms, and pickup solutions to create frictionless end to end medication journeys keeping patient safety and 24/7 convenience in mind
2. Scalable automation ecosystems
Modular technologies that allow pharmacies of any size and dispensing volume to grow from single-site independents to regional chains and larger hub-and-spoke models
3. Skilled workforce empowerment
With BD Rowa taking on the heavy operational workload, pharmacists and technicians are freed up to do what truly matters—delivering clinical consultations, managing long-term conditions, and providing personalised patient support, whether in person or digitally.
4. Patient-centred convenience
24/7 pickup solutions, automated stock availability, and reduced waiting times, all contributing to superior patient experience, convenience and customer loyalty.
Laying the foundations today
To remain agile and competitive, pharmacies should start by building a clear long-term plan, selecting partners with proven scalability, and investing in automation that complements their workflows without the need to replace their teams. With the right strategy and the right partners, technology becomes an enabler for a safe, more efficient, and more patient-focused future.
At BD Rowa, our mission is to help every pharmacy unlock its full potential. Automation is not just a tool; it is a catalyst for growth, resilience, and a new model of clinically led community pharmacy.
About BD Rowa
As a member of the Becton Group Dickinson (BD), BD RowaTM has optimised dispensing and medication management to make the daily life of healthcare professionals in hospitals and pharmacies more efficient for over 25 years. 15,000 systems, manufactured in Kelberg, Germany and delivered worldwide, support the work of thousands of healthcare providers and ensure that medicines are dispensed reliably.
For more information, visit bd.com/rowa or speak with your local sales representative today!
(Jad Jaroudi is the regional leader, UKI and Northern Europe of BD Rowa. He leads BD Rowa’s strategic growth and advances the future of pharmacy automation across the region. Known for driving operational transformation, Jad works closely with healthcare leaders to boost efficiency, expand clinical capacity, strengthen business sustainability and overall improve patient outcomes. Known for his customer-centric and data leadership, he champions solutions that empower pharmacies to build efficient, future‑ready operations.)
