Kroger Achieves Faster Prescription Filling and Improves Inventory Management with Eyecon Tabletop Automation System

MINNETONKA, MN, October 10, 2011 (Press-News.org) Kroger Pharmacy, the fifth largest national pharmacy chain, has chosen the Eyecon as the tabletop automation solution approved for use within Kroger pharmacies. The Eyecon, by Avery Weigh-Tronix, improves overall process efficiency, accuracy and safety. The Eyecon is an automated prescription validation, counting and filling system, which not only enhances inventory management by improving filling accuracy, but also increases customer satisfaction.

Kroger, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, offers over 1900 locations and operates under many different banners nationwide, including, Fred Meyer, QFC, Ralphs, Frys, King Soopers, City Market, Smiths, Dillons and Kroger. To ensure superior quality in all their pharmacies, Kroger conducted an intensive evaluation process before selecting Avery Weigh-Tronix's Eyecon system for pill counting and inventory management.

"Using the Eyecon to count solid dosage form products saves us time," said Mike Menkhaus, Project Manager at Kroger Pharmacy. "We noticed a difference particularly for product audits and physical inventory counts--making the system a great investment."

Featuring a unique Visual Counting System, the Eyecon uses machine vision technology to dramatically increase counting and filling speed--up to 76 percent faster than manual operations. The camera mounted above the counting tray captures five images per second and counts pills within 200 ms, achieving a field-tested accuracy rate of nearly 100 percent. By implementing this technology, users can eliminate under- or over-filling prescriptions, preventing inventory shortages and inaccuracies while ensuring customer satisfaction.

Due to this integration with vision sensing technology, the Eyecon also improves customer safety. Capable of identifying broken pills or the presence of foreign materials on the counting tray, the vision-based system ensures high-quality product integrity. Further, to prevent potentially dangerous cross-contamination between penicillin and sulfa-based products, the Eyecon provides designated color-coded counting platters that are conveniently stored under the system.

"The simplicity of the Eyecon's design makes cleaning the device a snap, while the ease of operation allows us to effortlessly switch between modes," Menkhaus said.

In addition to pill counting, Kroger is also implementing the physical inventory mode to simplify inventory management. Using the same process as standard pill counting, the Eyecon quickly records the pill count of stock bottles and efficiently stores the results in a database. By providing inventory data in a user-friendly CSV format, pharmacy technicians can transfer the information to common spreadsheet programs. With this feature, Kroger experiences significant reduction in the amount of time and labor necessary to determine accurate inventory levels--providing more time to interact with customers and improve retention.

Avery Weigh-Tronix is a pioneer in the design and manufacture of innovative precision electronic weighing devices and control systems. GSE, a member of the Avery Weigh-Tronix Group, designs and manufactures countertop automation for pill counting and Rx validation in retail pharmacy operations, including the machine vision-based Eyecon system. For further information, visit http://www.eyeconvpc.com. Phone: (866) 260-6540. Fax: (313) 253-1301. Email: Eyecon@awtxglobal.com.

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