Pneumatic Tube Systems (PTS) are used in more than 15,000 hospitals worldwide to ensure fast, safe transport of certain items, reduce contamination, increase efficiency, and enable rapid pharmacy workflows.
However, with certain limitations, Delivery Robots offer an alternative for Pneumatic Tube Systems (PTS) to handle sensitive items securely.
The Ongoing Challenge With Tubing Medications Most healthcare providers using PTS maintain a “Do Not Tube” list of hundreds of medications that CANNOT and SHOULD NOT be transported, including prescriptions, infusion medications, specimens, vaccines, and other pharmacy products.
Robots offer an alternative for Pneumatic
To determine whether a medication should be on a “Do Not Tube” list, consider:
- 1
Potential for alteration of active ingredients/vehicle, including products that may foam if shaken
- 2
Chemotherapy hazardous cytotoxic medicationsand radiopharmaceuticals
- 3
Risk of breakage, including glass bottles or ampules that cannot be secured or padded during transport
- 4
Substantial monetary or labor loss if the medication is “lost” or damaged during transport in the PTS
- 5
Flammable/explosive/aerosol containers and volatile liquids
- 6
“High Alert” or controlled substances that require a signature upon receipt
- 7
Living therapeutic modalities or creatures (e.g., leeches or maggots)
The “Do Not Tube” Medication List Includes:
A Safe, Secure, and Fast Complement to Tubing Systems
As the perfect complement to their tubing systems, major PTS providers endorse autonomous, efficient Relay Service Robots. Delivery Robots offer an alternative for Pneumatic Tube Systems (PTS), ensuring safe, secure, fast, and contact-free delivery to pharmacies, labs, oncology clinics, blood banks, and Emergency Rooms.
How Other Hospitals Rely on Relay Service Robots
In addition, Relay Service Robots are used by other hospitals to perform multiple tasks, such as delivering:
The Bottom Line
While PTS are surprisingly common in hospitals, the medications and specimens contained on their “Do Not Tube” lists can be securely and efficiently delivered via Relay Service Robots. This helps staff effectively manage medications unsuitable for tubing with maximum safety and increased reliability.
Read more about Relay robots for Healthcare.
About Relay Robotics
Relay Robotics, Inc. (formerly Savioke) is a leading supplier of simple, sophisticated, autonomous delivery robots that work with humans safely, securely, reliably, and contact-free. Relay Robotics has been a technology leader in robotics since 2013 and holds 10 U.S. patents. Relay’s robots complement staff across hospitality, healthcare, and commercial real estate. They have completed more than 1,000,000 deliveries worldwide. To learn more, contact us.
Relay delivery robots are currently deployed at major hotels in the United States such as Marriott, Hilton, Westin, Mandarin Oriental, Holiday Inn, and Radisson, nationally recognized hospitals such as Georgetown and Dartmouth, and commercial real estate properties. Relay robots are available via a monthly subscription or RaaS (Robots as a Service). Relay’s Rapid-Install™ trains and activates a robot within hours of arrival at a location so they can seamlessly ride elevators and navigate the entire property. Customers can name their robot and create a customized “wrap” to give it a unique character and harmonize it with their brand.