Meet Max and Mabel...

About two months ago, Middlesex Hospital added two new staff members to its pharmacy department--TUG^® robots, Mabel and Max. The pair are the new automated robotic pharmacy delivery system installed about 6 months ago and since then, they have been charming hospital staff and patients alike. 

About two years ago, Middlesex Hospital Pharmacy Director, Noreen Todd and Head of Pharmacy Technology, Patricia Howard saw a demonstration of the TUG robotic technology at a professional conference. They knew instantly that Middlesex Hospital could benefit tremendously from getting one...or two of its own.  

“The robots have been a resounding success in freeing up pharmacy staff to focus more on the key aspects of preparing medications rather than spending their time delivering them,” said Todd.  

"The TUG technology is safe, secure, accurate and timely. In fact, the cost of purchasing the two robots equals about half the cost of one employee,” she added. “But the good news is Mable and Max haven’t taken any jobs away, they have just made the pharmacy much more efficient and productive.”

Todd added that having the robots has been especially helpful on the night shift, when the pharmacy has a limited number of staff on duty. 

The Middlesex Hospital pharmacy distributes about 1,000 doses of medication per day, with the TUG machines making 20 trips per day on average.

The robots both have different job descriptions and routes: Mabel handles the patients floors and is programmed daily to make deliveries throughout the hospital. Max is larger and has more capacity, so his routes involve making deliveries to the hospital’s storeroom that get sent out to offsite locations such as the outpatient center on Saybrook Road and the cancer center.

Both machines “talk” as well. In fact, they are programmed to ride the elevators alone, so if someone comes off the elevator while they are waiting, they politely ask that person to please “Exit the elevator, now.” Cameras are also installed in each robot, which are remotely monitored at a location outside the hospital. 

“Sometimes, but not often, they may get ‘stuck’ somewhere on the patient floors, but if that happens, the pharmacy is alerted and we get them moving again,” said Todd. 

Staff pharmacist David Siwy said Mabel and Max have been a welcome addition to the pharmacy. “They have greatly improved the workflow, all while being very safe and confidential,” he said.  

Although patients don’t have direct interaction with the robots, “Visitors on the unit get a real kick from seeing them go by,” said staff nurse, Patty Esposito.