In this day and age where speed, precision, and efficiency are highly valued, which is why it doesn’t come as a surprise to see robots start finding their way into more industries. We’ve seen how robots are taking over factory jobs, but soon it is possible that pharmacists could find themselves out of a job as well.
This is because over in China, the Midea Group has announced that they will be working with Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings to introduce robots to the workforce, where robots could be used to pick, package, and distribute pills at hospitals and drugstores. This could eventually mean that pharmacists could find themselves out of a job in the future should this prove to be a success.
According to Midea Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Paul Fang, “There is explosive potential in robotics and automation in China, and we are only at the beginning. Every consumer sector in China is upgrading and our cooperation seizes this trend in health care.’’ That being said, pharmacists do more than just dispense pills, such as counsel patients on how to take their medicine, advise patients on what kind of medication they might need for certain ailments, and so on, so it won’t eliminate the profession entirely, but who knows what could change in the next 5-10 years?