Every moment counts – and “Dwight” does, too!

When we’re caring for you, every moment counts.

That’s why, if you look closely next time you stop at Winona Clinic Pharmacy, you may notice a new helper in the background. That’s “Dwight.” While our caregivers are assisting people at the counter, on the phone or at the drive-up window, Dwight is quietly doing what he does best — counting pills and filling, capping and labeling prescription bottles.

Dwight, named by our pharmacy caregivers, is our new prescription-filling robot. Dwight allows the pharmacy team to automate prescription filling for nearly 200 of the most frequently needed medications in pill form (tablets and capsules).

“Counting pills can be a time-consuming part of our job. Fortunately, it’s a task that can be given to a robot. The only difference to our patients is that we can often get their prescriptions filled more quickly while we’re also answering their questions,” said Jeffrey Stoltman, lead pharmacy technician.

“We have seen significant growth in the number of community members choosing our pharmacy, and that’s been great!” noted Jill Ender, PharmD, director of Pharmacy at Winona Health. “That also means that our technicians were spending a lot of time counting pills when what they really want to do is answer questions and help people. Our prescription-filling robot is perfectly designed to quickly and accurately dispense pills, which allows our caregivers to focus on their most important role — helping our patients use medications wisely.”

Dwight not only can focus on tasks without interruption, it also uses barcoding technology to ensure medications are accurately loaded and tracked.

“Automated filling is integrated right into our pharmacy software,” explained Pharmacist Amanda Weber, PharmD. “We’ve already had multiple cases where we’ve entered an order and it’s ready by the time we’re finished talking with a patient and answering their questions. Then, we can simply check their order and they can be on their way. For me, the best part of being a pharmacist is interacting with people, and automated prescription-filling capabilities allow more time for that.”

So far, “Dwight” has been a stellar part of the team, filling over a third of the pharmacy’s daily prescriptions. What may take someone up to 4 minutes to complete, our robot can do in about 46 seconds. That means more time for our caregivers to focus on taking care of you!

If you need a prescription filled or an over-the-counter supply – or if you have a question about your medication, stop in or drive up: 855 Mankato Avenue. You can also call the Winona Clinic Pharmacy at 507.457.7688.

Dwight, named by our pharmacy caregivers, is our new prescription-filling robot.

Once a prescription is filled, Dwight then dispenses the capped and labeled bottle to an open bin, where a pharmacy caregiver collects, scans and delivers to the patient at checkout.