As we unveil the results of our 8th Annual State of Pharmacy Automation national survey of health system pharmacists, we continue to be excited about how this survey has grown and matured to reflect significant automation purchasing, adoption, and implementation trends within the practice of hospital pharmacy. Having compiled and analyzed the data over several years, it is fascinating to discover how pharmacy’s use of technology has developed over that time.

On the pages that follow, you will find not only current and projected automation adoption data, but also past trends that provide the opportunity to benchmark your facility against others of your size and scope, as well as facilities of all sizes. 

One of the facts we are most proud of at Pharmacy Purchasing & Products is that, once again this year, 88% of all survey respondents actively use PP&P to clarify and support automation acquisition decisions. We are honored not only by the recognition of this vast majority, but also that this number has steadily increased from 72% in 2009 to 88% in 2012 and 2013.

We know that managing budgets, committing to new technology initiatives, and maintaining smooth workflow in the pharmacy are daunting tasks that must be planned for and orchestrated throughout the year or even over the course of multiple years. It is with this idea in mind that PP&P makes the data from the State of Pharmacy Automation survey available in a PowerPoint slide package. We have received terrific feedback in the past on how pharmacy managers and directors have used this data to bolster benchmarking presentations and for-need acquisitions. Simply visit www.pppmag.com/slides and click on the cover page for the State of Pharmacy Automation 2013 issue to download the slide kit. You are welcome to use the slides in presentations both internally and externally. We simply ask that you retain the credit found on the bottom left corner of each slide. We love to hear how our data has improved your pharmacy’s operations, so if you have benefited from this data, please drop us a note at and let us know. Hearing your success stories will help us continue to expand and hone our data to best serve your needs. 

Here at PP&P, we make it easy for you to take full advantage of the information we have compiled—important market research providing a transparent view of current, past, and future trends in pharmacy automation. We look forward to the new developments yet to be unveiled in 2013 and a robust automation future in 2014.

All the best,

R. Mitchell Halvorsen
Publisher