I&H Introduces Zebra Solutions to Achieve Greater Productivity, Accuracy and Patient Safety

Major dispensing pharmacy chain deploys technology to assist its store associates in prescribed medication picking and validation across all its stores in Japan

TOKYO, Japan – April 13, 2022 – Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), an innovator at the front line of business with solutions and partners that deliver a performance edge, today announced that I&H (formerly known as Hanshin Dispensing Holdings) has deployed Zebra solutions at about 200 of its dispensing pharmacies and will be introducing them to all its 600 dispensing pharmacies in Japan. The move will enable its store associates to dispense prescribed medications to its patients swiftly and accurately.

In recent years, in Japan, the sale of prescribed medication has been deregulated and it is no longer mandatory that this be done under the supervision of pharmacists. As a result, I&H is expanding its store associates’ responsibilities to include the sale of prescribed medication and must enable them with the right tools to perform related tasks.

Each medicine has a unique pharmaceutical code, and it is important that the store associates can validate it against the patient’s prescription to ensure their safety. By pairing the TC21 mobile computer with Japan Circulation System’s (JCS) Medicine validation app called “Yaku touch,” I&H’s store associates can use their handheld devices to scan the barcode of each medicine to conduct this validation process.

I&H also introduced the practically weightless RS5100 Bluetooth wearable scanner that can be worn like a ring on a single finger. When paired up with the TC21, the solution frees up both hands of their store associates, making it easier when they are scanning and picking several prescribed medications at the same time.

“Given the government’s deregulation, store associates are now allowed to dispense prescribed medication to patients, a role previously done only by pharmacists,” said Hideki Ohno, Director of Pharmacy Support for I&H. “The change allows us to widen the job scope of our store associates and increase their productivity with the right tools. The lightweight, Android-powered TC21 mobile computer is user-friendly with a large screen which helps minimize human errors and increase accuracy and efficiency. And the RS5100 Bluetooth wearable scanner gives them hands-free mobility and comfort when performing the additional tasks.”

I&H worked with Zebra PartnerConnect business partner, JCS, to build a customized solution including maintenance.

“We are very excited to help digitalize I&H’s operations with our solutions,” said Takanori Furukawa, Country Manager of Zebra Technologies Japan Co., Ltd. “At Zebra, we work closely with our partners to understand the challenges of our customers before jointly developing a solution that meets their needs. Zebra mobile computers enable our customer’s front-line workers with new on-demand abilities like voice collaboration, which helps them accomplish much more with ease so they can thrive in the on-demand economy.”   

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Zebra’s solutions have empowered I&H’s store associates with the ability to dispense prescribed medication to patients accurately and swiftly.
  • The move has enabled I&H to increase its productivity through the expansion of their store associates’ job scope while also ensuring patient safety. 
  • Zebra’s mobile solutions are powering customers’ on-demand enterprise to energize front-line workers with abilities beyond the demands of today.


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ABOUT ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES

Zebra (NASDAQ: ZBRA) empowers organizations to thrive in the on-demand economy by making every front-line worker and asset at the edge visible, connected and fully optimized. With an ecosystem of more than 10,000 partners across more than 100 countries, Zebra serves customers of all sizes – including 94% of the Fortune 100 – with an award-winning portfolio of hardware, software, services and solutions that digitize and automate workflows. Supply chains are more dynamic, customers and patients are better served, and workers are more engaged when they utilize Zebra innovations that help them sense, analyze and act in real time. Zebra recently expanded its industrial automation portfolio with its Fetch Robotics acquisition and increased its machine vision and AI software capabilities with the acquisitions of Adaptive Vision and antuit.ai. Zebra is #25 on Newsweek’s inaugural list of America’s 100 Most Loved Workplaces and #79 on Forbes’ list of America’s 500 Best Midsize Employers. Learn more at www.zebra.com or sign up for news alerts. Follow Zebra’s Your Edge blog, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, and check out our Story Hub: Zebra Perspectives.

Media Contact:

Noda, Oura, Seki
INOUE PUBLIC RELATIONS, INC.
TEL: 03-5269-2301
Email: zebra@inoue-pr.com

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