Rowa Automatisierungssysteme GmbH is market leader for automated stock handling in pharmacies

Pharmacy

Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...

 and hospital

Hospital

A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....

s with its storage and dispensing systems.

Medical supplies are scanned into the system, stored and then dispensed at the pharmacy sales counter using conveyor technology. The company has its headquarters in Kelberg, Eifel and employs over 300 staff. There are subsidiaries in Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden. In 2010 turnover reached about 62 Million Euros and the company is one of the top 100 companies in Rheinland-Pfalz in terms of turnover. In 2011, Rowa was integrated in the global medical device company CareFusion

CareFusion

CareFusion is a global, medical technology corporation serving the health care industry. The company specializes in two areas: reducing medication errors and helping prevent health care-associated infections...

, San Diego.

History

Rowa Automatisierungssysteme GmbH was founded in 1996 by Rudolf Wagner and Markus Willems. In 2006, Dirk Wingenter joined the management board and in 2009, Dr Christian Klas became the fourth member of the board.

The original business idea was triggered by a couple of pharmacists. They were keen to restructure workflows effectively in the modern pharmacy. In 1997 the first automated storage and dispensing system was installed in a Dresden pharmacy. Today more than 3,250 pharmacies and hospitals all over the world are using Rowa Systems. PharmaXie, presented as the pharmacy of the future at the world fair Expo 2000, was equipped with Rowa storage and dispensing systems.

Product range

Rowa produces and distributes automated stock handling systems for pharmacies. These systems are developed individually for each pharmacy or hospital. Like in a high-bay warehouse, medicaments are stored in random storage according to their size and height. These systems are developed individually for each pharmacy or hospital and store medication supplies as if in a high-bay warehouse without being ordered by size or depth. With high flexibility of the size, the systems can be adapted to the particular requirements of each pharmacy.

Additional options include fully automated storage, or a consultation and dispensing terminal for pharmacies. In the latter case, patients can get advice through a video-conferencing facility and medicine cam be dispensed remotely. This system, known as Visavia, is currently being contested in Germany. As a result of a decision (Reference Number 3C 30.09 and 31.09) by the German Federal Administrative Court, it is only partially approved. In other countries this type of terminal is in extensive use.

Awards and certification

• 41 cases of Intellectual Property Right (IPR) and patents
• TÜV
  TÜV Rheinland
  TÜV Rheinland is a global provider of technical, safety and certification services. Originally called the Dampfkessel-Überwachungs-Vereine , TÜV Rheinland was founded in 1872 and has its headquarters in Cologne, Germany...
  
  - and GS
  Geprüfte Sicherheit
  The Geprüfte Sicherheit or GS mark is a voluntary certification mark for technical equipment. It indicates that the equipment meets German and, if available, European safety requirements for such devices...
  
  -certified (ID-Nummer 0000028411)through the German technical inspection authority
• red dot design award
  Red dot design award
  The Red Dot Design Award is an international product design prize awarded by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. There are prize categories for product design, design agencies, and design concepts. Since 1955, designers and producers can apply for the prizes with the winners...
  
  
• Nominee for the German Design Award 2011
  German Design Award
  The Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany is the nation's official design award and is presented by the German Ministry for Economics and Technology. The award was given for the first time under the name 'Federal Award for Good Design' in 1969 and thereafter every two years. Moreover,...
  
  
• Rheinland-Pfalz Erfinderpreis, a state award for inventors
• Holkenbrink Award

Membership

• IDA – Innovationsakademie deutscher Apotheken (Innovation academy for German pharmacies)
• Future Care – Informationsplattform für TeleHealth des Branchenverbands BITKOM (Information point for TeleHealth by ICT industry association BITKOM)
• MiA – Marketingverband innovativer Apothekendienstleister (Marketing Association for Innovative Pharmacy Service Providers)

Sources

• Das Unternehmergespräch: Rudolf Wagner, Gründer und Geschäftsführer der RowaAutomatisierungssysteme GmbH - „Apotheker erhalten mehr Zeit und Platz“.) (Conversation with an entrepreneur: Rudolf Wagner, founder and Chief Executive Officer, Rowa Automatisierungssysteme GmbH). Article in: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. 15 March 2010.
• Wenn Roboter Arzneien holen. (When robots fetch our medicines). Article in: Süddeutsche Zeitung. 8 June 2010.
• Automaten-Verkauf: Die Apotheke als Selbstbedienungsladen. (Automated sales: the pharmacy as a self-service facility). Article in: Handelsblatt. 24 June 2010.
• Decision of the German Federal Administrative Court, 9 August 2010(Az. 3 C 30.09 and 31.09)
• Top 100 – Die umsatzstärksten Unternehmen in Rheinland Pfalz. (Top 100 – Rheinland Pfalz businesses with the highest turnover). (Ranking by the Rheinland-Pfalz Bank, October 2010)
• CareFusion completes Rowa acquisition 01 August 2011.