Pharmaceutical Industry 4.0: the complete guide to the market

In this content we will present what is known as the 4th Industrial Revolution, or more succinctly, the “Industry 4.0”. New technologies that have hit the market to improve the way production processes are done in the pharmaceutical industry, retail and much more. You will see how machines are replacing operational services and, in this way, provide better management, from the industry to the commercialization of medicines within pharmacies. Keep reading this material and get to know this new scenario in the pharmaceutical market.

The pharmaceutical industry 4.0

Sensors have modified everything we currently know. After all, they are the foundation of the internet of things and artificial intelligence. They interconnect systems at very high speed, change industrial activities and automate tasks and services. All of this is known as Industry 4.0. What is also considered by many to be the 4th Industrial Revolution.

Many may wonder: why? And the answer is simple. These sensors configure the data capture technology that the systems usually use so that they can play their roles in the most diverse industrial sectors.

The process of implementing this "Pharmaceutical Industry 4.0" is quite rapid. It's estimated that, in less than a decade, 21,8% of Brazilian companies will be affected by Industry 4.0, according to research released by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI). Currently, the percentage is much lower than that: just 1,6%. And, since technologies don't always adhere to forecasts, it's extremely likely that by the middle of this period, the industrial pharmaceutical sector will already be posting significant figures regarding disruptive innovation and "sensorization."

Such technological transformations will bring numerous advantages to the market, such as:

• Increase productivity;
• Reduce production costs;
• Maximize patient safety;
• Reduce drug prices.

All this implies integrated technologies, connected factories and intelligent processes, with the ability to provide managers with fundamental information for their decision making.

What many say is the 4th Industrial Revolution, is based on some technologies, check them out:

• Cloud computing (cloud computing) – lowering the cost of infrastructure services;
• Internet of Things – Considerable reduction in the prices of microcontrollers;
• Cognitive computing – It consists in the communication of man with the machine;
• Artificial intelligence – platforms as services;
• 3D printing – Emergence and cheapening of technology;
• Big Data – Ability to store and process streaming data.

Pioneering laboratories for the pharmaceutical industry

No industrial sector escapes this wave, therefore, the pharmaceutical industry is also included. And with great potential for evolution. More and more, connected machines will be deployed to make laboratory production smarter and more efficient. In this way, they will bring a significant increase in the productive capacity of the industry in the coming years.

In this “new industry”, the systems monitor physical processes, create a virtual replication and make decentralized decisions based on the data collected by the computers. This process allows errors to be identified and resolved more quickly and assertively. It saves time and is efficient.

Maintenance in industries 4.0 also happens in a more technological way. Unlike what we know as "conventional", in this new scenario it is done in a computerized way. It allows, then, the registration of the services executed in real time. In addition, it provides greater speed and assertiveness in the analysis of the causes of failures and problem solving.

Therefore, from now on, operational work is increasingly automated. Control is done through artificial intelligence. The employee then assumes a more strategic role, analyzing data collected by computers. It makes decisions based on the information gathered.

Retail is also looking to the future of pharmaceutical industry 4.0

Once implemented, Industry 4.0 will also have important impacts on pharmaceutical retail distribution. This will require advanced solutions and systems from all links in the chain in Brazil.

These technological advances are already a reality in some parts of the world, such as Portugal, for example. In several Portuguese pharmacies, the dispensing of medicines is carried out in an automated way. For a better understanding, it works like this: in a pharmacy, a robot takes the requested item and places it on a treadmill or slide. In this way, the drug reaches the counter in the hands of the pharmacist. This same system sends, in the case of psychotropic drugs that are controlled, the necessary information to Infarmed (a company that works as an ANVISA in Portugal).

The Portuguese do not do any bookkeeping and send medication information manually. What is seen there, will soon appear in Brazil. Such technological advances will not take long to arrive here.

Automation in pharmacies tends to be increasingly common and allows greater control of the stock and administration of medicines to patients. In addition to these advantages, it also allows for cost reductions. The process is simple: electronic dispensaries store medicines monitored by a computerized control. In order to be able to access the equipment, the biometric reading of the responsible professional must be carried out, who can only withdraw drugs prescribed for the hospitalized patient and at the time of administration.

The system is completely beneficial. The benefits that automation in pharmacies brings are countless. The main ones are related to the organization of space and time of pharmaceutical care that is given to the patient. Having automated management in pharmacies makes service more streamlined and patient-focused. Orders are requested from the robot, so there is no need to leave the counter to look for medication. Therefore, it is possible for the pharmacist to advance the service, answer questions and guide patients.