Deals
Pharmacies Run by Robots Mark Midea's Foray Into Health Care
- Midea, Guangzhou Pharmaceutical test automated dispensaries
- Robotics to account for 20% of sales by 2020, Fang forecasts
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China’s nearly 400,000 pharmacists may be next in line to be replaced by robots.
Midea Group Co., the world’s biggest appliance maker, is working with Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Ltd. to bring fully-automated dispensaries that can pick, package and distribute pills at hospitals and drugstores. The pilot program, in China’s southern Guangdong province, could eventually turn into a joint venture, according to Midea Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Paul Fang.