Man V. Robot
The prevailing theory behind investing the $1.5 million it cost to install a Swisslog system in Pascagoula, MS was to reduce human error. The hospital in Pascagoula fills 4,600 prescriptions daily, leaving room for error. "The machine's robotic arms move so quickly, it's hard to keep up. It may be speedy, but hospital officials say they're amazed by its accuracy" (Hall, 2009). Clearly in this match, the robot wins. However, at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township, NJ the idea was to get a Swisslog system to cut down the human error, but the system does not run on its own. The pharmacists there back up their system by double checking their input to guaranty accurate output (Maranatha Broadcasting Company, Inc., 2009). Though one might think this too is a classic John Henry versus Swisslog system, most pharmacists seeing this innovation as a good thing. "[The robot] allows the pharmacist to get more into clinical roles. We'll be out on the floor working with doctors and patients more" (Hall, 2009).