Robotics and chemotherapy preparation: what impacts on staff quality of life and working conditions (QWLC)?

Introduction
In October 2023, APOTECA CHEMO^® robot (Loccioni company) was installed in our pharmacotechnical department. It prepared standardized doses and is operated by a hospital pharmacy technician (HPT) in a dedicated production room (SP). The general production room (GP) contains 3 double-post isolators and can accommodate up to 10 people during production periods. The collaboration between HPT and the robot (cobotic) enables the production of 60 to 90 preparations per day, accounting for 1/3 of annual production.
The aim is to compare the QWLC of HPTs in GP and SP. Preliminary work identified noise and musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) as priority items by a group of HPTs, interns, and pharmacists.

Materials and Methods
A multidisciplinary group consisting of an ergonomist, a HPT, and pharmacists determined the assessment methods needed to measure the impact of noise and MSD in the unit.
The GABO questionnaire, which collects data on discomfort in the work environment, was distributed to all HPTs. It is anonymized and validated by the National Institute of Research and Safety and consists of 83 items.
A sound map of GP and SP rooms was established using a sonometer.
The MSD risk assessment was carried out using the KIMEA^® software (Moovency) with connected sensors and a camera on HPTs working in both GP and SP. The analysis refers to the RULA method, using 3 successive measurements of 1’30 on tasks representative of the activity.

Results
Seventeen HPTs work in pharmacotechnics, including 7 trained in both GP and SP. All 17 HPTs completed the questionnaire. In GP, 71% of HPTs are bothered by noise environment. The most disturbing noise is from the production equipment (82% of HPTs), followed by ringing telephones (41% of HPTs). In SP, 71% of the 7 HPTs are bothered by noise environment, which is solely from the robot.
The noise map of the SP room shows that the loudest areas are near the robot loading area, close to the HPT workspace (62.5dB). In GP, one of the 6 posts is more exposed to noise (65dB) and is located between telephones, printer, and refrigerator.
According to the questionnaire, 65% of GP HPTs report experiencing few or no physical symptoms such as headaches, neck pain etc. In SP, 71% experience few or no physical symptoms.
Full analysis of the 14 videos produced with KIMEA^® software on 7 HPT, in both GP and SP activity, is ongoing.

Discussion
The questionnaire suggests that the most disturbing noises for HPTs are mainly those generated by production equipment. The noise map reinforces these results, identifying noisy areas near these equipments.
The KIMEA^® analysis will allow us to compare the working methods of HPT in GP and SP.

Conclusion
Preventive actions are needed to reduce noise and exposure to MSD. Ergonomic strategies are under consideration, including the use of dynamic mats in front of the robot and digitization of manufacturing sheets.

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