A healthcare clinic in Cassopolis is now being served by a drug dispensing robot.

Cass Family Clinic has installed “Rosie” in its pharmacy. Rosie is a Parata Max 2 robot filled with 200 of the most popular medications, which it can label, count, dispense, and cap all on its own. Cass Family Clinic Pharmacy Director Kevin Klipowicz tells us once an order for a prescription comes in, humans verify it before it’s sent to Rosie.

So, how’s the robot work?

“One side is the filling side where the robot will count the medication out, and then the other side is where the medications will come out after they’re completed, fully labeled, fully with the cap on,” Klipowicz said. “Staff just have to grab it off it, scan it out, and take it to the pharmacist to be checked for final verification.”

Klipowicz says the clinic’s pharmacy has seen a flood of new customers since the Rite Aid in Cassopolis closed. He adds about four other nearby pharmacies have closed in the last year, leaving Cass Family Clinic as the only one in town and the only option for some residents in the general area. He calls Rosie a “game changer” for the staff.

Klipowicz notes Rosie is the same kind of unit installed at the clinic’s Niles pharmacy back in August. The Niles location has also seen a jump in customers since Rite Aid closed.

Klipowicz adds there are multiple checkpoints along the way where humans verify any prescriptions filled by the robot, but says it’s been a major help for a team that’s having to serve more and more people.