Two years ago, a leading pharmacy in California approached Advanced Automation with a pressing issue: the prescription labels used for filling prescriptions were regularly on backorder, jeopardizing their ability to fill prescriptions. Having pharmacy prescription labels always on hand allow the pharmacy to maintain operation printing and filling as many prescriptions as they can.

The pharmacy labels required were highly customized, involving multiple colors and facets with face slits. These colors and facets each received specific variable information unique to each prescription. Once the prescription label was printed, the label facets could be separated to be used in several critical areas for pharmacy prescription compliance and regulation. Including the prescription bottle as well as internal reporting and documentation.

Advanced Automation, a leading provider of custom thermal label solutions, took on the challenge. The label itself was very complex and required multiple steps to ensure the pharmacy label was recreated exactly as the original. Precision and nothing else.

Step 1 - Measurement & Create a Drawing / Proof
A sample roll of the pharmacy's labels was shipped to Advanced Automation. Thermal label material matching as well as measuring out the pharmacy label and all of its different facets. This was critical because if measurements were off, the pharmacy label print would not end up in the proper areas of the labels

Step 2 - Pilot Run for Live Testing
Once the pharmacy label proof had been designed, drawn and approved by the customer, a set of pilot rolls were manufactured. These are test rolls of the actual prescription labels for the customer to test out in their own environment. The custom label pilot process allow for true testing of the custom label without having to commit to a larger order volume. This lowers the investment and eliminates any risk for the customer.

Step 3 - Second Round of Pilot Roll Testing
The first pilot run of prescription labels had some spacing that was not quite right. Some of the color pre-printing was slightly off as well. Because of this, a second round of pilot labels was produced with the new label adjustments in place.

Step 4 - Customer Sign Off
The final round of custom pharmacy prescription labels worked nearly perfect for the customer. It was a near identical match of their previous labels that had supply issues. The customer signed off on the proof and looked forward to production.

Step 5 - Pharmacy Label Inventory Management
The first Make & Hold order was a 6 month commitment of the pharmacy prescription labels. After the prescription labels were manufactured, Advanced Automation stocked the pharmacy labels in its warehouse and began shipping out one month's worth of labels at a time. This way the customer didn't have to store all the labels themselves and backorders were a thing of the past because now Advanced Automation always keeps production of the prescription labels ahead of the customer's usage.