153 Smart Lockers Support NHS Pharmacy Collection
Smart lockers in the rollout
Patient pickup model targeted
Patient collection credentials
Summary
Controlled Outpatient Pharmacy Collection
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's large teaching hospital groups, while KFM manages the outpatient pharmacy service at the Denmark Hill site on the Trust's behalf. In this high-volume outpatient setting, patients, clinic teams, and pharmacy staff all depend on a collection process that is secure, traceable, and practical within the realities of hospital operations.
The core challenge was not simply storing dispensed medication. The Trust needed a better way to reduce collection queues, support access outside standard counter handover moments, maintain clear accountability for issued and returned items, and coordinate requirements across pharmacy, facilities, IT, and patient-care stakeholders.
King's College Hospital's Challenges
Queue Pressure
Manual prescription handover at the counter created queues and limited how efficiently the service could handle repeat collection demand.
Around-the-Clock Access
The Trust wanted patients to collect repeat prescriptions through a 24/7 model instead of depending only on staffed counter availability.
Controlled Issue Process
Medication collection needed stronger traceability and access control than an informal pickup process could reliably provide.
Stakeholder Alignment
Facilities, pharmacy, and IT teams had to align workflow, security, and locker-wall design before rollout could proceed safely.
A Smarter Solution
Discovery
The team mapped four workflows: patient collection, patient returns, clinic collection for patients, and clinic staff returns to pharmacy.
Solution & Recommendation
Patients collect with QR code and PIN, while clinic staff use RFID badge access for authorized issue and return workflows.
Customization & Collaboration
Implementation aligned pharmacy, facilities, patient care, and IT teams around secure credentials, notifications, and locker-wall design.
Why Keynius
Keynius matched the need for traceable healthcare workflows, configurable access rules, and secure handover outside the main pharmacy counter.
The Results: A More Controlled Prescription Pickup Model
The rollout introduced a 153-locker pharmacy workflow that supports patient pickup, patient returns, clinic collection, and clinic returns through more controlled digital handover steps.
- 153 smart lockers created a defined collection estate for repeat prescriptions instead of relying only on manual counter handover.
- Patients can collect dispensed medication with QR code and PIN credentials without queuing or entering the outpatient pharmacy.
- Authorized clinic staff can collect on behalf of patients through RFID badge access, reducing waiting time inside pharmacy operations.
- Patient and clinic return workflows create digital notifications and clearer audit trails for returned medication items.
Conclusion
For King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the issue was not simply where prescriptions are stored before collection. The larger challenge was how to reduce queues, preserve control, and support patient and clinic handovers through one governed process. By moving to a 153-locker model that supports QR-plus-PIN patient access, RFID-based clinic collection, and structured return flows, the Trust established a more controlled outpatient pharmacy workflow. Before publication, the story still needs verified outcome data and an approved testimonial.
Smart lockers for every solution
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