BY 2010, patients in some public hospitals, specialist centres and polyclinics will have their medications packed and barcoded with their names and identity numbers by robots, rather than pharmacists.

Nurses or pharmacists will dispense the medications after matching the barcode on the packets of drugs with those on patients' wristbands, or identity cards. Using this way of filling and dispensing prescriptions reduces the likelihood of error.

The project is one of three being rolled out over the next two years by health-care group, SingHealth, in its ongoing effort to bring all its systems into an integrated and seamless one.

Read Lee Hui Chieh's full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.