3-D Pill Printer

A new 3-D printer has been developed that can fill a patient’s prescription with custom-dose pharmaceuticals in about ten minutes. Dubbed AutoCompounder, the device will not only save pharmacists time, but could eventually be used to combine several drugs in a single dose, making it easier for patients to keep track of their medications.

While conventional compounding equipment is too expensive for most pharmacies, the cost of an AutoCompounder will be comparable to a typical capsule-filling device. The pharmacist mixes the active pharmaceuticals with the manufacturer’s proprietary polymer and fills the printer’s disposable cartridge. The dosage and quantity are then selected and the “printing” process begins. When finished, the machine even cleans up. The automated process takes about one-third the time needed to fill gel capsules by hand, while freeing up the tech for other tasks.

In addition to being able to customize the dosage, AutoCompounder is highly accurate and consistent from pill to pill. It can produce either tablets or gummies, and verifies the contents with each batch. The innovative pill printer is about the size of a laser printer (2 x 2 x 2 feet) and will reportedly sell for about $5,000, plus a monthly subscription fee for formulary updates, maintenance and software. Mass production is anticipated to begin within a year.