Skip to content

Protect product integrity from storage to dispatch

Controlled automation for Pharmaceutical and Healthcare sectors

Ocado retrieval bots operating on an automated storage grid

Pharmaceutical and healthcare distribution depends on accurate handling, reliable product availability, and visibility and traceability across warehouse operations. Product movements can affect patient access, product quality and the records needed to support audits or recalls. Temperature requirements and stock rotation policies add further handling and sequencing considerations. Ocado combines intelligent mobile robotics with Ocado Storage and Retrieval Solutions to help improve operational control by coordinating people, robots, inventory and tasks, with integration into existing systems supporting access to product, lot and order data.

Where speed, accuracy and control are critical


Warehouse teams must meet short lead times while managing product identity, temperature and storage requirements, security and stock rotation. High-value medicines, controlled products and cold-chain handling add complexity, while recalls can require affected inventory to be located and isolated quickly.

Labour shortages, repetitive travel and manual handovers can make these tasks harder to manage consistently. Automation can help reduce manual movement and support inventory handling in line with defined workflows, including different stock rotation approaches where appropriate for the product and process.

Configured and integrated to suit the operation, Ocado's intelligent automation solutions can help teams improve flow, maintain visibility of inventory movements and adapt to emerging requirements, while supporting the consistent execution and validation of handling procedures.

Intro Title

TABS - TITLE

Move faster without compromising control

Warehouse associate handling a pallet of cardboard boxes
Store more in less space

High density storage positions inventory for rapid retrieval while reducing the footprint required for tote based stock.

Two warehouse associates reviewing information on a laptop between storage racks
Support traceability

Integration with warehouse systems connects task execution with the product, lot, serial and transaction records the operation manages.

Warehouse associate using a barcode scanner and tablet beside boxed products
Guide accurate picking

Use system-directed prompts and scan-confirmed workflows, where configured, to guide each pick and reduce avoidable selection errors.

Warehouse associate using a tablet beside storage shelves
Coordinate and prioritise work

Orchestrate and allocate work according to order urgency, inventory location, staffing and robot availability.

Warehouse associate reviewing paperwork beside a laptop at a desk
See operational risk sooner

Use live visibility into throughput, task status, robot availability and developing queues to identify service risk before it becomes a missed commitment.

The right automation for each Pharmaceutical need

Chuck AMR carrying cardboard boxes and blue trays through a warehouse

Add flexible capacity and improve productivity at speed

Ocado’s Mobile Robot Solutions bring Chuck AMR and Porter AMR together through Ocado IQ, keeping people, robots, equipment, and tasks connected across the operation. Chuck AMR carries orders and guides associates through each pick, helping them work faster and more accurately. Porter AMR automates the movement of pallets, cages, and full cases, while the Ocado IQ App extends system-directed work to areas where robots are not used. Ocado IQ orchestrates the entire operation in real time to improve throughput, efficiency, and reliability.

Designed for rapid deployment in existing facilities, the solution adapts to different workflows and demand patterns without major infrastructure changes. Operators can add capacity as needed and create a practical path from targeted workflow automation to a more connected, end-to-end operation.

Ocado retrieval bot carrying an orange tote beside a robotic picking arm on the storage grid

Build for density and sustained throughput

Ocado's Storage and Retrieval System (OSRS) combines ultra-high-density vertical cube storage, autonomous bots, robotic picking, and AI-powered warehouse software to keep inventory compact, accessible, and moving efficiently. OSRS increases capacity, throughput, speed, and accuracy while reducing space requirements and manual oversight.

Designed for both new and existing facilities, the system can accommodate a wide range of products and scale as demand grows. It can also work alongside mobile robotics, giving operators a practical path from targeted workflow automation to a more connected, end-to-end automated operation.

Built for complex operations and proven at scale

Ocado's technology is grounded in decades of solving complex fulfilment challenges in live, high-pressure operations. That operational heritage shapes how we design software and robotics as one coordinated system. Productivity comes from making the whole operation work more intelligently, not simply adding more automation.

Every partnership begins with the realities of the customer's operation. We work alongside your teams to understand inventory profiles, handling requirements, service risks, compliance pressures and existing processes, then identify where automation can create the greatest value without weakening critical controls.

Our modular portfolio allows you to address a priority workflow first and expand at a pace that fits your operation. From discovery and solution design through deployment and ongoing optimisation, Ocado remains a long-term partner, connecting each new capability to the wider operation as volumes, requirements and priorities evolve.

Each operator remains responsible for validating its complete processes against applicable regulatory and quality requirements.

Meet us at upcoming industry events

LogiMAT

An international intralogistics exhibition showcasing warehouse automation, material handling and process management solutions.
16-18 March 2027
Stuttgart, Germany

IntraLogisteX UK

A logistics exhibition featuring warehouse technology, automation and solutions to improve supply chain efficiency.
17-18 March 2027
Birmingham, United Kingdom

ProMat Chicago

A major manufacturing and supply chain exhibition showcasing automation, material handling and logistics technology.
19-21 April 2027
Chicago, USA

Where could better control improve productivity, reduce risk and lower cost?

We begin by understanding the inventory profiles, traceability requirements, order urgency, handling processes, service risks and space constraints that shape your operation. Together, we identify where automation can deliver the greatest value without compromising critical controls, then build a practical roadmap for implementation and expansion.

Explore products and technologies:

Ready to strengthen control and improve warehouse productivity?

Talk to our solutions team about how intelligent automation could support your handling requirements, operational priorities and future growth.

 

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Pharmaceutical and Healthcare sectors.

Ocado solutions can support controlled workflows, traceability and audit evidence. Each operator remains responsible for validating the complete process against applicable regulations, licences and quality systems.

View this website in your preferred language

Choose your language to explore Ocado’s solutions.