MG-DX Confirms High Acceptance Across Age Groups and Increased Self-Service Completion Rates in Smart Pharmacy Operations

MG-DX, a medical AI company and consolidated subsidiary of CyberAgent, in a joint research effort with Osaka University's Graduate School of Engineering Science and CyberAgent's AI Lab, and with the cooperation of Nippon Shinyaku, has published a research paper titled 'Operational Evaluation of Unmanned Reception and In-Pharmacy Remote Medication Guidance in Smart Pharmacies: A Long-term Mixed Methods Study Based on Patient and Employee Evaluations.'

This marks the first research paper in Japan evaluating the practical operation of unmanned reception using avatar/CG agents in a pharmacy.

The study comprehensively verified the 'implementation effects' and 'future operational challenges' of unmanned reception and remote medication guidance within the 'Smart Pharmacy' pilot project conducted at Nippon Shinyaku pharmacies.

■ Paper Information
Title: Operational Evaluation of Unmanned Reception and In-Pharmacy Remote Medication Guidance in Smart Pharmacies
Authors: Yuki Okafuji, Sichao Song, Keisuke Misawa, Riho Shimuta, Hiroshi Ishiguro
Publication Date: April 23, 2026

■ Summary of Findings
1. Positive patient feedback across age groups
Patients highly valued the 'wait-free reception' and found the remote medication guidance to be 'comparable to face-to-face' services.

2. Improved completion rates without staff assistance
The percentage of cases requiring no physical staff support increased from 51.5% to 85.7% for unmanned reception, and from 12.5% to 63.2% for remote medication guidance.

3. Environment allowing pharmacists to focus on dispensing duties
Possibilities for reducing operational burdens and optimizing personnel allocation were identified.

Key points for establishing practical operations include flexible management systems, attention to privacy, and the development of clear operational rules.