Authorities in Dubai say they plan on introducing more automated pharmacies in 2017, as the city aims to become the smartest in the world. It follows the opening of the first robotic pharmacist last month. Although Qatar unveiled similar machines last year, this is the first time such a project has been implemented on this scale.

“We are looking for zero waiting time. That is one of the very important issues – when you’ll not find a crowd in the pharmacy, you’ll not find patients waiting,” says Dr. Ali Al Sayed Hussain, the director of the Pharmacy Department at Dubai Health Authority.

The fully-automated pharmacist can organize and separate medicine, and dispense 12 prescriptions a minute. It’s been installed at Dubai’s Rashid Hospital, and officials say they want to roll out more of them across the city.

The procedure is simple. Doctors can electronically prescribe medicines. The robot gathers the treatment and dispenses it almost immediately. Hussain points out that this new robot helps to release pharmacists from distributive jobs

“The pharmacists themselves, they’ll be doing their work, their clinical-oriented jobs. The role is as a consultant, as a counselor, as a trainer, as an educator,” Hussain says.

However, crucially, with this robot in Dubai, human chemists are still required to confirm the correct medication is given to the right patient, and to answer any questions.