Patent ID: 8478441

Claim:
An automated apparatus configured for storage and dispensing of pharmaceutical products, said pharmaceutical products being divided into unit doses or administration units, and suitably arranged in a matrix of unit doses, comprising: a closed structure configured to hold the unit doses or the administration units so as to be protected from manual handling; a detachable cart joined to an outside of the closed structure; and a manipulator unit inside the closed structure, which is designed for: a) selecting and picking up the unit doses or administration units required to fill patient-specific prescriptions from said matrix, and b) loading compartments/drawers of the cart with said unit doses or said administration units so selected and picked up, said compartments/drawers facing toward an inside of the closed structure and being loaded when the closed structure and the cart are attached, wherein the manipulator unit comprises means for coupling configured for opening and closing the compartments/drawers of a means for introducing one or more of the unit doses or administration units picked up from the matrix, said means for coupling being connected to the manipulator unit to cause the compartments/drawers associated with the cart to be grasped and opened or closed.