OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effects of using an automated prescription filling system, ScriptPro 2000, on pharmacy staff utilization and prescription filling labor in an independent US pharmacy. METHODS: Design: Self-controlled before and after the installation of the automation. Pharmacy Setting: The Punches Pharmacy Plus, an independent pharmacy located in Clare, Michigan, USA and with a daily workload of 360 prescriptions was selected as the study site in this study. Intervention: The installation of an automated prescription filling system, ScriptPro 200. Data Collections: Videotaping and work measurement techniques were used in collecting the data of before and after installation of the ScriptPro 200. Study Variables: The utilization of the pharmacy staff (pharmacists and technicians) and the labor utilized in direct and indirect prescription-filling activities, e.g., receiving order, order entry, filling, inspecting, packaging and dispensing, phone calls, inventory management, were measured and compared before and after the installation. RESULTS: With the installation of automation, the pharmacy staff was significantly reduced (χ2=25.54, P<0.001) by 0.4 FTEs (Full Time Equivalence) pharmacists' efforts were shifted to the technicians. Meanwhile, there was a statistically significant difference in term of the percentages of labor spent on various activities between the pre-installation and post-installation of automation (χ2=137.65, P<0.001). Analyses of average labor used per prescription showed that the installation of automation could save 0.22 minutes per prescription. Especially, for the counting labor per prescription, it significantly decreased from 2.63 minutes to 2.07 minutes with an average of 0.56 minutes saved (Z=-1.984, P=0.045). CONCLUSIONS: The automated system, ScriptPro 200, has shown the usefulness in terms of reducing the prescription filling labor. Further research efforts should continue to assess other effects in the workload, patient counseling and medication errors and conduct the economic evaluation.