POWERS LAKE, Wis. — Pharmacy technology executives Duane Chudy, chief executive officer of TCGRx, and Gene Fellows, CEO of Integrated and Automation Solutions (IAS), have partnered to form CentralRx, which aims to meet the rising industry need for a full-service central pharmacy fill solution provider.

Powers Lake, Wis.-based TCGRx said Wednesday that CentralRx will offer pharmacies and other health care settings a turnkey provider for central fill consultation, design, equipment, implementation and service. Both TCGRx and Allentown, Pa.-based IAS supply pharmacy automation systems.

According to TCGRx and IAS, the pharmaceutical market is seeing a surge in prescription volume but is experiencing a shortage of pharmacists. They noted that creating central pharmacy fulfillment centers that can accurately fill the increased prescription volume and expedite the pharmacist medication check process serves "an immediate need."

"The synergy of the partnership is that we can reduce the footprint of the central fill system and deliver the best solution at a lower cost," TCGRx’s Chudy said in a statement.

CentralRx will provide central fill solutions for prescription filling, pharmacist checking and sorting at a single location, followed by delivery to patients’ pharmacies or mailing to patients’ homes.

"Recognizing the market demand, we realized there had to be a better way to provide and service central fill systems cohesively from start to finish," stated IAS’ Fellows. "Duane and I have worked parallel to one another throughout our many years in the industry and determined it was time to combine efforts to provide the most effective central fill solution on the market,."