Robotic IV Automation, or RivA, recently arrived at Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse after a major renovation to accommodate the large piece of equipment that prepares IVs in a sealed, sanitized, air-controlled environment. YNN's Katie Gibas reports.

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This robot, affectionately called RivA, recently arrived at Upstate University Hospital and is revitalizing how life-saving medications are prepared.

"Certain products we would outsource to companies and they would actually prepare the solutions, the specially compounded solutions and ship them to us," said Steven Ciullo, the Upstate University Hospital Pharmacy Services Director.

RivA now takes care of all that. The robot cost more than $1 million, but experts estimate it will save about $500,000 per year because of its accuracy, efficiency and ability to cut outsourcing costs. RivA scans bar codes on all the products and weighs the ingredients before and after dispensing the solution to ensure better accuracy.

"Human error does occur and one of the problems is making IV solutions, you start off sometimes with a clear liquid, which is the active ingredient and you're adding a certain volume or amount of that active ingredient into a clear solution which is the diluent and the result is a clear solution, so you can't visualize if an error is made. The results of that mistake and implications of the doze change could be hazardous, deadly actually to a person if it is wrong," said Ciullo.

When Upstate received their robot, they were one of less than two dozen sites worldwide to have the technology. They say with all the benefits this machine has, they anticipate that number increasing in the near future.

"You want to be sure you're using whatever technology and automation to be sure that the product is made exactly right every time," said Ciullo.

Upstate plans to install a second RivA machine next year to prepare IV chemotherapy for patients.