Systems and methods for dispensing prescription medication using a medication dispensing machine

• US 10,049,188 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2017
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medifriend, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Medifriend, Inc.
• Inventors: Iantorno, Pat P., Kanetis, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Toan
• Application Number:
  US15/590,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20170242977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 235381
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

Systems and methods for dispensing prescription medication from a medication-dispensing machine. In an embodiment, an identification of medication and patient information for an electronic prescription is received. A container of the identified medication is retrieved from a plurality of containers stocked within the machine. Each container comprises a first barcode. The first barcode is scanned, and a patient label is generated and applied to the retrieved container. An image of the retrieved container is captured and provided to a pharmacist over a network. After an approval is received over the network from the pharmacist, the retrieved container is released to a user.

Claims

1. A medication-dispensing machine comprising:

at least one hardware processor;

a mechanical device for retrieving a container of medication from a plurality of containers of medication that are stocked within the medication-dispensing machine, wherein each of the plurality of containers of medication comprise a first barcode;

one or more platforms, wherein each of the one or more platforms supports a plurality of containers of medication, wherein the mechanical device comprises a mechanical arm comprising one or more joints and a claw, wherein the one or more joints divide the mechanical arm into segments wherein the segments are configured to be articulated at various angles with respect to each other, and wherein controlling the mechanical device to retrieve a container of the identified medication comprises controlling the mechanical arm to grab the container of the identified medication from one of the one or more platforms;

a dispensing enclosure comprising a door which can be switched between a locked state and an unlocked state; and

one or more executable modules that, when executed by the at least one hardware processor,

receive an identification of medication and patient information for an electronic prescription,

control the mechanical device to retrieve a container of the identified medication from the plurality of containers of medication and place the retrieved container within the dispensing enclosure while the door is in the locked state,

control a barcode scanner to scan the first barcode of the retrieved container, generate a patient label based on at least the patient information,

apply the patient label to the retrieved container,

control a camera to capture an image of the retrieved container, provide the captured image over at least one network to a pharmacist,

receive approval over the at least one network from the pharmacist, and,

based on the approval, release the retrieved container to a user by at least switching the door of the dispensing enclosure to the unlocked state.

2. The medication-dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein the applied patient label comprises a second barcode, and wherein the one or more executable modules are further configured to, prior to releasing the retrieved container to the user:

control the barcode scanner to scan the first barcode on the retrieved container and the second barcode on the applied patient label; and

confirm that data encoded in the first barcode corresponds to data encoded in the second barcode.

3. The medication-dispensing machine of claim 1, further comprising a display, and wherein the one or more executable modules are further configured to establish real-time communication, over the at least one network, between the user and the pharmacist via the display.

4. The medication-dispensing machine of claim 3, wherein the real-time communication comprises audio and video.

5. The medication-dispensing machine of claim 1, further comprising a touch panel, wherein the one or more executable modules are further configured to receive a signature from the user via the touch panel, and wherein releasing the retrieved container to the user is further based on receiving the signature from the user.

6. The medication-dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein the one or more executable modules are further configured to receive a payment for the identified medication from the user, and wherein releasing the retrieved container to the user is further based on the payment.

7. The medication-dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein the plurality of containers of medication comprise a plurality of subsets of one or more containers of medication, and wherein each of the plurality of subsets comprises a container having a different size or shape than other ones of the plurality of subsets.

8. The medication-dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein the one or more executable modules are further configured to receive an identification of the user from the user, and wherein the one or more executable modules control the mechanical device to retrieve the container of the identified medication after receiving the identification of the user.

9. The medication-dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein the captured image comprises one of a photograph and a video.

10. The medication-dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein controlling the mechanical arm to grab the container of the identified medication from one of the one or more platforms comprises positioning the claw at a position and angle at which the claw can grab the container.

11. The medication-dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein the mechanical device further comprises a shaft that passes through openings in the one or more platforms, and wherein the mechanical arm is slidably connected to the shaft such that the mechanical arm can access any of the one or more platforms.

12. A method for dispensing prescription medication, the method comprising using at least one hardware processor of a medication-dispensing machine to:

receive an identification of medication and patient information for an electronic prescription;

retrieve a container of the identified medication from a plurality of containers of medication that are stocked within the medication-dispensing machine, wherein each of the plurality of containers of medication comprises a first barcode; and

wherein retrieving the container of the identified medication comprises controlling a mechanical arm, comprising one or more joints and a claw and wherein the one or more joints divide the mechanical arm into segments wherein the segments are configured to be articulated at various angles with respect to each other, to grab the container of the identified medication from a platform within the medication-dispensing machine, wherein the platform supports a plurality of containers of medication;

scan the first barcode of the retrieved container;

generate a patient label based on at least the patient information;

apply the patient label to the retrieved container;

capture an image of the retrieved container;

provide the captured image over at least one network to a pharmacist;

receive approval over the at least one network from the pharmacist; and

, based on the approval, release the retrieved container to a user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the applied patient label comprises a second barcode, and wherein the method further comprises using the at least one hardware processor to, prior to releasing the retrieved container to the user:

scan the first barcode on the retrieved container and the second barcode on the applied patient label; and

confirm that data encoded in the first barcode corresponds to data encoded in the second barcode.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the medication-dispensing machine comprises a display, and wherein the method further comprises using the at least one hardware processor to establish real-time communication, over the at least one network, between the user and the pharmacist via the display.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the medication-dispensing machine comprises a dispensing enclosure with a door that can be switched between a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein the method further comprises using the at least one hardware processor to place the retrieved container within the dispensing enclosure while the door is in a locked state, and wherein releasing the retrieved container to the user comprises switching the door to an unlocked state.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising using the at least one hardware processor to receive a signature from the user, wherein releasing the retrieved container to the user is further based on receiving the signature from the user.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising using the at least one hardware processor to receive a payment for the identified medication from the user, wherein releasing the retrieved container to the user is further based on the payment.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of containers of medication comprise a plurality of subsets of one or more containers of medication, and wherein each of the plurality of subsets comprises a container having a different size or shape than other ones of the plurality of subsets.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising using the at least one hardware processor to receive an identification of the user from the user, wherein retrieving the container of the identified medication is performed after receiving the identification of the user.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the captured image comprises one of a photograph and a video.