Modes and workflows for processing medication requests

• US 10,269,085 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aesynt, Inc. (Omnicell Incorporated)
• Inventors: Korhnak, Daniel J., Gadagno, Russ, Kepes, Eric, Whaley, Chayla, Moon, Douglas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sereboff, Neal
• Application Number:
  US12/980,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20120173255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,037 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provided for processing medication requests. In one embodiment, a user may define an operational mode that can be initiated by one or more triggers. A user may also define one or more workflows for processing medication requests. The one or more workflows can be associated with the operational mode. In response to the occurrence of the appropriate triggers, the operational mode can automatically, semi-automatically, and/or manually be initiated. When the operational mode is initiated, the associated workflows are used for processing medication requests.

Claims

1. A method for processing medication requests, the method comprising:

electronically associating, via one or more processors, a first operational mode with a first workflow of a plurality of workflows for automatically processing medication requests, (a) the first operational mode automatically initiated by the detection of one or more triggers, (b) each of the plurality of workflows identifying (i) one or more automated medication filling devices to be used for filling medication requests in accordance with the corresponding workflow and (ii) one or more types of medication requests to be filled in accordance with the corresponding workflow, and (c) the one or more triggers selected from the group consisting of a day of the week, a time of day, a number of medication requests received over a time period, and a frequency of medication requests received over a time period;

electronically storing, via one or more processors, the first operational mode in association with the first workflow;

automatically determining, via the one or more processors, whether one of the one or more triggers of the first operational mode has occurred;

responsive to determining that one of the one or more triggers of the first operational mode has occurred, automatically initiating, via the one or more processors, the first operational mode and the first workflow for processing medication requests;

identifying, via the one or more processors, (a) the one or more automated medication filling devices to be used for automatically filling medication requests in accordance with the first workflow of the first operational mode and (b) the one or more types of medication requests to be filled in accordance with the first workflow of the first operational mode;

electronically receiving, via the one or more processors, data for a plurality of medication requests;

automatically processing, via the one or more processors, each of the plurality of medication requests using the one or more automated medication filling devices to be used for filling medication requests in accordance with the first workflow of the first operational mode; and

automatically filling the medication requests of the plurality of medication requests that are of the one or more types of medication requests to be filled in accordance with the first workflow of the first operational mode using the one or more automated medication filling devices, wherein the filling of the medication requests of the plurality of medication requests is in accordance with the first workflow of the first operational mode.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving input defining the first operational mode that is initiated by the one or more triggers; and

receiving input defining the plurality of workflows for processing medication requests.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

associating, via the one or more processors, the first operational mode with a second workflow of the plurality of workflows; and

processing, via the one or more processors, the plurality of medication requests in accordance with the first and second workflows.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving input defining a second operational mode that is initiated by the detection of one or more triggers;

associating, via the one or more processors, the second operational mode with a third workflow of the plurality of workflows;

determining, via the one or more processors, whether one of the one or more triggers of the second operational mode has occurred;

after determining that one of the one or more triggers of the second operational mode has occurred, initiating the second operational mode; and

processing, via the one or more processors, the plurality of medication requests in accordance with the third workflow.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

associating, via the one or more processors, a fourth workflow of the plurality of workflows for processing medication requests with the second operational mode; and

processing, via the one or more processors, the plurality of medication requests in accordance with the third and fourth workflows.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of workflows for processing medication requests comprises (a) a patient workflow or (b) an inventory workflow.

7. A computer program product for processing medication requests, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion configured to electronically associate a first operational mode with a first workflow of a plurality of workflows for automatically processing medication requests, (a) the first operational mode automatically initiated by the detection of one or more triggers, (b) each of the plurality of workflows identifying (i) one or more automated medication filling devices to be used for filling medication requests in accordance with the corresponding workflow and (ii) one or more types of medication requests to be filled in accordance with the corresponding workflow, and (c) the one or more triggers selected from the group consisting of a day of the week, a time of day, a number of medication requests received over a time period, and a frequency of medication requests received over a time period;

an executable portion configured to electronically store the first operational mode in association with the first workflow;

an executable portion configured to automatically determine whether one of the one or more triggers of the first operational mode has occurred;

an executable portion configured to, responsive to determining that one of the one or more triggers of the first operational mode has occurred, automatically initiate the first operational mode and the first workflow for processing medication requests;

an executable portion configured to identify (a) the one or more automated medication filling devices to be used for automatically filling medication requests in accordance with the first workflow of the first operational mode and (b) the one or more types of medication requests to be filled in accordance with the first workflow of the first operational mode;

an executable portion configured to receive data for a plurality of medication requests;

an executable portion configured to automatically process each of the plurality of medication requests using the one or more automated medication filling devices to be used for filling medication requests in accordance with the first workflow of the first operational mode; and

an executable portion configured to automatically fill the medication requests of the plurality of medication requests that are of the one or more types of medication requests to be filled in accordance with the first workflow of the first operational mode using the one or more automated medication filling devices, wherein the filling of the medication requests of the plurality of medication requests is in accordance with the first workflow of the first operational mode.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising:

an executable portion configured to receive input defining the first operational mode that is initiated by the one or more triggers; and

an executable portion configured to receive input defining the plurality of workflows for processing medication requests.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising:

an executable portion configured to receive the plurality of medication requests; and

an executable portion configured to associate the first operational mode with a second workflow of the plurality of workflows; and

an executable portion configured to process the plurality of medication requests in accordance with the first and second workflows.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising:

an executable portion configured to receive input defining a second operational mode that is initiated by one or more triggers;

an executable portion configured to associate the second operational mode with a third workflow of the plurality of workflows;

an executable portion configured to determine whether one of the one or more triggers of the second operational mode has occurred;

an executable portion configured to, after determining that one of the one or more triggers of the second operational mode has occurred, initiate the second operational mode; and

an executable portion configured to process the plurality of medication requests in accordance with the third workflow.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 further comprising:

an executable portion configured to associate a fourth workflow of the plurality of workflows for processing medication requests with the second operational mode; and

an executable portion configured to process the plurality of medication requests in accordance with the third and fourth workflows.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of workflows for processing medication requests comprises (a) a patient workflow or (b) an inventory workflow.

13. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

electronically associate a first operational mode with a first workflow of a plurality of workflows for automatically processing medication requests, (a) the first operational mode automatically initiated by the detection of one or more triggers, (b) each of the plurality of workflows identifying (i) one or more automated medication filling devices to be used for filling medication requests in accordance with the corresponding workflow and (ii) one or more types of medication requests to be filled in accordance with the corresponding workflow, and (c) the one or more triggers selected from the group consisting of a day of the week, a time of day, a number of medication requests received over a time period, and a frequency of medication requests received over a time period;

electronically store the first operational mode in association with the first workflow;

automatically determine whether one of the one or more triggers of the first operational mode has occurred;

responsive to determining that one of the one or more triggers of the first operational mode has occurred, automatically initiate the first operational mode and the first workflow for processing medication requests;

identify (a) the one or more automated medication filling devices to be used for automatically filling medication requests in accordance with the first workflow of the first operational mode and (b) the one or more types of medication requests to be filled in accordance with the first workflow of the first operational mode;

receive data for a plurality of medication requests;

automatically process each of the plurality of medication requests using the one or more automated medication filling devices to be used for filling medication requests in accordance with the first workflow of the first operational mode; and

automatically fill the medication requests of the plurality of medication requests that are of the one or more types of medication requests to be filled in accordance with the first workflow of the first operational mode using the one or more automated medication filling devices, wherein the filling of the medication requests of the plurality of medication requests is in accordance with the first workflow of the first operational mode.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive input defining the first operational mode that is initiated by the one or more triggers; and

receive input defining the plurality of workflows for processing medication requests.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive the plurality of medication requests; and

associate the first operational mode with a second workflow of the plurality of workflows; and

process the plurality of medication requests in accordance with the first and second workflows.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive input defining a second operational mode that is initiated by one or more triggers;

associate the second operational mode with a third workflow of the plurality of workflows;

determine whether one of the one or more triggers of the second operational mode has occurred;

after determining that one of the one or more triggers of the second operational mode has occurred, initiate the second operational mode; and

process the plurality of medication requests in accordance with the third workflow.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

associate a fourth workflow of the plurality of workflows for processing medication requests with the second operational mode; and

process the plurality of medication requests in accordance with the third and fourth workflows.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of workflows for processing medication requests comprises (a) a patient workflow or (b) an inventory workflow.