Variable dose dispensing system

• US 10,475,534 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2019
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Utech, Thomas, Davis, Kim E., Jaskela, Maria C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Waggoner, Timothy R
• Application Number:
  US16/277,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20190180854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 700231-244, 705 2
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A variable dose dispensing system may include a processor and memory. The processor may receive a request for a variable dose order of a medication, such as from a user. The processor may request an amount of the medication to be administered, and receive, in response to the request, an indication of the amount to be administered. The processor may verify that the amount to be administered is within a range of the variable dose order. The processor may determine an item in a local inventory that contains at least the amount of the medication to be administered, and may dispense the item. If an amount of the dispensed item exceeds the amount to be administered, such as by a waste amount, the processor may display an indication of the waste amount to the user, and may transmit a notification of the waste amount, such as to a management server.

Claims

1. A method for variable dose dispensing, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a variable dose order of a medication;

requesting an amount of the medication to be administered;

receiving, in response to the requesting, an indication of the amount of the medication to be administered;

determining, by a processor, at least one item of a plurality of items in a local inventory, the at least one item comprising at least the amount of the medication to be administered;

causing a dispenser to dispense the at least one item;

determining a waste amount of the at least one item dispensed in excess of the amount of the medication to be administered;

providing a notification of the waste amount to be disposed of;

transmitting an identifier of a user who requested the variable dose order of the medication;

receiving, by an access control system, a notification that the waste amount has not been disposed of by the user associated with the identifier; and

blocking access privileges of the user associated with the identifier.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the blocking access privileges of the user associated with the identifier comprises the dispenser preventing additional medication from being dispensed to the user associated with the identifier.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the blocking access privileges of the user associated with the identifier comprises preventing the user associated with the identifier from leaving a healthcare facility.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a waste device, credentials of a user who requested the variable dose order of the medication.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, from the waste device, credentials of a witness for the user who requested the variable dose order of the medication.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from an item counter of a waste device, quantity information indicating a waste amount received by a waste device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the quantity information comprises a pill count.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the quantity information comprises a liquid volume measurement.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the quantity information comprises a measured weight of the received waste amount compared to a per unit weight of the dispensed item.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a notification of a portion of the waste amount received by a waste device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing an alert if the portion of the waste amount received by a waste device is less than the waste amount to be disposed of.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining, by the processor, the at least one item of the plurality of items in the local inventory, the at least one item comprising at least the amount of the medication to be administered further comprises:

determining, by the processor, the at least one item of the plurality of items in the local inventory such that the waste amount is minimized relative to the plurality of items in the local inventory.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the dispensing the at least one item further comprises:

allowing a user who requested the variable dose order to physically access the at least one item while preventing the user from accessing others of the plurality of items in the local inventory.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, prior to the dispensing, an identifier of a user; and

authenticating the identifier of the user, wherein the at least one item is only dispensed if the identifier of the user is authenticated.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one item is dispensed from a dispensing device and a portion of the waste amount is disposed into the dispensing device.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining period of time elapsed from dispensing of the medication;

determining that the waste amount is not disposed; and

logging the waste amount as undocumented waste.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium embodying instructions that, when executed by a machine, allow the machine to perform a method for managing variable dose dispensing, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a variable dose order of a medication;

requesting an amount of the medication to be administered;

receiving, in response to the requesting, an indication of the amount of the medication to be administered;

determining, by a processor, at least one item of a plurality of items in a local inventory, the at least one item comprising at least the amount of the medication to be administered;

causing a dispenser to dispense the at least one item;

determining a waste amount of medication dispensed in excess of the amount of medication to be administered;

displaying a notification of the waste amount to be disposed of;

providing, to an access control system, an alert with an identifier of a user who requested the variable dose order of the medication if the waste amount is not disposed of; and

blocking access privileges of the user associated with the identifier.

18. A system for managing variable dose dispensing, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a request for a variable dose order of a medication from an identified user;

request an amount of the medication to be administered;

receive, in response to the requesting, an indication of the amount of the medication to be administered;

determine at least one item of a plurality of items in a local inventory, the at least one item comprising at least the amount of the medication to be administered;

causing a dispenser to dispense the at least one item;

provide, to one of the dispenser and an access control system, a notification if a waste amount of the dispensed at least one item is not identified as being disposed of by the identified user; and

preventing one of the dispenser from dispensing additional medication to the identified user and the identified user from leaving a healthcare facility.