Method for controlling a drug dispensing system

• US 20050065645A1
• Filed: 11/08/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ArXium, Inc. (Van Humbeck Family)
• Original Assignee: Telepharmacy Solutions, Inc. (Cencora, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bossi, David, Wallace, Robert L., Bossi, Enea W., Liff, Harold J., Berube, Arthur A., Hart, Brian T., Hart, Richard D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,151,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/241
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 for hiring of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

An automated drug dispensing system includes a cabinet adapted to store a variety of prepackaged pharmaceuticals in a plurality of bins for filling patient prescriptions. Each bin stores a particular variety of packaged multiple-dose pharmaceutical. Each variety of pharmaceutical is associated with a particular code. A controller receives request signals and in response generates dispense signals. Each bin includes a dispenser coupled to the controller for dispensing the packaged pharmaceuticals therefrom in response to a dispense signal sent from the controller. After a package is dispensed, a code reader determines the code of the dispensed package and verifies whether the code on the dispensed package matches the code of the requested package.

Claims

1. A pharmaceutical dispensing system, comprising:

a pharmaceutical product dispenser at a first location;

a control workstation at a second location;

a control system operatively connected to the control workstation and the dispenser, the control system being adapted to control dispenser operation such that the dispenser dispenses a pharmaceutical product associated with a prescription; and

a video communication apparatus associated with the dispenser such that a person at the first location consults with a pharmacist at the second location.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the video communication apparatus comprises:

first video communication apparatus associated with the dispenser; and

second video communication apparatus associated with the control workstation, the video communication apparatus being operative to send and receive information therebetween.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the first and second video communication apparatus each include:

a video input device;

a video display;

an audio input device; and

an audio output device.

4. The system of claim 2 further comprising:

a first computer associated with the dispenser and the first video communication apparatus; and

a second computer associated with the control workstation and second video communication apparatus.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the first computer is operatively connected to the second computer, control system and dispenser to control the dispenser operation responsive to a signal from the second computer.

6. The system of claim 2 further comprising a scanner operatively connected to the control system, the scanner being operative to communication image information.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the scanner comprises a facsimile device.

8. The system of claim 2 further comprising a network connecting the dispenser, control system and control workstation.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the network is selected from the group consisting of a telephone network connection, a local area network connection an Internet connection and combinations thereof.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the control system is associated with the dispenser.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the pharmaceutical product dispenser is a first dispenser and the system further comprises:

a second pharmaceutical product dispenser at a third location connected to the control system through the network; and

third video communication apparatus associated with the second pharmaceutical product dispenser, the third video communication apparatus being operative to send and receive information between the second dispenser and the control workstation such that a person at the third location consults with a pharmacist at the second location.

12. The system of claim 2 wherein the person is a pharmacy technician co-located at the dispenser.

32. The system of claim 12 further comprises a code reader that can read a code on a dispensed package.

13. A system for dispensing pharmaceuticals including a communication system enabling consultation between a person and a pharmacist at a location remote from the person, the system comprising:

a pharmaceutical product dispenser at a first location, the dispenser including machine structure adapted to store and dispense a plurality of pharmaceutical products;

a computer adapted to control operation of the dispenser;

a data entry device for entering a prescription into the computer;

a control facility at a second location operatively connected to the computer, the control facility being operative to receive the prescription and transmit a signal to the computer if fulfillment of the prescription is authorized, the dispenser being operative, in response to the signal, to dispense a pharmaceutical product corresponding to the prescription; and

a two-way video communication system associated with the dispenser such that a person at the first location may consult with a pharmacist at the second location.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the two-way communication system comprises:

first video communication apparatus associated with the dispenser; and

second video communication apparatus associated with the control facility, the video communication apparatus being operative to send and receive information therebetween.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the first and second video communication apparatus each include:

a video input device;

a video display;

an audio input device; and

an audio output device.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the computer is a first computer associated with the first video communication apparatus, the system includes a second computer associated with the control facility and the second video communication apparatus and the first and second computers are operative to send and receive information therebetween.

17. The system of claim 13 further comprising a network connecting the dispenser, computer and control facility.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the network is selected from the group consisting of a telephone network connection, a local area network connection, an Internet connection and combinations thereof.

19. The system of claim 17 further comprising an image scanner operatively connected to the network.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the scanner comprises a facsimile device.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein the dispenser comprises:

a housing containing a plurality of packaged pharmaceutical products stored therein;

an electronic controller operatively connected to the computer and adapted to control dispenser operation responsive to a signal from the computer; and

a dispensing mechanism in the housing operatively controlled by the controller and operative to dispense a packaged pharmaceutical product from the dispenser.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the dispenser stores the packaged pharmaceutical products in a plurality of columns and the dispensing mechanism includes:

at least one dispenser valve associated with a column adapted to control dispensing of a single package from a lower end of the column; and

a dual-acting solenoid adapted to manipulate the at least one valve to dispense the single package from the column.

23. The system of claim 13 further comprising a card reader connected to the dispensing system that reads an electronic card.

24. The system of claim 13 further comprising a software program on the computer such that a data packet including an authorization request for fulfillment of the prescription is transmitted along a communication link to the control facility and a returning data packet containing an adjudication result is received by the computer.

25. The system of claim 13 further comprising an Internet connection to the computer such that an authorization request for fulfillment of the prescription is transmitted to the control facility using the Internet.

26. The system of claim 13 further comprising a telephone network connection such that an authorization request for fulfillment of the prescription is transmitted using the telephone network.

27. The system of claim 13 further comprising a first video camera connected to the computer.

28. The system of claim 27 further comprising a second video camera connected to a second computer at the control facility.

29. The system of claim 13 further comprising an electronic memory device that stores adjudication data.

30. The system of claim 13 wherein the dispenser further comprises a plurality of bins, each bin having a dual valve dispensing unit.

31. The system of claim 13 wherein the dispenser further comprises a plurality of helical dispensers that dispense packaged medical products.

33. A method for dispensing pharmaceutical products and enabling consultation between a person and a pharmacist at a location remote from the person, comprising:

at a first location, receiving a request to fulfill a prescription order, the first location including an automatic pharmaceutical product dispenser, a computer controlling operation of the dispenser and a data entry device operatively connected to the computer;

entering prescription order information into the computer with the data entry device;

at a second location operatively connected to the computer, receiving the prescription order information such that fulfillment of the prescription order may be authorized by a pharmacist at the second location;

sending a signal from the second location to the computer if fulfillment of the prescription order is authorized, the dispenser being operable, responsive to the computer, to dispense a package containing the prescribed pharmaceutical; and

at any step in the method, enabling two-way video communication between the person at the first location and the pharmacist at the second location such that the person may consult with the pharmacist.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein enabling two-way communication comprises exchanging information between a first video communication apparatus associated with the dispenser and a second video communication apparatus associated with the second location the video communication apparatus being operative to send and receive information therebetween.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

sending video information with a video input device associated with each of the dispenser and the second location; and

receiving video information with a video display associated with each of the dispenser and the second location.

36. The method of claim 33 further comprising exchanging image information between the person at the first location and the pharmacist at the second location.

37. The method of claim 33 further comprising exchanging information between the computer at the first location and the second location over a network.