System and method for checking the accuracy of a prescription fill
First Claim
1. A method of checking the accuracy of a prescription fill in a pharmacy comprising:
- activating an electronic scale operatively coupled to a network, the network including a plurality of operatively coupled electronic scales;
providing the user the ability to access a prescription to fill;
displaying to the user a set of data associated with the prescription;
providing the user the ability to cause data to be entered that is associated with a stock container selected by the user, wherein the stock container contains a drug corresponding to the prescription;
determining if the stock container selected by the user is the correct stock container to fill the prescription;
determining if the drug is countable;
retrieving a piece weight of the drug from a database, the database operatively coupled to the network;
measuring a weight of a plurality of pills corresponding to the drug in the prescription;
comparing the measured weight to a standard weight, the standard weight equaling a predicted total weight of the plurality of pills;
determining if the comparison is within an acceptable range; and
generating an authorization for the prescription fill if the stock container selected by the user is the correct stock container to fill the prescription and if the comparison is within the acceptable range.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method are provided for checking the accuracy of a prescription fill in a pharmacy that includes activating an electronic scale coupled to a network, providing a user the ability to access a prescription to fill and displaying to the user data associated with the prescription. The method also includes providing the user the ability to cause data to be entered that is associated with a stock container selected by the user, wherein the stock container contains a drug corresponding to the prescription; determining if the stock container selected by the user is the correct stock container to fill the prescription; and measuring a weight of a plurality of pills in the prescription. The method further includes comparing the measured weight to a predicted total weight of the plurality of pills, determining if the comparison is within an acceptable range, and generating an authorization for the prescription fill.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method of checking the accuracy of a prescription fill in a pharmacy comprising:
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activating an electronic scale operatively coupled to a network, the network including a plurality of operatively coupled electronic scales;
providing the user the ability to access a prescription to fill;
displaying to the user a set of data associated with the prescription;
providing the user the ability to cause data to be entered that is associated with a stock container selected by the user, wherein the stock container contains a drug corresponding to the prescription;
determining if the stock container selected by the user is the correct stock container to fill the prescription;
determining if the drug is countable;
retrieving a piece weight of the drug from a database, the database operatively coupled to the network;
measuring a weight of a plurality of pills corresponding to the drug in the prescription;
comparing the measured weight to a standard weight, the standard weight equaling a predicted total weight of the plurality of pills;
determining if the comparison is within an acceptable range; and
generating an authorization for the prescription fill if the stock container selected by the user is the correct stock container to fill the prescription and if the comparison is within the acceptable range. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of checking the accuracy of a prescription fill in a pharmacy comprising:
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activating an electronic scale operatively coupled to a network, the network including a plurality of operatively coupled electronic scales;
providing login information to access the network;
providing the user the ability to access the electronic scale after providing the login information;
scanning a prescription barcode corresponding to a prescription;
determining if the barcode is located in a local database;
retrieving a set of data associated with the prescription from the local database and displaying the set of data to the user;
scanning a container barcode on a stock container selected by the user, wherein the stock container contains a drug corresponding to the prescription;
determining if the stock container selected by the user is the correct stock container to fill the prescription;
weighing a plurality of pills corresponding to the drug in the prescription;
comparing the measured weight of the plurality of pills to a weight equaling a predicted total weight of the plurality of pills; and
generating an authorization for the prescription fill if the stock container selected by the user is the correct stock container to fill the prescription and if the comparison is within an acceptable range. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of checking the accuracy of a prescription fill comprising:
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activating an electronic scale operatively coupled to a network;
providing a user the ability to access the electronic scale;
providing login information to access the network;
providing the user the ability to cause data to be entered that is associated with a prescription;
retrieving a set of data associated with the prescription from a local database and displaying the set of data to the user;
positioning a radio frequency (RF) ID tag on a stock container so that the RFID tag is read by an RFID tag reader, wherein the stock container contains a plurality of pills identified in the prescription;
determining if the stock container selected by the user is the correct stock container to fill the prescription;
measuring the weight of the plurality of pills;
comparing the measured weight of the plurality of pills to a weight equaling a predicted total weight of the plurality of pills; and
generating an authorization for the prescription fill if the stock container selected by the user is the correct stock container to fill the prescription and if the comparison is acceptable. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of checking the accuracy of a prescription fill in a pharmacy comprising:
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activating an electronic scale operatively coupled to a network, the network including a plurality of operatively coupled electronic scales;
providing login information for a user to access the network;
providing the user the ability to access the electronic scale after providing the login information;
providing the user the ability to access a prescription to fill;
retrieving a set of data associated with the prescription from a database and displaying the set of data to the user;
providing the user the ability to cause data to be entered that is associated with a stock container selected by the user, wherein the stock container contains a drug corresponding to the prescription;
determining if the stock container selected by the user is the correct stock container to fill the prescription; and
generating an authorization for the prescription fill if the stock container selected by the user is the correct stock container to fill the prescription. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of checking the accuracy of a prescription fill in a pharmacy comprising:
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activating an electronic scale operatively coupled to a network, the network including a plurality of operatively coupled electronic scales;
providing the ability to cause data to be entered that is associated with a prescription;
retrieving a set of data associated with the prescription from a database and displaying the set of data to the user;
weighing a plurality of pills corresponding to a drug in the prescription;
comparing the measured weight of the plurality of pills to a predicted total weight of the plurality of pills; and
generating an authorization for the prescription fill if the comparison is within a predetermined range. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. A prescription fill validation system, comprising:
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a first pharmacy at a first location and a second pharmacy at a second location;
each pharmacy including one or more electronic scales, one or more display units, and a pharmacy server;
a network server having a database to store information related to a plurality of drugs;
a network operatively coupling the electronic scales, display units, and pharmacy servers at the first and second pharmacys and the network server;
a data input device associated with each of the electronic scales to allow data to be input into the system, the data corresponding to an unfilled prescription and a stock container selected by a user;
the pharmacy servers at the first and second pharmacys having a controller with a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor, each controller being programmed to store information related to a plurality of drugs in a local database in the memory;
each controller being programmed to receive periodic updates to the local database from the network server;
each controller being programmed to determine if the stock container selected by the user is the correct stock container to fill the unfilled prescription;
each controller being programmed to compare a weight of a plurality of pills measured at one of the electronic scales to a predicted weight of the plurality of pills;
each controller being programmed to determine if the comparison is within an acceptable range; and
each controller being programmed to generate an authorization for the prescription if the stock container selected by the user is the correct stock container to fill the prescription and if the comparison is within the acceptable range. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. A prescription fill validation system, comprising:
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a first pharmacy at a first location and a second pharmacy at a second location;
each pharmacy including an electronic scale, a display unit, and a pharmacy server;
a network server having a database to store information related to a plurality of drugs;
a network operatively coupling the electronic scales, the display units, and the pharmacy servers at the first and second pharmacys and the network server;
a data input device operatively coupled to the electronic scale at the first pharmacy to allow data to be input into the system, the data corresponding to a stock container selected by a user;
the pharmacy server at the first pharmacy having a controller with a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the controller being programmed to store in the memory information related to a plurality of drugs;
the controller being programmed to receive periodic updates to the information related to the plurality of drugs;
the controller being programmed to determine if the stock container selected by the user is the correct stock container to fill the unfilled prescription;
the controller being programmed to compare a weight of a plurality of pills measured at the electronic scale at the first pharmacy to a predicted weight of the plurality of pills;
the controller being programmed to determine if the comparison is within an acceptable range; and
the controller being programmed to generate an authorization for the prescription if the stock container selected by the user is the correct stock container to fill the prescription and if the comparison is within the acceptable range. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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35. A prescription fill validation system, comprising:
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means for activating an electronic scale operatively coupled to a network, the network including a plurality of operatively coupled electronic scales;
means for providing the ability to cause data to be entered that is associated with a prescription;
means for retrieving a set of data associated with the prescription from a database and means for displaying the set of data to the user;
means for weighing a plurality of pills corresponding to a drug in the prescription;
means for comparing the measured weight of the plurality of pills to a predicted total weight of the plurality of pills; and
means for generating an authorization for the prescription fill if the comparison is within a predetermined range. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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39. An article comprising a machine-accessible medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:
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activate an electronic scale operatively coupled to a network when the electronic scale is powered on, the network including a plurality of operatively coupled electronic scales;
receive periodic updates from a network computer of information corresponding to a plurality of drugs;
accept a user ID and a pasword from a user;
provide the user the ability to access the electronic scale after accepting the login information;
receive data corresponding to a scanned prescription barcode, the barcode corresponding to a prescription;
determine if the barcode is located in a local database;
retrieve a set of data associated with the prescription from the local database and display the set of data to the user;
receive data corresponding to a container barcode on a stock container selected by the user, wherein the stock container contains a drug corresponding to the prescription;
determine if the stock container selected by the user is the correct stock container to fill the prescription;
receive data corresponding to a measured weight of a plurality of pills corresponding to the drug in the prescription;
compare the measured weight of the plurality of pills to a predicted total weight of the plurality of pills; and
generate an authorization for the prescription fill if the stock container selected by the user is the correct stock container to fill the prescription and if the comparison is within an acceptable range. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
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Specification