Inventory control and prescription dispensing system

• US 20070043469A1
• Filed: 08/18/2006
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lonnie Draper
• Original Assignee: Lonnie Draper
• Inventors: Draper, Lonnie
• Granted Patent: US 7,689,318 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/231
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

An inventory control and prescription management and dispensing system including a dispensing vault for storing and dispensing prescriptions, the dispensing vault in communication with a central computer system that, in turn, communicates with prescription providers, insurance companies, and other third parties; the dispensing vault including robotic means for randomly accessing pre-filled prescriptions within the vault, with the vault further including RFID, bar code, and other means for verifying the content and internal location of pre-filled prescriptions; a customer interface that uses customer biometrics to ID a customer to ensure that prescriptions are only dispensed to the correct person; a patient registration system in communication with the central computer system for collecting insurance, doctor, biometric, and other information to facilitate transactions; a labeling system for labeling pre-filled prescriptions with customer specific information upon dispensing; transport container that integrate into the dispensing vault and provide secure transportation from a pharmaceutical manufacturer or repackager to the dispensing vault, security provided through RFID tags which communicate with the central computer to verify that the transport container contains the correct formulary and that the integrity of the container (temperature range, time in transit, tampering) has not been compromised; a payment system integral to the dispensing vault that is in communication with third party banks and pharmacy billing management systems, credit agencies and the central computer; a verification system for ensuring that pre-filled bottles received from the manufacturer (before they are placed into the storage locations inside the vault) have not had their integrity compromised, with this system evaluating each container'"'"'s weight, size, moisture content, shape, velocity change, color, pattern, and physical integrity (all comparisons made against standards stored in the central computer).

Claims

1. A method of dispensing prescription medications to a patient comprising the steps of:

a. obtaining a biometric information identifier from said patient at a first location;

b. providing a remote dispenser containing an inventory of prescription medications at a second location;

c. providing a communications network between said first location and said second location;

d. communicating a prescription for said patient to said remote dispenser;

e. receiving from said patient at said remote dispenser said biometric information identifier;

f. identifying said patient from said biometric information identifier;

g. matching said identified patient to said communicated prescription;

h. dispensing said prescription medication to said patient.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said biometric information identifier consists of a fingerprint.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said biometric information identifier consists of a retinal scan.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of communicating a prescription for said patient to said remote dispenser is done electronically.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of communicating a prescription for said patient to said remote dispenser further includes providing a scanner at said remote dispenser, said scanner configured to receive a paper based prescription.

6. A high security transport container for moving prescription medications comprising:

a. a lockable container;

b. means for locking and unlocking said container;

c. a shipping label, said shipping label having a first position wherein a first shipping address is displayed and a second position wherein a second shipping address is displayed;

d. means for measuring at least one environmental condition within said container;

e. a memory configured to receive and store said measured environmental condition; and

f. means for communicating a content of said memory.

7. The transport container of claim 6, wherein said locking and unlocking means are internal to said container.

8. The transport container of claim 6, further including means for measuring and recording acceleration.

9. The transport container of claim 6, wherein said shipping label moves from said first position to said second position when said transport container is unlocked.

10. The transport container of claim 6, further including an RFID tag capable of transmitting a unique serial number.

11. A method for providing high density storage of, and random access to, prescription medications for dispensing through a remote dispensing system comprising the steps of:

a. providing a remote dispensing system with a vault for storing said prescription medications;

b. providing a plurality of shelves within said vault, each of said shelves connected to, and rotatable about, a central support axel;

c. providing a plurality of receiving spaces for storing said prescription medication on each shelve;

d. assigning a unique location coordinate for each of said receiving spaces on each of said shelves;

e. stocking said receiving spaces with said prescription medications;

f. creating a database containing the location coordinate for each of said prescription medications;

g. providing a slot in each of said shelves, said slots alignable to create a vertical passage through all of said shelves;

h. providing a robotic arm within said vault, said robotic arm capable of vertical movement through said vertical passage and horizontal movement within said slots;

i. providing a computer to operate said robotic arm and to manage said database;

j. whereby, each of said receiving spaces may be randomly accessed by said robotic arm by aligning said slots, moving said robotic arm vertically to a first position immediately above the shelve to be accessed, rotating said shelve to be accessed under said robotic arm, and moving said robotic arm horizontally to a specified receiving space.

12. A method for stocking an automatic dispensing machine comprising the steps of:

a. providing an automatic dispensing machine;

b. providing a [lockable] transport carton containing a plurality of individual products to be stocked;

c. inserting said transport carton into said automatic dispensing machine;

d. removing said individual products from said transport carton;

e. placing each of said individual products in a unique storage location identifiable by Cartesian coordinates; and

f. creating a database of said unique storage locations.

13. The method of claim 12 further including the steps of:

a. identifying each of said individual products and creating a database of said identified products; and

b. associating said database of said identified products with said database of unique storage locations.