Automated prescription dispensing system and method of use
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automated prescriptions dispensing system includes a patient interface portion, a dispensing portion and a control portion. The dispensing portion holds and dispenses medication. The control portion tracks the medication and controls dispensing and the patient interface portion enables a patient to input information to cause the medication to be dispensed. The control portion can also be used to verify refill prescriptions which exceed the number originally authorized. It can also be used to send information to a central processing station which fills the prescriptions and returns them to the local pharmacy.
107 Citations
42 Claims
-
1-17. -17. (canceled)
-
18. A method for automated prescription dispensing comprising:
-
receiving a prescription for a particular patient;
filling the prescription by obtaining a container with medication therein and applying a label having patient specific information to the container to form a filled prescription;
loading the filled prescription into one receiving slot in an automated prescription dispenser having a plurality of receiving slots;
associating the location of the filled prescription with patient information after the filled prescription has been loaded in the one unique location; and
dispensing the prescription to a patient in response to input of data correlated to the patient. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23-32. -32. (canceled)
-
33. A method for controlling the dispensing of medication, the method comprising:
-
receiving a prescription for a particular patient;
filling the prescription by obtaining a container with medication therein and applying a label having patient specific information to the container to form a filled prescription;
loading the filled prescription into one receiving slot in an automated prescription dispenser having a plurality of receiving slots;
tracking the amount of time the filled prescription has been in the one receiving slot. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
-
- 34. The method according to claim 34, further comprising generating a report for a prescription which has been in the one receiving slot longer than a predetermined period of time.
-
42. A method for dispensing a prescription from an automated prescription dispenser comprising:
-
placing a prescription comprising a container having medication therein and a label with patient specific information thereon in a receiving slot of an automated prescription dispenser;
recording information about the prescription to associate the receiving slot with the patient; and
entering information correlated to the patient to cause the medication to be dispensed directly to the patient.
-
Specification