METHOD FOR VALIDATING A DISPENSED PHARMACEUTICAL

• US 20070279625A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alexander Goetz, Brian Curtiss, David Rzasa, John Enterline, Robert Faus
• Original Assignee: Alexander Goetz, Brian Curtiss, David Rzasa, John Enterline, Robert Faus
• Inventors: Rzasa, David, Enterline, John, Curtiss, Brian, Faus, Robert, Goetz, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US11/770,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20070279625A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/300
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0264 Electrical interface; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0291 Housings; Spectrometer accessories; Spatial arrangement of elements, e.g. folded path arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/31 Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry G01N21/72 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3563 for analysing solids; Preparation of samples therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3577 for analysing liquids, e.g. polluted water
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/359 using near infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/65 Raman scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9508 Capsules; Tablets
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage

Abstract

An apparatus for verifying the identity of a dispensed pharmaceutical comprises an analysis unit adapted to determine a property of the dispensed pharmaceutical, an input device adapted to receive predetermined identifying information corresponding to the dispensed pharmaceutical, and a comparison unit adapted to compare the determined property of the dispensed pharmaceutical with the predetermined identifying information. In addition, a method of verifying a prescription is disclosed, wherein the prescription comprises a pharmaceutical compound and the method includes associating the prescription with identifying information, determining a property of the pharmaceutical, counting tablets of the pharmaceutical and utilizing the determined property in connection with the identifying information to verify the prescription.

Claims

1. A method for verifying that a prescribed pharmaceutical is dispensed in accordance with a prescription, comprising:

counting tablets of a dispensed pharmaceutical so as to determine whether a quantity of the tablets is in accord with the prescription;

obtaining spectral data for the dispensed pharmaceutical; and

utilizing the spectral data in connection with identifying information for the prescribed pharmaceutical to determine whether the dispensed pharmaceutical is the prescribed pharmaceutical.