PHARMACEUTICAL WASTE IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM

• US 20080162191A1
• Filed: 03/19/2008
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waste Management National Services, Inc. (Waste Management Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: PharmEcology Associates, LLC (Waste Management Incorporated)
• Inventors: Smith, Charlotte A., McCauley, James R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,706,574 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A pharmaceutical waste identification system presents pharmaceutical waste information and, in response to a client entering a pharmaceutical name, the system provides a pharmaceutical waste disposal recommendation. This recommendation can include a labeling recommendation for a container for the pharmaceutical, a disposal recommendation for an empty container previously containing the pharmaceutical, and a disposal recommendation for the pharmaceutical.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a processor, cause the processor to generate disposal recommendations for pharmaceuticals, the instructions configured to:

gather pharmaceutical waste information associated with a pharmaceutical from a plurality of sources;

provide a user interface that presents information associated with the pharmaceutical waste information to a client; and

provide the client with identified waste and waste stream management recommendations in response to in-patient inventory information.

2. The application of claim 1, wherein the in-patient inventory information includes a product code and a product name.

3. The application of claim 2, wherein the product code includes a National Drug Code (NCD) code.

4. The application of claim 1, wherein the in-patient inventory information is provided in an electronic spreadsheet format.

5. The application of claim 4, wherein the identified waste and waste stream is appended to the in-patient inventory information.

6. A method of providing disposal recommendations for pharmaceuticals, the method comprising:

receiving in-patient inventory information including a product code and a product name;

identifying waste and waste stream management recommendations based on the received in-patient inventory information; and

providing the identified waste and waste stream management recommendations to a client.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the product code includes a National Drug Code (NCD) code.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the in-patient inventory information is provided in an electronic spreadsheet format.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the identified waste and waste stream management recommendations are appended to the in-patient inventory information.