CENTRALIZED STERILE DRUG PRODUCTS DISTRIBUTION AND AUTOMATED MANAGEMENT OF STERILE COMPOUNDING STATIONS

• US 20080195246A1
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baxter Corporation Englewood (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Forhealth Technologies Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Osborne, Joel A., Tribble, Dennis, Khan, Abdul Wahid, Padmani, Bhavesh, Valentine, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 8,140,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/216
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients

Abstract

Central management of dose order preparation retrieves an unprocessed dose order record, selects a workstation from a set of workstations, forwards the order for conversion into a drug dosage form, and repeats the process for additional unprocessed dose order records. Depending on the operation type of the selected workstation (manual, automatic), protocol information concerning preparation of the dose order is selectively provided to the selected workstation. Interrogatable elements enable tracking of dose orders and dosage forms throughout preparation, storage and distribution cycles. Further methods enable rapid fulfillment by utilizing inventory ahead of drug order processing if suitable dosage forms exist in inventory records.

Claims

1. A method for centrally managing dose order preparation, comprising the steps of:

retrieving at a monitoring computer a dose order record having an unprocessed status;

selecting a workstation from among a set of workstations, at least one being an automated workstation, to handle the unprocessed dose order;

forwarding the unprocessed dose order to the automated workstation for conversion into a drug dosage form; and

repeating the steps of retrieving, selecting, and forwarding.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining an operation type of the selected workstation; and

selectively providing a protocol concerning preparation of the unprocessed dose order to the selected workstation based on the operation type of the selected workstation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the selected workstation has a manual operation type and wherein the protocol is provided in response to the operation type being the manual operation type.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

prompting an operator of the selected workstation to provide information input regarding the protocol;

receiving the information input;

analyzing the information input to verify preparation in conformance with the protocol.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the selected workstation has an automated operation type and wherein the test resulting in selectively providing the protocol fails in view of the operation type being the automated operation type.

6. The method of claim 1, including the additional steps of:

receiving at the monitoring computer from the selected workstation a processed-order status indication; and

updating the dose order record to the processed-order status.

7. The method of claim 6, including the additional step of responding from the monitoring computer to any status inquiry concerning the dose order with the processed-order status.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the updating step includes updating a location of the drug dosage form to be that of the selected workstation.

9. The method of claim 8, including the additional step of responding from the monitoring computer to any status inquiry concerning the dose order with the processed-order status and the location.

10. The method of claim 6, including the additional steps of:

supporting a first interrogatable tag on the drug dosage form; and

linking the first interrogatable tag to the dose order record.

11. The method of claim 10, including the additional step of associating a current location of the drug dosage form with a location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the location has a second interrogatable tag and wherein the associating step comprises interrogating the first and second interrogatable tags and storing information associated with each response in the dose order record.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving step retrieves the unprocessed dose order record from either a memory or a file or a database.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step updates the dose order record to associate the dose order with the selected workstation.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving step receives a plurality of dose order records, and wherein the method includes the additional step of arranging the plural dose order records in accordance with a rule.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the arranging step comprises grouping the plural dose order records by either type or medication, wherein the dose order records in the group are all forwarded to the selected workstation.

17. The method of claim 15, including the additional step of identifying an urgency associated with one of the plural dose order records, wherein the identified dose order is forwarded to the selected workstation for conversion into a drug dosage form with a higher priority for handling than any unprocessed dose order that has been forwarded to the selected workstation.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

generating a supply-list identifying a plurality of supplies required to fulfill the plurality of orders;

comparing the supply-list with an inventory of supplies; and

ordering one or more of the plurality of supplies not in the supply-list.

19. The method of claim 1, including the additional steps of identifying a source of the dose order record, testing the source against a set of valid sources, and proceeding with the selecting and forwarding steps in the event that the source is among the set of valid sources.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of workstations comprises one or more remote workstations configured to receive dose orders over a network.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of forwarding a quality assurance activity to a selected workstation.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of forwarding a quality assurance activity is performed in response to a rule.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving at the monitoring computer a medication order containing one or more dose order records;

logging the dose order records received;

determining a predicted volume of work orders and a staffing level required to perform the predicted volume.

24. A method for centrally managing logistics of a dose order fulfillment, comprising the steps of:

receiving the dose order at a first station, the dose order having a first priority for completion;

comparing the dose order against an inventory record of prepared drug doses for a match;

in the event of the match;

directing a person to a location associated with the matched, prepared drug dose;

registering the retrieval of the prepared drug dose from the location for delivery to another location;

updating the inventory record; and

instructing the preparation of the dose order at a second station for completion at a priority which is not greater than the first priority.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the dose order is received in an electronic format and wherein each of the steps is performed automatically under software control.

26. The method of claim 25, including the additional steps of:

receiving an acknowledgement of preparation of a drug dose from the dose order;

registering in the inventory record a storage of the acknowledged drug dose.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the comparing step includes identifying any expired prepared drug doses and then compares the dose order against any unexpired prepared drug doses for the match.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of instructing the preparation of the dose order at the second station is at a priority which is less than the first priority.

29. A method for centrally managing dose order preparation, comprising the steps of:

receiving at a monitoring computer a medication order containing one or more dose order records;

assigning an unprocessed status to each dose order record among the received dose order records;

retrieving a dose order record having an unprocessed status;

selecting a workstation from among a set of workstations to handle the unprocessed dose order;

forwarding the unprocessed dose order to the selected workstation for conversion into a drug dosage form; and

providing to the workstation a standard order process protocol suitable for confirming any dose preparation steps.

30. The method of claim 29, including the additional steps of performing dose preparation and confirming that the dose preparation conforms to the standard process protocol.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the confirming step uses automated equipment to test the dose once it has been processed at the workstation.