HANDLING OF MULTI-USE ITEM SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND DEVICES

• US 20080319575A1
• Filed: 06/17/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Inventors: Vahlberg, John, Cohen, Dan, Cartright, Jennifer, Blank, Jeff, Caldwell, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,073,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices are described related to the assignment and management of patient-specific bins. A dispensing device at a healthcare facility includes a number of bins for storage of medical supplies, with some of the bins designated as patient-specific bins allocated to be assigned to patients for storage of their medications or certain other supplies. A central server computer system, in communication with a computer of the dispensing device, may monitor and assign current and future patient-specific use of the bins for the dispensing device. The assignment and management of patient-specific bins may be performed by devices distributed through the system.

Claims

1. A system for designating multi-use items for a plurality of dispensing devices at a healthcare facility, the system comprising:

the plurality of dispensing devices for medications, each dispensing device including a plurality of bins for storage of medication; and

a central server computer system, communicatively coupled with at least a subset of the plurality of dispensing devices, and configured to;

receive a set of data identifying an unused dispenser of medication, the dispenser of medication configured for multiple administrations to a same patient;

associate the dispenser of medication with a designation indicating the dispenser of medication is a multi-use item;

transmit a first set of instruction data directing storage of the dispenser of medication in an item-specific bin at a dispensing device of the subset, the item-specific bin configured to store one or more items each available to a plurality of patients;

receive a set of use data indicating a use of the dispenser of medication by a first patient; and

transmit, in response to the received set of use data, a second set of instruction data directing storage of the used dispenser of medication in a patient-specific bin assigned to the first patient at the dispensing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server computer system is further configured to:

assign, in response to receiving the set of use data, the medication to the first patient for exclusive use.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server computer system is further configured to:

assign the patient-specific bin to the patient after receiving the set of use data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server computer system is further configured to:

retain the designation as a multi-use item for the used dispenser of medication until the medication is used up.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server computer system is further configured to:

receive a set of request data from a user at the dispensing device comprising a request to obtain the medication for administration to the first patient; and

automatically identify, in response to the received set of request data, the item-specific bin holding the unused dispenser of medication.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server computer system is further configured to:

receive a set of request data comprising a request to obtain the medication for administration to the first patient; and

automatically identify, in response to the received set of request data, the patient-specific bin holding the used medication.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server computer system is further configured to:

determine that the medication is used up; and

automatically identify, after the determination, an item-specific bin storing an additional unused dispenser of the medication.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server computer system is further configured to:

exclude the medication from restocking in a patient-specific bin for the first patient at the dispensing device until after the used dispenser of medication is used up.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server computer system is further configured to:

track use by the first patient of the used dispenser of medication;

identify when the tracked use exceeds a threshold to generate a restocking trigger; and

direct restocking of an additional unused dispenser of the medication at an available item-specific bin at the dispensing device in response to the restocking trigger.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the threshold is exceeded when the used dispenser of medication is not used up.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server computer system is further configured to:

track use by a plurality of patients of additional dispensers of the medication at the dispensing device;

identify when the tracked use exceeds a threshold to generate a restocking trigger; and

direct restocking of one or more additional unused dispensers of the medication at the item-specific bin at the dispensing device in response to the restocking trigger.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server computer system is further configured to:

receive a set of notification data indicating that the first patient is to be discharged from the healthcare facility;

determine that the medication remains under an active medication order; and

direct, based at least in part on the determination, the user to provide the used dispenser of medication to the first patient upon discharge.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server computer system is further configured to:

assign an additional set of one or more patient-specific bins for exclusive use of the patient for single-use medications stocked from the healthcare facility, the additional set distinct from the patient-specific bin assigned for the dispenser of medication.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein,

the dispenser of medication comprises the medication and a container configured to dispense the medication for the patient;

and

the medication comprises a selection from the group consisting of a topical cream, eye drops, and an inhaler.

15. A dispensing device with an integrated computer configured to manage multi-use items, the dispensing device comprising:

one or more bins allocated for assignment and configured for storage of medications for a patient; and

a computer, integrated with the dispensing device and communicatively coupled with the one or more patient-specific bins, and configured to;

process a set of data identifying an unused dispenser of medication for multiple administrations to a same patient;

associate the dispenser of medication with a designation indicating the dispenser of medication is a multi-use item;

direct storage of the dispenser of medication in an item-specific bin of the one or more bins, the item-specific bin configured to store one or more items each available to a plurality of patients;

process a set of use data indicating a use of the dispenser of medication by a first patient; and

direct storage of the used dispenser of medication in a patient-specific bin assigned to the first patient at the dispensing device.

16. The dispensing device of claim 15, wherein the dispensing device is in communication with a central server computer system, and is further configured to:

transmit the set of data identifying an unused dispenser of medication for multiple administrations to a same patient to the central server computer system;

receive a first set of instruction data directing storage of the dispenser of medication in the item-specific bin of the one or more bins;

transmit the set of use data indicating a use of the dispenser of medication by a first patient; and

receive a second set of instruction data directing storage of the used dispenser of medication in the patient-specific bin.

17. A method for designating a multi-use item, the method comprising:

receiving a set of data identifying an unused dispenser of medication for multiple administrations to a same patient;

associating a stored entry for the dispenser of medication with a designation indicating the dispenser of medication is a multi-use item;

transmitting a first set of instruction data directing storage of the dispenser of medication in an item-specific bin at a dispensing device of the subset;

receiving a set of use data indicating a use of the dispenser of medication by a first patient; and

transmitting, in response to the received set of use data, a second set of instruction data directing storage of the used dispenser of medication in a patient-specific bin assigned to the first patient at the dispensing device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

assigning, in response to receiving the set of use data, the medication to the first patient for exclusive use.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

retaining the designation for the used dispenser of medication as a multi-use item while the dispenser of medication is transferred between dispensing devices.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a set of request data from a user at the dispensing device comprising a request to obtain the medication for administration to the first patient; and

automatically identifying, in response to the received set of request data, the item-specific bin holding the unused dispenser of medication or the patient-specific bin holding the used dispenser of medication.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining that the medication is used up; and

automatically identifying, in response to a received request to obtain the medication for administration to the first patient, an item-specific bin storing an additional unused dispenser of the medication, the automatic identification based at least in part on the determination.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

excluding an additional unused dispenser of the medication from restocking in a patient-specific bin for the first patient at the dispensing device until after the used dispenser of medication is used up.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

tracking use by the first patient of the used dispenser of medication;

identifying when the tracked use exceeds a threshold to generate a restocking trigger; and

directing restock of an additional unused dispenser of the medication at an available item-specific bin at the dispensing device in response to the restocking trigger.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

preventing assignment of the designated multi-use item to patient-specific bins assigned for exclusive use of the patient for single-use medications stocked from the healthcare facility.

25. A method for managing multi-use medication, the method comprising:

identifying an unused dispenser of medication designated as a multi-use medication and stored in an item-specific bin available to a plurality of patients at a dispensing device;

receiving an indication of a first use by a patient of the previously unused dispenser of medication; and

directing return of the used dispenser to a patient-specific bin in the dispensing device for exclusive use of the patient.