IDENTIFYING ITEMS FOR RESTOCKING OF A DISPENSING DEVICE SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20080319580A1
• 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 8,131,397 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/242
• 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 determining selected items from a medication order to be reordered, the system comprising:

a dispensing device of a plurality of dispensing devices at a healthcare facility, the dispensing device including;

one or more patient-specific bins assigned for exclusive use to a patient of a plurality of patients; and

one or more item-specific bins each allocated for an item available to be used by the plurality of patients; and

a central server computer system, communicatively coupled to the dispensing device, and configured to;

receive a medication order for the patient;

compare the medication order to a listing of medications stored in the one or more item-specific bins at the dispensing device to determine a subset of items of the medication order to be stored in the one or more patient-specific bins at the device;

automatically identify, for at least one of the items of the subset, a reorder level triggering reorder of respective items; and

determine, for each of the at least one of the items, whether the one or more patient-specific bins for the patient at the device are at or below the identified reorder levels.

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

receive data from the dispensing device identifying a current level of supply for the subset of items of the medication order, wherein the received data is used in the determination of whether the patient-specific bins for the patient at the device are at or below the identified reorder levels.

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

identify, for each of one or more items determined to be at or below the identified reorder levels at the dispensing device, a reorder amount for the patient at the dispensing device.

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

transmit the reorder amount;

modify the reorder amount based at least in part on an updated medication order; and

transmit the modified reorder amount.

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

identify, for one or more items determined to be at or below the identified reorder levels at the dispensing device, a target level at which to bring each of the one or more items for the patient in restocking the dispensing device.

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

identify, for each of one or more items determined to be at or below the identified reorder levels at the dispensing device, a reorder amount for the patient at the dispensing device by comparing the target level to a current level of supply.

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

utilize the medication order to determine a rate of use by the patient for the at least one of the subset of items, wherein the rate of use is utilized to identify the target level.

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

identify a target days supply for the one or more items determined to be at or below the identified reorder levels at the dispensing device, wherein the target days supply is used to identify the target level.

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

utilize the medication order to determine the rate of use by the patient for the at least one of the subset of items, wherein the rate of use is utilized to identify the reorder level.

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

modify a reorder level based at least in part on a changed rate of use by the patient for the at least one of the subset of items.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein,

the one or more patient-specific bins are assigned to the patient for temporary use;

and

the medication order is a future medication order.

12. A method of determining selected items from a medication order to be reordered, the method comprising:

receiving a medication order for a patient associated with a dispensing device;

comparing the medication order to a listing of medications stored in item-specific bins at the dispensing device to determine a subset of items of the medication order to be stored in patient-specific bins at the device;

automatically identifying, for at least one of the items of the subset, a reorder level triggering reorder of respective items; and

determining, for each of the at least one of the items, whether the patient-specific bins for the patient at the device are at or below the identified reorder levels.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving data from the dispensing device identifying a current level of supply for the subset of items of the medication order, wherein the received data is used in the determination of whether the patient-specific bins for the patient at the device are at or below the identified reorder levels.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

identifying, for each of one or more items determined to be at or below the identified reorder levels at the dispensing device, a reorder amount for the patient at the dispensing device.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

identifying, for one or more items determined to be at or below the identified reorder levels at the dispensing device, a target level at which to bring each of the one or more items for the patient in restocking the dispensing device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

identifying, for each of one or more items determined to be at or below the identified reorder levels at the dispensing device, a reorder amount for the patient at the dispensing device by comparing the target level to a current level of supply.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

utilizing the medication order to determine a rate of use by the patient for the at least one of the subset of items, wherein the rate of use is utilized to identify the target level.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

identifying a target days supply for the one or more items determined to be at or below the identified reorder levels at the dispensing device, wherein the target days supply is used to identify the target level.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining whether supply levels for each of the one or more items for the patient at the dispensing device are above the target level.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

utilizing the medication order to determine a remaining use for the items above the target level; and

transmitting data directing the removal of at least some of items above the target level based at least in part on the remaining use.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

utilizing the medication order to determine the rate of use by the patient for the at least one of the subset of items, wherein the rate of use is utilized to identify the reorder level.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

modifying a reorder level based at least in part on a changed rate of use by the patient for the at least one of the subset of items.

23. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

identifying a minimum days supply for each of the at least one of the items of the subset to identify the reorder level.

24. The method of claim 12, wherein the medication order is a future medication order.

25. A device for determining a reorder amount, the device comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a medication order for a patient associated with a dispensing device;

a processing unit, communicatively coupled with the receiving unit, and configured to;

compare the medication order to a listing of medications stored in item-specific bins at the dispensing device to determine a subset of items of the medication order to be stored in patient-specific bins at the device;

automatically identify, for at least one of the items of the subset, a reorder level triggering reorder of respective items;

determine, for each of the at least one of the items, whether the patient-specific bins for the patient at the device are at or below the identified reorder levels; and

identify, for each of one or more items determined to be at or below the identified reorder levels at the dispensing device, a reorder amount for the patient at the dispensing device; and

a transmitting unit, communicatively coupled with the processing unit, and configured to transmit data specifying the reorder amount.