PATIENT-SPECIFIC MEDICATION DISPENSING AND NOTIFICATION SYSTEM

• US 20090037020A1
• Filed: 08/03/2007
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Cardinal Health 303 Incorporated (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brown, Barry Arthur
• Granted Patent: US 9,747,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/240
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/001 Trolleys for transport of medicaments, food, linen, nursing supplies carts specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis A61B50/13; hand carts B62B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• 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

Abstract

A medication dispensing system is described. In some embodiments, the system includes a medication station and a controller responsive to patient admittance status information. The medication station includes at least one securable compartment configured to hold medication. The controller is configured to assign a patient to the at least one securable compartment such that medications for the patient are able to be placed into the at least one securable compartment. The controller is also configured to selectively permit access to the medications for the patient in the at least one securable compartment when the patient admittance status information indicates the patient is currently admitted, and restrict access to retrieval of the medications for the patient in the at least one securable compartment when the patient admittance status information indicates the patient is not currently admitted.

Claims

1. A medication dispensing system comprising:

a medication station comprising at least one securable compartment configured to hold medication;

a controller, responsive to patient admittance status information, configured to;

assign a patient to the at least one securable compartment such that medications for the patient are able to be placed into the at least one securable compartment;

selectively permit access to the medications for the patient in the at least one securable compartment when the patient admittance status information indicates the patient is currently admitted; and

restrict access to retrieval of the medications for the patient in the at least one securable compartment when the patient admittance status information indicates the patient is not currently admitted.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to receive and interpret an admit-discharge-transfer (ADT) alert, wherein the ADT alert comprises the patient admittance status information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit a notification to adjust medications for the patient when the patient admittance status information indicates a change in status of the patient, wherein the notification to adjust medications for the patient comprises at least one of an admit notification, a discharge notification, or a transfer notification for the patient.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a display and an input device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one securable compartment comprises a securable drawer.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the input device comprises at least one item selected from the group comprising a magnetic card reader, biometric reader-sensor, proximity reader, radio frequency identification reader, keyboard, symbology reader, bar code reader, and touch-screen monitor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to log access to the at least one securable compartment.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to catalog the medications for the patient located in the at least one securable compartment.

9. A method, for patient-specific medication dispensing and notification, comprising:

receiving an admit-discharge-transfer (ADT) alert;

evaluating a list of patients whose medications are stored in a medication station to determine if the list includes the patient for whom the ADT alert was received; and

transmitting a notification to adjust medications for the patient in response to the ADT alert received for the patient, if the list of patients treated by the medication station includes the patient for whom the ADT alert was received.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the ADT alert comprises a discharge alert, the method further comprising:

removing the patient from the list of patients if the list of patients treated by the medication station includes the patient for whom the discharge alert was received;

wherein the notification to adjust medications comprises a notification to remove medications for the patient from the medication station.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising unassigning the patient from at least one securable compartment previously assigned to the patient.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the ADT alert comprises an admit alert, the method further comprising:

adding the patient to the list of patients if the list of patients treated by the medication station does not include the patient for whom the admit alert was received;

wherein the notification to adjust medications comprises a notification to add medications for the patient to the medication station.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising assigning at least one securable compartment to the patient.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the notification to adjust medications is transmitted to a pharmacist console.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing a processor to execute instructions to control a medication station by performing steps comprising:

receiving admittance status information for the patient;

assigning the patient to at least one securable compartment of a medication station, such that at least one medication for the patient is able to be placed into the at least one securable compartment;

selectively permitting access to the at least one medication in the at least one securable compartment when the admittance status information indicates the patient is currently admitted; and

restricting access to retrieve the at least one medication in the at least one securable compartment when the admittance status information indicates the patient is not currently admitted.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, having further computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of:

receiving and interpreting an admit-discharge-transfer (ADT) alert;

wherein the ADT alert comprises the admittance status information for the patient.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of logging access to the at least one securable compartment.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of cataloging the medications for the patient located in the at least one securable compartment.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of unassigning the patient from a patient cassette drawer (PCD) previously assigned to the patient.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the notification to adjust medications is transmitted to a pharmacist console.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of transmitting a notification to retrieve medications for the patient when the admittance status information indicates the patient is not currently admitted.