Medication Dispensing System

• US 20090295575A1
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philip R. Kennedy
• Original Assignee: Philip R. Kennedy
• Inventors: Kennedy, Philip R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,009,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/70 Audible labels, e.g. for pre-recorded info or messages
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0076 Medicament distribution means with pill counting devices A61J7/02; with time indication A61J7/04; containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/04 Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine, e.g. programmed dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A device for dispensing medication includes a medication hopper, a dispensing mechanism that is configured to dispense medication from the hopper to a user and a processor. The processor is in communication with a communication network and is configured to generate instructions to the dispensing mechanism that cause the dispensing mechanism to dispense medications according to a stored prescription and track an amount of medication in the medication hopper. If the amount is less than a predetermined threshold, then the processor is configured to send a message to a designated entity indicating that the amount of medication in the hopper is less than the threshold.

Claims

1. A medication dispensing system, comprising:

a. at least one medication storage hopper configured to store a medication therein;

b. a medication dispensing mechanism, configured to dispense an amount of the medication specified by a medication prescription to a predetermined location at a time specified by the medication prescription in a response to a dispensing instruction signal;

c. a user interface that includes a patient notification mechanism; and

d. a processor, in communication with a global computer network, that is configured to;

i. store the medication prescription;

ii. issue the dispensing instruction signal to the medication dispensing mechanism at the time specified by the medication prescription, wherein the dispensing instruction signal instructs the medication dispensing mechanism to dispense the amount of the medication specified by the medication prescription;

iii. cause the patient notification mechanism to issue an alert once the amount of the medication has been dispensed to the predetermined location;

iv. maintain a count of how many units of the medication are stored in the hopper; and

v. notify a remote computer when the count indicates that fewer than a predetermined number of units of the medication remain in the hopper.

2. The medication dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a keyboard by which the medication prescription is entered to the processor.

3. The medication dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the patient notification mechanism includes an audible alarm.

4. The medication dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a mechanism for a patient to acknowledge receipt of the amount of medication that has been dispensed and wherein the processor causes the notification mechanism to cease the alert when the patient has acknowledged receipt of the amount of medication that has been dispensed.

5. The medication dispensing system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to send a signal via the global computer network to an individual other than the patient when the patient has failed to acknowledge receipt of the amount of medication within a predetermined amount of time after the alert has been issued by the patient notification mechanism.

6. The medication dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to receive from a remote computer, via the global computer network, an instruction to change the prescription, thereby causing the processor to store a changed prescription in response thereto.

7. A system for dispensing at a medication, comprising:

a. a medication storage hopper configured to store the medication therein;

b. a medication dispensing mechanism, configured to dispense an amount of the medication specified by a medication prescription to a predetermined location at a time specified by the medication prescription in a response to a dispensing instruction signal;

c. a user interface that includes;

i. a patient notification mechanism that is configured to issue a audible alarm;

ii. a keyboard by which the medication prescription is entered to the processor; and

iii. a mechanism for a patient to acknowledge receipt of the amount of medication that has been dispensed; and

d. a processor, in communication with a global computer network, that is configured to;

i. store the medication prescription;

ii. issue the dispensing instruction signal to the medication dispensing mechanism at the time specified by the medication prescription, wherein the dispensing instruction signal instructs the medication dispensing mechanism to dispense the amount of the medication specified by the medication prescription;

iii. cause the patient notification mechanism to sound the audible alarm once the amount of the medication has been dispensed to the predetermined location and cause the notification mechanism to cease sounding the alarm when the patient has acknowledged receipt of the amount of medication that has been dispensed;

iv. maintain a count of how many units of the medication are stored in the hopper;

v. notify a remote computer via the global computer network when the count indicates that fewer than a predetermined number of units of the medication remain in the hopper;

vi. send a signal via the global computer network to an individual other than the patient when the patient has failed to acknowledge receipt of the amount of medication within a predetermined amount of time after the alert has been issued by the patient notification mechanism; and

vii. receive from a remote computer, via the global computer network, an instruction to change the prescription, thereby causing the processor to store a changed prescription in response thereto.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the signal sent to the individual other than the patient comprises a remote electronic device to indicate to a care giver that the patient has not acknowledged receipt of the medication.

9. A method of dispensing a medication employing a computer processor-controlled medication dispensing system that is coupled to a global computer network, comprising the actions of:

a. storing a medication prescription in a computer readable memory;

b. storing an amount of the medication specified in the medication prescription in at least one hopper and adding the amount to a number stored in a predetermined location of the computer readable memory, the number corresponding to a total amount of medication stored in the hopper;

c. periodically determining, using the computer processor, when a medication dispensing event time specified by the medication prescription has been reached;

d. when the medication dispensing event time specified by the medication prescription has been reached, sending a signal from the computer processor to an automatic medication dispensing mechanism to dispense a prescribed amount of medication from the hopper to a predetermined location and then sending a signal from the computer processor to a sound interface that causes the sound interface to sound an audible alarm indicating that the medication is ready to be taken;

e. employing the computer processor to subtract the prescribed amount from the number corresponding to the total amount of medication stored in the hopper and storing the result in the predetermined location of the computer readable memory;

f. comparing the number stored in the predetermined location of the computer readable memory to a threshold number and, if the number stored in the predetermined location of the computer readable memory is not greater than the threshold number then sending a low medication signal from the computer processor to a remote computer via the global computer network indicating that the hopper is running out of the medication.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the remote computer comprises a computer at a pharmacy.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the actions of:

a. determining, with the computer processor, if an acknowledgement has been input to a user interface acknowledging receipt of prescribed amount of medication dispensed from the dispensing mechanism within a predetermined amount of time after the step of sending a signal from the computer processor to an automatic medication dispensing mechanism to dispense a prescribed amount of medication from the hopper to a predetermined location;

b. if the acknowledgement has been input to the user interface within the predetermined amount of time, then causing the audible alarm to cease sounding; and

c. if the acknowledgement has not been input to the user interface within the predetermined amount of time, then causing a message to be sent from the computer processor to a remote computer via the global computer network notifying the remote computer that the patient has failed to acknowledge receipt of the medication.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the remote computer comprises a computer maintained by a caregiver.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the remote computer comprises a computer maintained by a physician.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the remote computer, upon receipt of the message, sends a message to a caregiver over a wireless network indicating that the patient has not acknowledged receipt of the medication.