SYSTEM AND METHODOLOGY FOR FILLING PRESCRIPTIONS

• US 20100174552A1
• Filed: 11/12/2009
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Remedi Technology Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Paxit Automation Products, LLC
• Inventors: Hawkes, Kimberly, Stielau, Mark, Schneider, Steven E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,916,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1376 the orders being assembled on a commissioning conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 59/067 articles being separated substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the stack
• 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: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• 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

An overall pharmacy system and methodology begins with bulk medications and supplements introduced into the work flow, individually packaged and assembled into med pass orders per patient and delivered to the long-term care (LTC) facility or other institution for patient consumption. The process according to one embodiment of this invention begins by converting bulk medications and supplements to packaged unit doses and ultimately individually packaged med pass bags for each patient on a 24-hour schedule. The various safeguards and measures built into this system increase patient safety eliminate waste and increase labor efficiency by reducing and/or minimizing the disposal of unused medications and supplements. The design of the overall system and its individual components allows for physical control of each unit dose package from start to finish without any unit dose package “free fall” in the system. This process is automated and does not rely upon manual sorting. The med pass bags are consolidated into the final shipping container and do not require manual sorting and packing.

Claims

1. A method for processing prescription orders for patients of multiple medications, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a bulk supply of a variety of medications;

entering information pertaining to the bulk supply of medications into an inventory database;

packaging each of the medications in the bulk supply of medications into individual unit dose packages;

updating the inventory database with unit dose package information;

placing the unit dose packages into inventory of a dispensing system;

receiving a patient'"'"'s prescription order for a plurality of identified medications;

dispensing unit dose packages associated with the plurality of identified medications from the dispensing system;

assembling the dispensed unit dose packages together; and

delivering the assembled unit dose packages corresponding to the patient'"'"'s order.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

assembling similar medications after the packaging step and prior to the placing step.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

labeling each of the unit dose packages with relevant medication information.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

maintaining positive physical control over the unit dose packages.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the delivering step further comprises:

shipping the assembled unit dose packages corresponding to the patient'"'"'s order to a location remotely located relative to the dispensing system.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

verifying the patient'"'"'s prescription after the receiving step.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the assembling step further comprises:

bagging the retrieved unit dose packages associated with a single med pass for each patient into a bag.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

accumulating a plurality of the bags for a given patient, each bag being associated with a different med pass.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the delivering step further comprises:

shipping the assembled unit dose packages corresponding to a first patient'"'"'s order to a first location remotely located relative to the dispensing system; and

shipping the assembled unit dose packages corresponding to a second patient'"'"'s order to a second location remotely located relative to the dispensing system and the first location.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the medications in the bulk supply of a variety of medications are not contained in individual unit dose packages prior to the packaging step.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

tracking the medications throughout the method; and

updating the inventory database with the tracking information.

12. A method for processing prescription orders for patients of multiple medications, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a bulk supply of a variety of medications;

entering information pertaining to the bulk supply of medications into an inventory database;

packaging each of the medications in the bulk supply of medications into individual unit dose packages;

labeling each of the unit dose packages with relevant medication information;

updating the inventory database with unit dose package information;

placing the unit dose packages into inventory of a dispensing system;

receiving a patient'"'"'s prescription order for a plurality of identified medications;

dispensing unit dose packages associated with the plurality of identified medications from the dispensing system;

assembling the dispensed unit dose packages together; and

shipping the assembled unit dose packages corresponding to the patient'"'"'s order to a location remotely located relative to the dispensing system.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

assembling similar medications after the packaging step and prior to the placing step.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

maintaining positive physical control over the unit dose packages.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

verifying the patient'"'"'s prescription after the receiving step.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the assembling step further comprises:

bagging the retrieved unit dose packages associated with a single med pass for each patient into a bag; and

accumulating a plurality of the bags for a given patient, each bag being associated with a different med pass.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

shipping assembled unit dose packages corresponding to a second patient'"'"'s order to a second location remotely located relative to the dispensing system and the first location.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the medications in the bulk supply of a variety of medications are not contained in individual unit dose packages prior to the packaging step.

19. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

tracking the medications throughout the method; and

updating the inventory database with the tracking information.

20. A method for processing prescription orders for patients of multiple medications, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a bulk supply of a variety of medications;

entering information pertaining to the bulk supply of medications into an inventory database;

packaging each of the medications in the bulk supply of medications into individual unit dose packages;

labeling each of the unit dose packages with relevant medication information;

updating the inventory database with unit dose package information;

assembling similar medications into containers after the packaging step and prior to the placing step;

placing the containers of unit dose packages into inventory of a dispensing system;

receiving a patient'"'"'s prescription order for a plurality of identified medications;

verifying the patient'"'"'s prescription after the receiving step;

dispensing unit dose packages associated with the plurality of identified medications from the dispensing system;

assembling the dispensed unit dose packages associated with a single med pass for each patient together in a bag;

accumulating a plurality of the bags for a given patient, each bag being associated with a different med pass;

shipping the assembled unit dose packages corresponding to the patient'"'"'s order to a location remotely located relative to the dispensing system; and

maintaining positive physical control over the unit dose packages.