LOAD BALANCING AND ASSIGNING MEDICATION REQUESTS

• US 20120173254A1
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Inventors: Korhnak, Daniel J., Gadagno, Russ, Kepes, Eric, Whaley, Chayla, Moon, Douglas J.
• Application Number:
  US12/980,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20120173254A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provided for load balancing medication requests. In one embodiment, a medication server may receive medications requests. The medication server may then load balance the medication requests and assign them to one or more medication filling devices for filling based at least in part on the load balancing. The one or more medication filling devices can then process and fill the assigned medication requests.

Claims

1. A method for load balancing medication requests, the method comprising:

identifying, via one or more processors, two or more medication filling devices for filling a plurality of unassigned medication requests;

identifying one or more assigned medication requests assigned to the respective medication filling devices for filling;

for each of the medication filling devices, determining an estimated fill time for filling the one or more assigned medication requests; and

electronically assigning a first unassigned medication request of the plurality of unassigned medication requests to a selected one of the medication filling devices, wherein assigning the first unassigned medication request to the selected medication filling device is based at least in part on the estimated fill times for filling the assigned medication requests.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining an estimated fill time for filling the first unassigned medication request based at least in part on (a) the types of medications requested and (b) the quantity of each type of medication requested.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the estimated fill times for filling the assigned medication requests is based at least in part on (a) the types of medications requested, (b) the quantity of each type of medication requested, and (c) the location within a medication filling device of each type of medication requested.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein (a) determining the estimated fill times for filling the assigned medication requests is further based at least in part on an average fill time of the respective medication filling devices and (b) the unassigned medication requests are processed in accordance with a workflow.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, via the one or more processors, the plurality of unassigned medication requests; and

filling one of the one or more assigned medication requests via the selected medication filling device.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising, after filling one of the one or more assigned medication request via the selected medication filling device, unassigning the filled assigned medication request from the selected medication filling device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more medication filling devices are identified from a plurality of medication filling devices.

8. A computer program product for load balancing medication requests, the computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion configured to identify two or more medication filling devices for filling a plurality of unassigned medication requests;

an executable portion configured to identify one or more assigned medication requests assigned to the respective medication filling devices for filling;

an executable portion configured to, for each of the medication filling devices, determine an estimated fill time for filling the one or more assigned medication requests; and

an executable portion configured to assign a first unassigned medication request of the plurality of unassigned medication requests to a selected one of the medication filling devices, wherein assigning the first unassigned medication request to the selected medication filling device is based at least in part on the estimated fill times for filling the assigned medication requests.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising an executable portion configured to determine an estimated fill time for filling the first unassigned medication request based at least in part on (a) the types of medications requested and (b) the quantity of each type of medication requested.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein determining the estimated fill times for filling the assigned medication requests is based at least in part on (a) the types of medications requested, (b) the quantity of each type of medication requested, and (c) the location within a medication filling device of each type of medication requested.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein (a) determining the estimated fill times for filling the assigned medication requests is further based at least in part on an average fill time of the respective medication filling devices and (b) the unassigned medication requests are processed in accordance with a workflow.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising an executable portion configured to receive the plurality of unassigned medication requests.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising an executable portion configured to, after filling one of the one or more assigned medication request via the selected medication filling device, unassign the filled assigned medication request from the selected medication filling device.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the two or more medication filling devices are identified from a plurality of medication filling devices.

15. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

identify two or more medication filling devices for filling a plurality of unassigned medication requests;

identify one or more assigned medication requests assigned to the respective medication filling devices for filling;

for each of the medication filling devices, determine an estimated fill time for filling the one or more assigned medication requests; and

assign a first unassigned medication request of the plurality of unassigned medication requests to a selected one of the medication filling devices, wherein assigning the first unassigned medication request to the selected medication filling device is based at least in part on the estimated fill times for filling the assigned medication requests.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to determine an estimated fill time for filling the first unassigned medication request based at least in part on (a) the types of medications requested and (b) the quantity of each type of medication requested.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein determining the estimated fill times for filling the assigned medication requests is based at least in part on (a) the types of medications requested, (b) the quantity of each type of medication requested, and (c) the location within a medication filling device of each type of medication requested.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein (a) determining the estimated fill times for filling the assigned medication requests is further based at least in part on an average fill time of the respective medication filling devices and (b) the unassigned medication requests are processed in accordance with a workflow.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to receive the plurality of unassigned medication requests.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to, further comprising, after filling one of the one or more assigned medication request via the selected medication filling device, unassign the filled assigned medication request from the selected medication filling device.