MEDICATION REQUISITION FULFILLMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20150235003A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baxter Corporation Englewood (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Baxter Corporation Englewood (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Schneider, Dennis I.
• Granted Patent: US 10,552,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• 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

A system and associated method are provided for fulfillment of medication requisitions corresponding to contained medication units. Requisition fulfillment logic may be included to provide decision data to a patient care provider for use in selecting one of a plurality of different fulfillment sites to fill a given medication requisition. A requisition router may route the medication requisition to a selected one of the plurality of fulfillment sites. The fulfillment sites may provide medication requisition metadata (e.g., data relating to the preparation and handling of medication units) to a medication requisition database in corresponding relation to the corresponding medication requisitions fulfilled by the fulfillment sites. The medication requisition metadata may be stored in the medication requisition database and accessed to facilitate enhanced management functionalities in relation to medication units dispensed by patient care providers.

Claims

1. A system (100) for fulfillment of a medication requisition to obtain a contained medication unit to be dispensed by a patient care provider (10) for administration to a patient (70), comprising:

a requisition generator (20) for use by the patient care provider (10) to generate a medication requisition, in an automated or partially automated manner, for at least one contained unit of a medication for administration to a patient, wherein the requisition generator (20) is operable to derive data from a data stream to generate the medication requisition;

requisition fulfillment logic (30) comprising an algorithm for use by the patient care provider (10) and executed by a computer-based tool to process the medication requisition to provide decision data for use in selecting one of a plurality of fulfillment sites (50, 60a, 60b) to fulfill the medication requisition, wherein the decision data is based at least in part on one of stored medication requisition fulfillment cost data or stored medication requisition fulfillment timing data corresponding to and provided by each of the plurality of fulfillment sites (50, 60a, 60b);

a medication requisition database (90), wherein each of said plurality of fulfillment sites (50, 60a, 60b) is operable to provide medication requisition metadata for storage in the medication requisition database (90) regarding medication requisition fulfillment at the fulfillment site; and

a requisition router (40) to route the medication requisition to a selected fulfillment site (50, 60a, 60b) selected from the plurality of fulfillment sites (50, 60a, 60b) for fulfillment of the medication requisition, wherein a contained medication unit corresponding with the medication requisition is obtained by the patient care provider (10) from the selected fulfillment site for dispensing and for administration to the patient (70), and wherein the selected fulfillment site provides medication requisition metadata regarding the contained medication unit for storage in the medication requisition database (90).

2. A system (100) according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of fulfillment sites (50, 60a, 60b) is a remote fulfillment (60a, 60b) site that is remotely located relative to the patient care provider (10).

3. A system (100) according to claim 2, wherein the requisition generator (20), requisition fulfillment logic (30), and requisition router (40) are located at the patient care provider (10).

4. A system (100) according to claim 3, wherein another one (50) of the plurality of fulfillment sites (50, 60a, 60b) is at a patient care provider site corresponding to the patient care provider (10).

5. A system (100) according to claim 4, wherein the patient care provider (10) comprises an entity authorized by a governing regulatory body to prepare medication requisitions.

6. A system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the patient care provider (10) comprises one or more of the following:

an acute care site;

a hospital;

a home infusion pharmacy;

a physician office;

or

a free standing infusion clinic.

7. A system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the patient care provider (10) comprises a hospital having an affiliated pharmacy (50).

8. A system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the medication requisition database (90) is operable to store the medication requisition metadata in corresponding relation to a medication requisition record.

9. A system (100) according to claim 8, wherein the contained medication unit comprises at least one of the following:

a patient specific unit comprising a medication unit designated for administration to a specific patient;

a non-patient specific unit comprising a medication unit to be subsequently designated for administration to a specific patient;

or,

a medication component source unit to be used in the preparation of a patient specific unit or a non-patient specific unit.

10. A system (100) according to claim 9, wherein the contained medication unit comprises a nutritional supplement or a component of a nutritional supplement that requires administration by the patient care provider (10).

11. A system (100) according to claim 8, wherein the contained medication unit is received by the patient care provider (10) from the remote fulfillment site (60a, 60b), wherein the contained medication unit is associated with a kit comprising a plurality of contained medication units, wherein the plurality of contained medication units have corresponding medication requisitions that are associable with a kit identifier corresponding with the kit, and wherein said kit identifier comprises a machine-readable marking on a container used for handling the plurality of contained medication units.

12. A system (100) according to claim 8, wherein the contained medication unit is to be administered to the patient (70) at the patient care provider site.

13. A system (100) according to claim 8, wherein the medication requisition fulfillment cost data and the medication requisition fulfillment timing data are stored in the medication requisition database (90).

14. A system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the medication requisition fulfillment timing data comprises at least one of:

medication requisition fulfillment lead time data;

medication requisition availability data;

medication requisition delivery schedule data;

medication requisition efficacy timing data;

or medication unit component efficacy timing data.

15. A system (100) according to claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of fulfillment sites (50, 60a, 60b) provides a portion of the medication requisition fulfillment cost data and medication requisition fulfillment timing data corresponding to the respective fulfillment site to the medication requisition database (90).

16. A system (100) according to claim 1, wherein requisition fulfillment logic (30) is at least in part customizable by the patient care provider (10).

17. A system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the algorithm is for use in processing the medication requisition in relation to both stored medication requisition fulfillment cost data and stored medication requisition timing data.

18. A system (100) according to claim 17, wherein the algorithm comprises selectable weighting parameters associated with each of the medication requisition fulfillment cost data and the medication requisition fulfillment timing data.

19. A system (100) according to claim 18, wherein the weighting parameters associated with the medication requisition fulfillment cost data and the medication requisition fulfillment timing data are customizable by the patient care provider (10).

20. A system (100) according to claim 19, wherein the patient care provider (10) defines additional logic parameters for use by the requisition fulfillment logic (30).

21. A system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the requisition fulfillment logic (30) is operable to automatically select the selected fulfillment site at least partially based on the decision data.

22. A system (100) according to claim 21, wherein the requisition router (40) is operable to automatically route the medication requisition to the selected fulfillment site for fulfillment of the medication requisition.

23. A system (100) according claim 1, wherein the selected fulfillment site is adapted to selectively, automatically, or semi-automatically communicate a requisition rejection to the requisition fulfillment logic and medication requisition database in relation to the medication requisition, wherein the requisition fulfillment logic is operable to reprocess the medication requisition to generate decision data for use in the selection of another one of the plurality of fulfillment sites for fulfillment of the medication requisition.

24. A system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the medication requisition metadata comprises at least one of the following types of data:

medication source data indicative of at least one of;

a manufacturer of a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

a lot number of a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

an expiration date of a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

a serial number of a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition, or

a drug code indicative of the identity of a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition;

fulfillment data indicative of at least one of;

image data corresponding with a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

scanned data obtained from a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

analytic data regarding a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

pharmacist review data corresponding with at least one pharmacist review of a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

compliance data corresponding with best practices associated with a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

sterility assessment data corresponding to a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

a listing of actions corresponding to a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

time stamp data corresponding to actions corresponding to a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition, or

a listing of life cycle events taken with respect a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition.

25. A system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the patient care provider (10) is capable of accessing at least a portion of the medication requisition metadata from the medication requisition database (90).

26. A system (100) according to claim 25, wherein the medication requisition metadata comprises at least one of the following types of data:

medication source data indicative of at least one of;

a manufacturer of a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

a lot number of a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

an expiration date of a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

a serial number of a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition, or

a drug code indicative of the identity of a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition;

chain of custody data indicative of at least one of;

a listing of entities in possession of a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

a listing of users that have taken an action with respect to the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition, wherein the listing of users is correlated to specific actions taken by each user, or

tracking information corresponding to physical movement of a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition;

fulfillment data indicative of at least one of;

image data corresponding with a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

scanned data obtained from a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

analytic data regarding a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

pharmacist review data corresponding with at least one pharmacist review of a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

compliance data corresponding with best practices associated with a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

sterility assessment data corresponding to a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

a listing of actions corresponding to a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition,

time stamp data corresponding to actions corresponding to a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition, or

a listing of life cycle events taken with respect a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition;

or

environmental data indicative of at least one of;

a temperature to which a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition has been exposed,

a temperature to which and corresponding time period for which a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition has been exposed,

whether a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition is refrigerated,

whether a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition is frozen,

a temperature profile experienced by a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition, or

accelerometer data corresponding to forces experienced by a component of the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition or the contained medication unit corresponding to the medication requisition.

27. A system (100) according to claim 1, further comprising:

a distributed medication requisition management system comprising a distributed medication requisition management client at each of the plurality of fulfillment sites in operative communication with the requisition router to receive the medication requisition from the requisition router.

28. A system (100) according to claim 27, further comprising:

a medication requisition management network (80) at least comprising the distributed medication requisition management clients, the medication requisition database (90), and the requisition router (40).

29. A system (100) according to any one of claim 28, wherein at least a portion of the medication requisition data is located at separate physical locations, in particular, wherein medication requisition fulfillment cost data is located at separate physical location and/or wherein the medication requisition fulfillment timing data is located at separate physical location.

30. A system (100) according to claim 29, wherein the medication requisition database (90) is operative to store the medication requisition in particular, wherein the medication requisition database (90) is operative to store the medication requisition fulfillment cost data and/or wherein the medication requisition database (90) is operative to store the medication requisition fulfillment timing data.

31. A system (100) according to claim 30, wherein the medication requisition database (90) stores the medication requisition metadata in corresponding relation to the medication requisition.

32. A distributed medication requisition management system (100), comprising:

a requisition generator (20) to generate a medication requisition for at least one contained unit of a medication for dispensing by a patient care provider (10);

a medication requisition database (90) operable to store the medication requisition;

a plurality of medication requisition management clients resident at a plurality of fulfillment sites (50, 60a, 60b) capable of fulfilling the medication requisition;

a medication requisition management network (80) in operative communication with each of the plurality of medication requisition management clients, the medication requisition database (90), and the requisition generator (20), wherein the medication requisition management network (80) is operable to provide the medication requisition to the medication requisition management client of a selected fulfillment site of the plurality of fulfillment sites (50, 60a, 60b);

wherein the patient care provider (10) obtains a contained medication unit corresponding with the medication requisition from the selected fulfillment site for dispensing and administration to the patient (70), and wherein the selected fulfillment site provides medication requisition metadata to the medication requisition management network (80) for storage in the medication requisition database (90) in corresponding relation to the medication requisition.

33. A method for fulfillment of a medication requisition to be dispensed by a patient care provider (10) for administration to a patient, comprising:

generating a medication requisition by use of a requisition generator (20) by a patient care provider (10), said medication requisition being for at least one contained unit of a medication for administration to a patient;

processing the medication requisition by use of requisition fulfillment logic by the patient care provider (10) and executed by a computer-based tool, said processing providing decision data for use in selecting one of a plurality of fulfillment sites (50, 60a, 60b) to fulfill the medication requisition, wherein the decision data is based at least in part on one of medication requisition fulfillment cost data or medication requisition fulfillment timing data corresponding to each of the plurality of fulfillment sites (50, 60a, 60b); and

routing the medication requisition by a requisition router (40) to a selected fulfillment site (50, 60a, 60b) selected from the plurality of fulfillment sites (50, 60a, 60b) for preparation of the medication requisition.

34. A method according to claim 33, further comprising:

selecting automatically, by operation of said requisition fulfillment logic (30), the selected fulfillment site (50, 60a, 60b) at least partially based on the decision data.

35. A method according to claim 34 further comprising:

routing automatically, by operation of said router (40), the medication requisition to the selected fulfillment site (50, 60a, 60b) for fulfillment of the medication requisition.

36. (canceled)