MANAGEMENT OF PHARMACY KITS

• US 20150339622A1
• Filed: 08/04/2015
• Published: 11/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bluesight, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kit Check, Inc.
• Inventors: MacDonald, Kevin William, Kress-Spatz, Timothy James Leo
• Granted Patent: US 9,734,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10415 the interrogation device being fixed in its position, such as an access control device for reading wireless access cards, or a wireless ATM banking machines in general G07F19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A system for managing pharmacy kits comprises a reading station configured to read tag information from a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags associated with a pharmacy kit, and an information processing system operatively connected to the reading station and configured to receive the tag information from the reading station and determine a status of the pharmacy kit based on the tag information, a plurality of stored templates defining contents to be included in each of a plurality of pharmacy kits, and a plurality of kit records indicating the current contents of a plurality of pharmacy kits.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A system, comprising:

a pharmacy kit container that includes an enclosed space for receiving a pharmacy kit, the pharmacy kit comprising a tray and a plurality of medication containers located on a single plane of the tray and a plurality of medication tags coupled to the plurality of medication containers;

an information processing system coupled to the pharmacy kit container, the information processing system comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to;

capture tag information from the plurality of medication tags coupled to the plurality of medication containers located on the single plane of the tray,

wherein the plurality of medication containers are configured to store a plurality of medications,

wherein a particular medication tag of the plurality of medication tags is coupled to a particular medication container of the plurality of medication containers and the particular medication container is configured to store a particular medication of the plurality of medications, and

wherein the particular medication tag is associated with particular medication data comprising at least an identifier of the particular medication;

verify the pharmacy kit based at least in part on the tag information and a pharmacy kit template, wherein the pharmacy kit template identifies a group of medications that form at least a portion of the pharmacy kit, and wherein to verify the pharmacy kit, the computer-executable instructions cause the one or more processors to at least one of;

determine that a first medication container configured to store a first medication is not present based at least in part on the tag information, and determine that a second medication container configured to store a substitute first medication is present based at least in part on the tag information,

determine that the first medication is subject to a recall based at least in part on the tag information,

determine that the first medication is an expired medication based at least in part on a determination that an expiration of the first medication does not satisfy an expiration threshold,

determine that the first medication is an extra medication based at least in part on a determination that the first medication exceeds a threshold number of the group of medications identified by the pharmacy kit template, or

identify at least one missing medication not present in the pharmacy kit by comparing medication data with the pharmacy kit template, wherein the medication data is associated with the tag information and comprises at least the particular medication data; and

cause a display to display results of the verification of the pharmacy kit.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein to verify the pharmacy kit, the computer-executable instructions when executed cause the one or more processors to determine that the first medication container is not present based at least in part on the tag information, and determine that the second medication container is present based at least in part on the tag information.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein to verify the pharmacy kit, the computer-executable instructions when executed cause the one or more processors to determine that the first medication is subject to the recall.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein to verify the pharmacy kit, the computer-executable instructions when executed cause the one or more processors to determine that the first medication is an expired medication.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein to verify the pharmacy kit, the computer-executable instructions when executed cause the one or more processors to determine that the first medication is an extra item.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein to verify the pharmacy kit, the computer-executable instructions when executed cause the one or more processors to identify the at least one missing medication.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the expiration threshold comprises at least one of an expiration date or a date prior to the expiration date.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the enclosed space is accessible through at least one door.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the pharmacy kit container is configured to receive only one pharmacy kit at a time.

30. A system, comprising:

a pharmacy kit container that includes an enclosed space for receiving a pharmacy kit, wherein the enclosed space is accessible through at least one door, and wherein the pharmacy kit container provides electromagnetic shielding;

an information processing system communicatively coupled to a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, the information processing system comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to;

simultaneously receive tag information of a plurality of RFID tags coupled to a plurality of medication containers based at least in part on an antenna emitting a radio signal at least within the enclosed space of the pharmacy kit container when the at least one door is closed,

wherein the plurality of medication containers are configured to store a plurality of medications,

wherein a particular RFID tag of the plurality of RFID tags is coupled to a particular medication container of the plurality of medication containers and the particular medication container is configured to store a particular medication of the plurality of medications, and

wherein the particular RFID tag is associated with particular medication data comprising at least an identifier of the particular medication;

verify the pharmacy kit based at least in part on the tag information and a pharmacy kit template, wherein the pharmacy kit template identifies a group of medications that form at least a portion of the pharmacy kit, and wherein to verify the pharmacy kit, the computer-executable instructions cause the one or more processors to compare medication data associated with the plurality of RFID tags with the pharmacy kit template; and

cause a display to display results of the verification of the pharmacy kit, including information regarding at least one of the first medication or the at least one missing medication.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein to verify the pharmacy kit, the computer-executable instructions when executed further cause the one or more processors to at least one of:

determine that a first medication is an extra item based at least in part on a determination that the first medication exceeds a threshold number of the group of medications identified by the pharmacy kit template, or

identify at least one missing medication not present in the pharmacy kit by comparing medication data with the pharmacy kit template, wherein the medication data is associated with the tag information and comprises at least the particular medication data.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein to verify the pharmacy kit, the computer-executable instructions when executed further cause the one or more processors to determine whether an expiration of each of the plurality of medications satisfies an expiration threshold.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the expiration threshold comprises at least one of:

an expiration date for each of the plurality of medications or a date prior to the expiration date for each of the plurality of medications.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein to verify the pharmacy kit, the computer-executable instructions when executed further cause the one or more processors to determine whether any of the plurality of medications are subject to a recall.

35. The system of claim 30, wherein to verify the pharmacy kit, the computer-executable instructions when executed further cause the one or more processors to determine whether the pharmacy kit includes any extra items.

36. A radio frequency identification device (RFID) tag configured for use with a system for managing a pharmacy kit, the RFID tag comprising:

an identification portion including an RFID device for storing first tag information; and

a tail portion formed of a transparent material and including an adhesive backing for affixing the RFID tag to a first pharmacy item container, wherein the transparent material enables visualization of label information of the first pharmacy item container when the tail portion is located on top of the label information, the first pharmacy item container configured to store a first pharmacy item,

wherein the RFID tag is configured to be read by an RFID reader communicatively coupled to an information processing system, the information processing system comprising a computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to;

receive tag information including the first tag information from a plurality of RFID tags associated with a plurality of pharmacy items based at least in part on an antenna emitting a radio signal at least within a pharmacy kit container, the pharmacy kit container providing electromagnetic shielding, the plurality of RFID tags including the RFID tag and the plurality of pharmacy items including the first pharmacy item,

verify a pharmacy kit based at least in part on the tag information and a pharmacy kit template, wherein the pharmacy kit template identifies a group of pharmacy items that form at least a portion of the pharmacy kit, wherein to verify the pharmacy kit, the computer-executable instructions when executed cause the one or more processors to at least one of;

determine that a quantity of a plurality of pharmacy item containers including the first pharmacy container exceeds a threshold quantity indicated by the pharmacy kit template, or

determine that at least one pharmacy item container configured to store a particular pharmacy item is not present based at least in part on the tag information, and determine that a second pharmacy item container configured to store a substitute particular pharmacy item is present based at least in part on the tag information

determine that at least one pharmacy item is subject to a recall based at least in part on the tag information,

determine that at least one pharmacy item is expired based at least in part on a determination that an expiration of the first pharmacy item does not satisfy an expiration threshold, and

cause a display to display results of the verification of the pharmacy kit.

37. The RFID tag of claim 36, wherein the first pharmacy item is a vial.

38. The RFID tag of claim 36, wherein the printable portion includes adhesive backing.

39. The RFID tag of claim 36, wherein to verify the pharmacy kit, the computer-executable instructions when executed further cause the one or more processors to identify one or more extra pharmacy items based at least in part on a comparison of pharmacy item data with the pharmacy kit template, wherein the pharmacy item data is associated with the tag information.

40. The RFID tag of claim 36, wherein the computer-executable instructions when executed cause the one or more processors to determine whether the at least one pharmacy item satisfies an expiration threshold.

41. The RFID tag of claim 40, wherein the expiration threshold comprises at least one of an expiration date of the at least one pharmacy item or a date prior to the expiration date of the at least one pharmacy item.

42. The RFID tag of claim 36, wherein the computer-executable instructions when executed further cause the one or more processors to determine whether the at least one pharmacy item is subject to a recall.

43. The RFID tag of claim 36, wherein to identify the at least one pharmacy item as an extra item the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to determine whether the at least one pharmacy item is not among the group of pharmacy items identified by the pharmacy kit template.

44. A radio frequency identification device (RFID) tag comprising:

an identification portion comprising an RFID device for storing first tag information, wherein the identification portion is formed of a first material; and

a tail portion formed of a second material that is transparent, the second material including an adhesive backing for affixing the RFID tag to a first pharmacy item container, wherein the second material enables visualization of label information of the first pharmacy item container when the tail portion is located on top of the label information, the first pharmacy item container configured to store a first pharmacy item.

45. The RFID tag of claim 44, wherein the first material is opaque

46. The RFID tag of claim 44, wherein a length of the tail portion is greater than or equal to a length of the identification portion.

47. The RFID tag of claim 45, wherein a width of the tail portion is less than a width of the identification portion.