Method for dispensing pharmaceuticals

• US 5,641,093 A
• Filed: 10/23/1995
• Issued: 06/24/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cardinal Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cardinal Health, Inc.
• Inventors: Allen, Mark D., Dolin, Lisa M.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOLAND, KENNETH W
• Application Number:
  US08/546,584
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 221/45, 221/282, 206/449, 206/528, 206/806, 312/184, 312/330.1, 211/44, 211/123
• US Class Current: 221/282
• CPC Class Codes: B42F 17/02 in which the cards are stored substantially at right angles to the bottom of their containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/5028 Elements formed separately from the container body

Abstract

A method for assisting in the dispensing of pharmaceuticals is provided including the steps of: (1) determining what pharmaceutical needs to be restocked; (2) selecting a pharmaceutical distribution container corresponding to the pharmaceutical needing to be restocked, with the container including a tray and a sleeve. The tray has a base, a sidewall, and pharmaceutical retaining means within the tray, with such pharmaceutical retaining means including a rod, with the rod having a first and a second end and packets containing one each of the pharmaceutical needing to be restocked; (3) removing the tray from the sleeve; (4) removing the rod from the tray; and (5) transferring a predetermined number of packets from the rod to a restocking cart so the packets can be restocked.

Claims

1. A method for assisting in the dispensing of pharmaceuticals, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a pharmaceutical distribution container corresponding to the pharmaceutical needing to be restocked, said container comprising a tray and a sleeve which encases said tray, said tray comprising a base, a sidewall, said sidewall having two recessed portions formed therein, means for retaining pharmaceuticals within said tray, said means for retaining pharmaceuticals within said tray comprising a rod, said rod having a first and a second end, and packets containing one each of the pharmaceutical need to be restocked, each of said packets having an aperture formed therethrough, said sleeve comprising a top surface, a bottom surface, and two end faces,

removing said tray from said sleeve,

removing said rod from said tray, and

transferring a predetermined number of packets from said rod so they can be restocked.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said sidewall comprises a first sidewall portion, a second sidewall portion, a third sidewall portion, and a fourth sidewall portion, said first and third sidewall portions having the same dimensions, and said second and fourth sidewall portions having the same dimensions, said rod being capable of being secured between said first sidewall portion and said third sidewall portion.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein each of said first, second, third, and a fourth sidewall portions is of a trapezoidal shape.

4. The method according to claim 2 wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth sidewall portions have a top edge and a bottom edge with the distance between said first sidewall portion top edge and said third sidewall portion top edge being greater than the distance between said first sidewall portion bottom edge and said third sidewall portion bottom edge.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth sidewall portions have a top edge and a bottom edge with the distance between said second sidewall portion top edge and said fourth sidewall portion top edge being greater than the distance between said second sidewall portion bottom edge and said fourth sidewall portion bottom edge.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein said end faces of said sleeve each have a top edge and a bottom edge with the distance between the top edge of each of said end faces being greater than the distance between the bottom edge of each of said end faces.

7. The method according to claim 1 which includes the additional step of replacing said rod in said tray following the removal from said rod of said predetermined number of packets.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first end of said rod has a first end cap and the second end of said rod has a second end cap.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein said first end cap rests in the recessed portion of said first sidewall portion and said second end cap rests in the recessed portion of said third sidewall portion, said first end cap being fixedly secured to said rod and said second end cap being detachably secured to said rod.

10. The method according to claim 9 which includes the additional step of removing said second end cap prior to removal from said rod of said predetermined number of packets.

11. The method according to claim 10 which includes the additional steps following the removal from said rod of said predetermined number of packets of replacing said second end cap on said rod and replacing said rod in said tray.

12. The method according to claim 1 which includes the additional step of replacing said tray within said sleeve.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein said packets are arranged in groups of a predetermined number with dividers placed between each group.

14. A method for assisting in the dispensing of pharmaceuticals, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a pharmaceutical distribution container corresponding to the pharmaceutical needing to be restocked, said container comprising a base, a sidewall, and means for retaining pharmaceuticals within said container, said sidewall comprising a first sidewall portion, a second sidewall portion, a third sidewall portion, and a fourth sidewall portion, said means for retaining pharmaceuticals within said tray comprising a rod, said rod secured between said first sidewall portion and said third sidewall portion,

removing said tray from said sleeve,

removing said rod from said tray, and

transferring a predetermined number of packets from said rod so they can be restocked.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein said first sidewall portion and said third sidewall portion each have a recessed portion formed therein, said rod having a first and a second end, said first end resting in said first sidewall portion recessed portion and said second end resting in said third sidewall portion recessed portion.

16. The container according to claim 14 wherein at least a portion of the thickness of each of said first and third sidewall portions is greater than the thickness of each of said second and fourth sidewall portions.

17. The container according to claim 15 wherein at least a portion of the thickness of each of said first and third sidewall portions is greater than the thickness of each of said second and fourth sidewall portions.