Method for controlling a drug dispensing system

• US 5,797,515 A
• Filed: 05/03/1996
• Issued: 08/25/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telepharmacy Solutions, Inc. (Cencora, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADDS, Inc. (Cencora, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wallace, Robert L., Liff, Harold J., Berube, Arthur A., Hart, Brian T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Noland, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US08/642,484
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 221/3, 221/2, 221/7, 221/15, 221/123, 221/124, 221/122, 221/131, 364/479.01, 364/479.11, 364/479.07
• US Class Current: 221/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 for hiring of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

An automated drug dispensing system includes a cabinet adapted to store a variety of prepackaged pharmaceuticals in a plurality of bins for filling patient prescriptions. Each bin stores a particular variety of packaged multiple-dose pharmaceutical. Each variety of pharmaceutical is associated with a particular code. A controller receives request signals and in response generates dispense signals. Each bin includes a dispenser coupled to the controller for dispensing the packaged pharmaceuticals therefrom in response to a dispense signal sent from the controller. After a package is dispensed, a code reader determines the code of the dispensed package and verifies whether the code on the dispensed package matches the code of the requested package.

Claims

1. A method for dispensing packages comprising:

storing a plurality of coded packaged items in a housing;

receiving request signals to dispense a package at a controller;

generating dispense signals in response to the received request signals;

displaying package information on a computer display;

dispensing a package from the housing in response to the dispense signal;

delivering said dispensed pharmaceutical to a drop point with a ramp on the housing;

reading the code of a dispensed package with a code reader; and

verifying that the requested package was dispensed.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of dispensing further comprises dispensing a packaged pharmaceutical with a dual dispenser valve.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of printing a prescription label at a label printer for attaching to the dispensed package.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of printing a picture of a pharmaceutical pill on the label.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a plurality of multi-dose pills in each package.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing each packaged item in a plastic bottle.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a fluid within each package.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a computer connected to the controller with a modem.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising a method of loading packages in the housing comprising;

monitoring an amount of packages within the housing;

generating a reload signal;

opening the housing;

scanning packages with a bar code reader as the packages are loaded into the housing; and

recording data in a memory regarding the loaded packages.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising scanning the packages with a hand-held bar code reader.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring the packages in a bin of the housing with a sensor.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising printing a label having a second code, the label being attached to the dispensed package.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising optically reading a first code on the dispensed package and optically reading a second code on a label attached to the dispensed package.

14. A method for dispensing a packaged item for medical treatment comprising:

storing a plurality of coded medical treatment packaged items in a housing;

dispensing a packaged item from the housing having a first code;

forming a second code;

optically reading the first code and the second code; and

verifying the packaged item by electronically comparing the first code and the second code.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising printing the second code on a label and attaching the label to the package.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising displaying package information on a computer display and displaying an instruction not to deliver the package if the second code does not match the first code.

17. A method of dispensing packaged pharmaceuticals comprising:

storing a plurality of coded packaged pharmaceuticals in a housing;

displaying patient information on a computer display;

performing a plurality of required patient data entry operations; and

automatically electronically enabling or disenabling a dispenser controller after completion of the patient data entry operations such that a package dispenser can dispense a coded package only upon receipt by the dispenser controller of an enabling command from the computer.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising providing an override command such that a user can enable the dispenser control to dispense a package and recording an override command entry in a computer memory.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising color encoding displayed patient data files on the display.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of storing a plurality of coded packaged pharmaceuticals further comprises storing an encoded plurality of packaged pharmaceuticals in a bin, a plurality of bins being contained in the housing.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising dispensing a packaged pharmaceutical from a bin in response to the enabling dispense signal.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising dispensing a packaged pharmaceutical with a dual valve dispenser from a bin in response to the enabling dispense signal.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of

reading the code of a dispensed package with a code reader;

and

verifying that the requested package was dispensed by comparison of the code read by the code reader to a reference code.

24. A method for dispensing packages and of loading packages in the housing comprising;

storing a plurality of coded packaged items in a housing;

receiving request signals to dispense a package at a controller;

generating dispense signals in response to the received request signals;

displaying package information on a computer display;

dispensing a package from the housing in response to the dispense signal;

reading the code of a dispensed package with a code reader;

verifying that the requested package was dispensed monitoring an amount of packages within the housing;

generating a reload signal;

opening the housing;

scanning packages with a bar code reader as the packages are loaded into the housing; and

recording data in a memory regarding the loaded packages.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising the step of printing a prescription label at a label printer for attaching to the dispensed package.

26. The method of claim 24 further comprising scanning the packages with a hand-held bar code reader during loading of the housing.

27. The method of claim 24 further comprising the step of delivering the dispensed pharmaceutical to a drop point with a ramp on the housing.