Pharmaceutical dispensing system

• US 5,907,493 A
• Filed: 01/31/1997
• Issued: 05/25/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Innovation Associates Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Innovation Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: Boyer, Joseph H., Boyer, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenza, Joseph E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARK, WONKI K
• Application Number:
  US08/792,208
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 364/479.01, 364/479.02, 364/479.06, 364/479.07, 364/479.11, 364/479.12, 364/479.13, 364/479.14, 364/478.01, 364/478.08, 364/478.0 7, 221/75, 221/13, 221/200, 221/7, 221/2, 221/258, 221/9, 53/53, 53/54, 53/55
• US Class Current: 700/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• 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

The present invention features a pharmaceutical dispensing system including a plurality of standardized or universal-type cells disposed in a large array called a module. One or more modules may be disposed in a given pharmacy, and one or more pharmacies may be monitored by a central computer. The system for filling prescriptions includes a graphical interface processing system for monitoring operations of each cell, wherever located, and for sequentially and interactively prompting an operator to perform appropriate; predetermined steps. The system for filling prescriptions sequentially prompts a technician or operator to perform predetermined steps, dependent upon verification of the completion of a prior or previously completed step in the sequence. In a semi-automatic mode, the pharmacist is directed, by suitable prompts on the computer display screen, as to the necessary steps and locations in filling each prescription. The main computer stores information of a plurality of drugs in predetermined, separately-addressable cells, and arranges that information to provide optimum efficiency of pharmacy operations, dependent upon certain parameters: (1) a proximity to a predetermined packaging/shipping location; (2) the probability of future drug access at a predetermined inventory storage location; (3) the size of separately-addressable storage locations; and (4) the location of confusingly similar drugs or dosages. The separately-addressable storage locations in inventory have adjustable shelves.

Claims

1. An interactive system for filling prescriptions at a central, prescription-filling workstation comprising:

a graphical interface and processing means disposed at said central, prescription-filling workstation for monitoring operations of a pharmacy operatively connected thereto, said central, prescription-filling workstation sequentially and interactively prompting an operator to perform appropriate, predetermined steps in filling a prescription at a predetermined inventory location, said graphical interface and processing means comprising means for monitoring the status of at least one drug at said predetermined inventory location and for graphically displaying its status;

storage means for storing a plurality of drugs in predetermined, separately-addressable storage locations, said storage means being operatively connected to said graphical interface and processing means disposed at said central, prescription-filling workstation;

input means operatively connected to said graphical interface and processing means for feeding information representative of said status of said at least one drug and of pharmacy operations into said processing means

an array of dispensing cells in communicative relationship with said processing means, each cell comprising its own microprocessor, said microprocessor comprising a computer program for singulating a predetermined pharmaceutical, said computer program adapted to singulate and dispense each respective, predetermined pharmaceutical.

2. The interactive system for filling prescriptions in accordance with claim 1, wherein said processing means comprises a program for monitoring the status of at least one drug at one predetermined location and for graphically displaying said status.

3. The interactive system for fulfilling prescriptions in accordance with claim 2, wherein said program comprises a sequential prompting routine for sequentially prompting said operator at said central, prescription-filling workstation to perform predetermined steps.

4. The interactive system for filling prescriptions in accordance with claim 3, wherein said sequential prompting routine comprises a verification sub-routine for verifying operator completion of previous operational steps.

5. The inter system for filling prescriptions in accordance with claim 3, wherein said sequential prompting routine comprises an identification sub-routine for identifying of an operator, and wherein said sub-routine requires that said operator be identified in order to perform said predetermined steps.

6. The interactive system for filling prescriptions in accordance with claim 5, wherein said system further comprises scanning means connected to said processing means at said central, prescription-filling workstation, for scanning an operator identification badge.

7. The interactive system for filling prescriptions in accordance with claim 2, wherein said program has a processing sub-routine for receiving and processing information fed to said input means that comprises data representative of personnel, activities, and inventory at said central, prescription-filling workstation.

8. The interactive system for filling prescriptions in accordance with claim 2, wherein said program controls said storage means in accordance with input information including at least one of the following:

a) proximity to a predetermined packaging/shipping location;

b) probability of future drug access at a predetermined inventory storage location;

c) size of said separately-addressable storage locations; and

d) location of confusingly similar drugs or dosages.

9. The system for filling prescriptions in accordance with claim 1, wherein said separately-addressable storage locations comprise adjustable shelves.

10. The system for filling prescriptions in accordance with claim 1, wherein said separately-addressable storage locations comprises at least one array of dispensing cells.

11. An interactive pharmaceutical dispensing system for filling prescriptions, comprising a central workstation operatively connected to at least one pharmacy, said central workstation comprising a controller computer and a display for monitoring and displaying operations of said at least one pharmacy, said controller computer having a program for sequentially and interactively prompting an operator to perform appropriate, predetermined steps in filling a prescription, said program further comprising a routine for monitoring the status of at least one drug disposed at a predetermined inventory location and for graphically displaying the dispensing status of said at least one drug, said workstation further comprising an array of dispensing cells, each comprising its own microprocessor, said dispensing cells each receiving a bulk loading of a particular drug, and each including singulating and dispensing means for dispensing a quantity of said drug under the control of its own microprocessor.

12. The interactive pharmaceutical dispensing system for filling prescriptions in accordance with claim 11, wherein each dispensing cell of said array of dispensing cells is identified by a predetermined, separately-addressable storage location.

13. The interactive pharmaceutical dispensing system for filling prescriptions in accordance with claim 12, wherein each of said dispensing cells of said array of dispensing cells comprises singulation means for dispensing an accurate count of a drug.

14. The interactive pharmaceutical dispensing system for filling prescriptions in accordance with claim 11, wherein said display comprises a graphical interface for displaying said status of said at least one drug and of pharmacy operations.

15. The interactive pharmaceutical dispensing system for filling prescriptions in accordance with claim 11, wherein said program for sequential prompting comprises a verification subroutine for verifying operator completion of previous operational steps.

16. The interactive pharmaceutical dispensing system for filling prescriptions in accordance with claim 11, wherein said program for sequential prompting comprises an identification subroutine for identifying an operator, and wherein said subroutine requires that said operator be identified in order to perform predetermined steps.

17. The interactive pharmaceutical dispensing system for filling prescriptions in accordance with claim 11, wherein said system further comprises means for scanning an operator identification badge.

18. An interactive pharmaceutical dispensing system for filling prescriptions, comprising a central workstation operatively connected to at least one pharmacy, said central workstation comprising an array of prescription filling modules each having its own microprocessor for controlling each prescription filling cell, and a central computer operatively connected to said array, for sequentially and interactively prompting an operator at said central workstation to perform appropriate, predetermined steps in filling a prescription ordered by said at least one pharmacy, each of said cells having means for receiving a bulk loading of a particular drug and programming means for singulating, dispensing and monitoring a given quantity of said drug.

19. The interactive pharmaceutical dispensing system for filling prescriptions in accordance with claim 18, wherein said programming means include a program having a routine for sequential prompting said operator to perform prescription filling steps.

20. The interactive pharmaceutical dispensing system for filling prescriptions in accordance with claim 19, wherein said program for sequential prompting comprises an identification subroutine for identifying an operator, and wherein said subroutine requires that said operator be identified in order to perform predetermined steps.

21. The interactive pharmaceutical dispensing system for filling prescriptions in accordance with claim 18, wherein each dispensing cell of said array of dispensing cells is identified by a predetermined, separately-addressable storage location.

22. The interactive pharmaceutical dispensing system for filling prescription, in accordance with claim 18, wherein each of said dispensing cells of said array of dispensing cells comprises singulation means for dispensing an accurate count of a drug.

23. The interactive pharmaceutical dispensing system for filling prescriptions in accordance with claim 18, further comprising a display having a graphical interface for displaying status of at least one prescription, and of pharmacy operations.

24. The interactive pharmaceutical dispensing system for filling prescriptions in accordance with claim 18, wherein said program includes a verification subroutine for verifying operation completion of previous operational steps.

25. The interactive pharmaceutical dispensing system for filling prescriptions in accordance with claim 18, wherein said system further comprises scanning means operatively connected to said central computer for scanning an operator identification badge.