Method for controlling a drug dispensing system

• US 6,068,156 A
• Filed: 04/10/1998
• Issued: 05/30/2000
• 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: Bossi, deceased, Enea W., Wallace, Robert L., Liff, Harold J., Berube, Arthur A., Hart, Brian T., Hart, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Noland, Kenneth W.
• Application Number:
  US09/058,524
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 221/131, 221/129, 221/124, 221/256, 221/92, 221/2, 221/7, 221/12, 221/9, 221/13, 364/479.01, 364/479.06, 364/479.05
• US Class Current: 221/7
• 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 system for automated dispensing of pharmaceuticals comprising:

a first dispenser housing having a plurality of vertically extending bins, each bin storing a plurality of gravity-fed packages containing pharmaceuticals;

a second dispenser housing having a plurality of drawers that dispense packages;

a computer that controls dispensing of packages from the first dispenser housing and the second dispenser housing, the computer being connected to a display that displays patient data stored in a memory of the computer;

an electronic controller within the first housing that generates a dispense signal in response to a request signal from the computer;

a rotating dispenser associated with each bin within the first housing that controls dispensing of packaged pharmaceuticals each bin; and

a pushing dispenser associated with each drawer that controls movement of packages in each drawer.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the dispenser comprises a plurality of motors actuated by the controllers, such that a single package is dispensed from a vertical bin per request.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein each pushing dispenser comprises a plurality of helix dispensers, each helix dispenser being mounted in a drawer.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising sensors coupled to said controller for monitoring inventory of said packages.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said packages comprise bottles.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a label printer for printing a prescription label for attaching to said dispensed package.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the printed prescription label includes a printed picture of a pharmaceutical contained in the dispensed package.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said housing includes a mounting device that attaches the housing to a wall.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the rotating dispenser comprises a roller actuated by a motor.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises a door that rotates relative to the housing and includes a second plurality of bins.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a ramp that delivers a dispensed pharmaceutical in the package to a drop point.

12. A method for dispensing packages comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of packages in a dispenser housing;

displaying patient data on a display connected to a computer, the computer being connected to a remote computer with a network;

receiving request signals at an electronic controller in the housing from the remote computer to dispense a package;

generating dispense signals and received by a dispenser associated with the requested package from the electronic controller in the housing in response to the received request signals;

displaying package information on the display; and

dispensing the package from the housing in response to the dispense signal.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of printing a prescription label at a label printer for attaching to the dispensed package.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of printing a picture of a pharmaceutical pill on the label.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing a plurality of multi-dose pills in each package.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing each packaged item in a plastic bottle.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising operating a plurality of separate dispenser housings.

18. A method for dispensing packages comprising the following steps:

storing a plurality of packages in a dispenser housing;

displaying patient data on a display connected to a computer;

receiving request signals at an electronic controller in the housing from the computer to dispense a package;

generating dispense signals and received by a dispenser associated with the requested package from the electronic controller in the housing in response to the received request signals;

displaying package information on the display;

displaying an instruction not to deliver the package;

providing an override command such that a user can enable the controller to dispense a package and recording an override command entry in a computer memory;

displaying package information on the display; and

dispensing the package from the housing in response to the dispense signal.

19. A method for dispensing packages comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of packages in a dispenser housing;

displaying patient data on a display connected to a computer;

performing a plurality of required patient data entry operations;

automatically enabling or disabling the step of dispensing after completion of the patient data entry operations such that dispensing occurs only upon receipt by the controller of an enabling command;

receiving request signals at an electronic controller in the housing from the computer to dispense a package;

generating dispense signals and received by a dispenser associated with the requested package from the electronic controller in the housing in response to the received request signals;

displaying package information on the display; and

dispensing the package from the housing in response to the dispense signal.