System and method for tracking drugs in a hospital
First Claim
1. A method of operating a portable scanning and printing system for tracking drugs maintained at a location, the portable scanning and printing system having a memory for collecting data, a display, a barcode printer and a plurality of input means including a barcode scanner, a keyboard and a wireless communication interface to allow wireless communication with a host system having a memory for storing drug tracking records, comprising:
- receiving user identification information from one of the input means;
receiving from the scanner scanned barcode data representing the identity of a drug maintained at the location;
receiving from the keyboard data confirming a quantity of the drug being removed or added;
associating in the portable scanning and printing system memory, data received from a plurality of the input means for a drug;
transmitting to the host system via the communication interface information regarding the removal of the drug from the location or the addition of the drug to the location, including the user'"'"'s identification, the identity of the drug and the quantity of the drug being removed or added;
receiving from the keyboard user entered balance data representing a quantity of the drug remaining at the location after the removal or addition of a quantity of the drug;
validating the user entered balance; and
prompting the user via the display to select a displayed option for dealing with a discrepancy if the user entered balance is not validated including an option to obtain confirmation of a discrepancy by an authorized person.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A drug tracking system and method for use in hospitals, pharmacies, etc. uses a portable barcode scanning and printing system to reduce errors in the tracking information and to facilitate the ease and efficiency of the drug tracking operation. The portable scanning and printing system automatically prompts the user to enter data necessary for tracking one or more drugs. The portable scanning and printing system also prompts the user to select a particular drug and/or quantity. Automatic verification of the user entered data is performed by the portable system so as to warn the user via a displayed message that the wrong drug and/or quantity was selected or to prompt the user to recount and/or re-enter data so that any discrepancies can be immediately corrected. The portable scanning and printing system also prints alpha-numeric and barcode information on labels that are used to continue the drug tracking operation at other locations. Because the portable scanning and printing system is mobile, all of the drug tracking operations can be performed at the drug'"'"'s situs to improve the accuracy of the drug tracking operation.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method of operating a portable scanning and printing system for tracking drugs maintained at a location, the portable scanning and printing system having a memory for collecting data, a display, a barcode printer and a plurality of input means including a barcode scanner, a keyboard and a wireless communication interface to allow wireless communication with a host system having a memory for storing drug tracking records, comprising:
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receiving user identification information from one of the input means;
receiving from the scanner scanned barcode data representing the identity of a drug maintained at the location;
receiving from the keyboard data confirming a quantity of the drug being removed or added;
associating in the portable scanning and printing system memory, data received from a plurality of the input means for a drug;
transmitting to the host system via the communication interface information regarding the removal of the drug from the location or the addition of the drug to the location, including the user'"'"'s identification, the identity of the drug and the quantity of the drug being removed or added;
receiving from the keyboard user entered balance data representing a quantity of the drug remaining at the location after the removal or addition of a quantity of the drug;
validating the user entered balance; and
prompting the user via the display to select a displayed option for dealing with a discrepancy if the user entered balance is not validated including an option to obtain confirmation of a discrepancy by an authorized person. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
receiving from the host system via the communication interface information identifying a drug to be removed from the location, a quantity of the drug to be removed and an intended destination; displaying information to the user to prompt the user to select a drug identified by information received from the host system;
receiving from the scanner scanned barcode data representing the identity of a drug maintained at the location;
comparing the identity of the drug represented by the scanned barcode data to the identity of the drug received from the host system; and
displaying an error message to the user if the identity of the drug represented by the scanned barcode does not match the identity of the drug received from the host system.
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13. A method of operating a portable scanning and printing system for tracking drugs maintained at a location, the portable scanning and printing system having a memory for collecting data, a display, a barcode printer and a plurality of input means including a barcode scanner, a keypad and a wireless communication interface to allow wireless communication with a host system having a memory for storing drug tracking records, comprising:
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displaying a message to a user on the display to prompt the user to enter an identity of a drug maintained at the location;
receiving user entered drug identity data;
displaying a message to a user on the display to prompt the user to enter a quantity of the drug to be added to or removed from the locations;
receiving user entered data representing the quantity of the drug being added to or removed from the location;
displaying a message to a user on the display to prompt the user to enter a balance representing the quantity of the drug being maintained at the location after the addition or removal of the drug;
validating the user entered balance; and
prompting the user via the display to select a displayed option from dealing with a discrepancy if the user entered balance is not valid including an option to obtain confirmation of a discrepancy by an authorized person. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
receiving from the host system via the communication interface information identifying a drug to be removed from the location, a quantity of the drug to be removed and an intended destination; displaying information to the user to prompt the user to select a drug identified by information received from the host system;
receiving from the scanner scanned barcode data representing the identity of a drug maintained at the location;
comparing the identity of the drug represented by the scanned barcode data to the identity of the drug received from the host system; and
displaying an error message to the user if the identity of the drug represented by the scanned barcode does not match the identity of the drug received from the host system.
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26. A method of operating a portable scanning and printing system for tracking drugs maintained at a location, the portable scanning and printing system having a memory for collecting data, a display, a barcode printer and a plurality of input means including a barcode scanner, a keypad and a wireless communication interface to allow wireless communication with a host system having a memory for storing drug tracking records comprising:
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receiving from the host system via the communication interface information identifying a drug to be removed from the location, a quantity of the drug to be removed and an is intended destination;
displaying information to the user to prompt the user to select a drug identified by information received from the host system;
receiving from the scanner scanned barcode data representing the identity of a drug maintained at the location;
comparing the identity of the drug represented by the scanned barcode data to the identity of the drug received from the host system; and
displaying an error message to the user if the identity of the drug represented by the scanned barcode does not match the identity of the drug received from the host system. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
receiving user identification information from one of the input means; receiving information from the keyboard confirming a quantity of the drug being removed; and
transmitting to the host station via the communication interface information regarding the removal of the drug from the location including the user'"'"'s identification, the identity of the drug and the quantity of the drug being removed.
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29. A method of operating a portable scanning and printing system for tracking drugs maintained at a location as recited in claim 28 including the steps of
receiving from the keyboard user entered balance data representing a quantity of the- drug remaining at the location; -
receiving from the host system via the communication interface data representing a balance of the drug stored in the host system'"'"'s drug tracking records; and
validating the user entered balance data with information received from the host.
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30. A method of operating a portable scanning and printing system for tracking drugs as recited in claim 29 wherein the validating step includes comparing the balance data received from the host with the user entered balance data.
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31. A method of operating a portable scanning and printing system for tracking drugs as recited in claim 29 wherein the validating step includes updating the balance data received from the host to account for a received confirmed quantity of the drug being removed;
- and comparing the balance data received from the host with the user entered balance data.
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32. A method of operating a portable scanning and printing system for tracking drugs maintained at a location, the portable scanning and printing system having a memory for collecting data, a display, a barcode printer and a plurality of input means including a barcode scanner, a keypad and a wireless communication interface to allow wireless communication with a host system having a memory for storing drug tracking records comprising:
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receiving from the scanner scanned barcode data representing the identity of a drug maintained at the location;
receiving from the keyboard data confirming a quantity of the drug being added to the location or removed from the location;
transmitting to the host system via the communication interface information regarding a drug'"'"'s addition to or removal from the location including the identity of the drug and the quantity of the drug being added to or removed from the location;
receiving from the keyboard user entered balance data confirming a quantity of the drug maintained at the location after the drugs addition to or removal from the location; and
validating the user entered balance data by communicating with the host system; and
prompting the user to obtain confirmation of a discrepancy if the user entered balance is not valid. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method of operating a portable scanning and printing system for tracking drugs maintained at a location, the portable scanning and printing system having a memory for collecting data, a display, a printer and a plurality of input means including a barcode scanner, a keyboard and a wireless communication interface to allow wireless communication with a host system having a memory for storing drug tracking records comprising:
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receiving from the scanner scanned barcode data representing the identity of a drug maintained at the location;
transmitting to the host system data representing the identity of the drug received from the scanner;
receiving information from the host system representing the validity of the identity of the drug transmitted to the host;
receiving from the keyboard data representing a quantity of the drug maintained at the location;
receiving from the host system data representing the balance of the drug that the host'"'"'s data tracking records indicate should be remaining at the location;
comparing the quantity of the drug maintained at the location as received from the keyboard and the balance received from the host to determine if they match; and
displaying a selectable option to the user to allow a confirmation of a discrepancy by an authorized person if the comparison results in a no match determination.
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Specification