System and method for accurately dispensing prescriptions in a pharmacy

• US 6,260,761 B1
• Filed: 03/17/2000
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Max J Peoples Jr (Max J Peoples)
• Original Assignee: Max J Peoples Jr (Max J Peoples)
• Inventors: Peoples, Max J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, DIANE I
• Assistant Examiner(s): St. Cyr, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US09/527,651
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.01, 235/462.07, 235/462.12, 235/375, 235/380, 235/494
• US Class Current: 235/462.07
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A device and method is provided for converting product-specific identification numbers associated with bar code indicia on pharmaceutical products to an industry standard identification number. The process involves reading a bar code indicia, converting the indicia into an input string and standardizing the input string by means of adding or subtracting characters in accordance with rules based on the bar code type and length of the input string. By means of the invention pharmaceutical products of two different sources may be compared to determine if they contain the same drug as determined by the standard identification number. The device can include a removable member for interchanging and updating bar code indicia information rather than reprogramming the device.

Claims

1. A system for accurately dispensing prescriptions in a pharmacy comprising:

a processing unit;

a reader operably interconnected to the processing unit, at least one of the reader and the processing unit adapted to detect and read indicia on a pharmaceutical product source container containing a pharmaceutical product; and

a converter operably interconnected to at least one of the processing unit and the reader for converting at least one of a manufacturer and a product indicia on the pharmaceutical product source container into an NDC number;

whereby when the converter converts the at least one of a manufacturer and a product indicia on a pharmaceutical product source container containing a pharmaceutical product into an NDC number, the indicia is standardized to an NDC number to ensure accuracy during the dispensation of a prescription for a product corresponding to the pharmaceutical product in the container having the same NDC number.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the reader comprises a scanner.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the indicia comprises a bar code.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the converter further comprises a database containing at least one table for converting the read indicia into an NDC number.

5. The system of claim 4 and further comprising means for storing a first indicia and a second indicia and further comprising means for comparing the first indicia and the second indicia after both have been converted to NDC numbers by the converter.

6. The system of claim 5 and further comprising an alarm device for alerting an operator of the system if the an NDC number representing the first indicia does not match an NDC number representing the second indicia.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the processing unit, reader and converter are contained in a single housing.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the indicia comprises a bar code.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the converter further comprises a database containing at least one table for converting the read indicia into an NDC number.

10. The system of claim 1 and further comprising means for storing a first indicia and a second indicia and further comprising means for comparing the first indicia and the second indicia after both have been converted to NDC numbers by the converter.

11. The system of claim 10 and further comprising an alarm device for alerting an operator of the system if the an NDC number representing the first indicia does not match an NDC number representing the second indicia.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing unit, reader and converter are contained in a single housing.

13. A method of accurately dispensing prescriptions in a pharmacy having a computerized prescription dispensing system including a reader and having an inventory of pharmaceutical products including the steps of:

receiving a prescription for a patient identifying a desired pharmaceutical product and a desired dosage of the desired pharmaceutical product;

entering first data representative of the prescription into the dispensing system;

converting the first data into a first NDC number;

retrieving the desired pharmaceutical product source container from the inventory, said pharmaceutical product source container having at least one of a manufacturer and a product indicia;

reading the at least one of a manufacturer and a product indicia from the desired pharmaceutical product source container with the reader to convert the indicia into second data representative of the at least one of a manufacturer and a product indicia;

converting the second data into a second NDC number; and

comparing the first NDC number with the second NDC number.

14. The method of claim 13 and further comprising the step of alerting an operator of the pharmacy if the first NDC number does not equal the second NDC number.

15. The method of claim 14 and further comprising the step of dispensing the prescription to the patient if the first NDC number equals the second NDC number.

16. The method of claim 15 and further comprising the step of printing a label describing the prescription for application to a container containing the dispensed prescription.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the steps of scanning and converting to the first and second NDC numbers and the step of comparing the first and second NDC numbers are performed internally of at least one of the computerized prescription dispensing system and the reader.

18. The method of claim 17 and further comprising the step of verifying the correct amount of the desired pharmaceutical product has been dispensed to the patient in accordance with the desired dosage.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the first data is provided on a container used for a previously-dispensed prescription a refill label on a previously-dispensed patient refill bottle.

20. The method of claim 13 and further comprising the step of dispensing the prescription to the patient if the first NDC number equals the second NDC number.

21. The method of claim 13 and further comprising the step of printing a label describing the prescription for application to a container containing the dispensed prescription.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein the steps of scanning and converting to the first and second NDC numbers and the step of comparing the first and second NDC numbers are performed internally of at least one of the computerized prescription dispensing system and the reader.

23. The method of claim 13 and further comprising the step of verifying the correct amount of the desired pharmaceutical product has been dispensed to the patient.

24. The method of claim 13 wherein the first data is scanned from a bar code used for a previously-dispensed prescription.