Medical item dispensing system

• US 6,470,234 B1
• Filed: 05/25/2000
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AutoMed Technologies Incorporated (Cencora, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MedSelect, Inc. (Cencora, Inc.)
• Inventors: McGrady, R. Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US09/578,540
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/83, 700/84, 700/85, 700/86, 700/231, 700/232-242, 700/283, 221/1-2, 221/70, 221/52, 221/89, 600/523, 206/440
• US Class Current: 700/241
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/64 in which the articles are individually suspended from stationary supports
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A system for monitoring and dispensing medical items includes a plurality of hook registers (10). Each of the hook registers includes sensors (48, 60, 62, 64) sensing the removal or addition of a medical item to the storage location on the hook register. Each hook register has a microprocessor (66) connected to the sensor which stores a count of the items added or removed from the location. The microprocessor also includes location identifying information specifically associated with the particular hook register. The microprocessor is periodically polled by a controller (72) which reads and stores the count and location identifying information from each of the hook registers. The controller information is periodically read by a data terminal (76) which is connected through a local area network (82) to a remote computer (84) having a processor and data store. A user of the data terminal is enabled to specify a patient for whom medical items will be used when the items are removed from the hook registers or other storage locations. In addition, the system also monitors inventories of items and levels of usage by users. The system also monitors and controls the dispense of other medical items from box registers (110) as well as controls the dispense of items from secure storage locations such as electronic lock drawers (96) and medicine dispensers (100).

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a medical item dispenser, wherein the dispenser selectively dispenses a plurality of medical item types from a plurality of storage locations in the dispenser;

a user interface, wherein a user is enabled to put user identifying data and a dispense instruction through the user interface;

at least one processor in operative connection with at least one data store, and wherein the at least one processor is in operative connection with the dispenser and the user interface;

wherein the at least one data store includes data representative of a plurality of authorized users and the plurality of medical item types; and

wherein responsive to the input user identification data corresponding to an authorized user and the input of at least one dispense instruction corresponding to a medical item type, the at least one processor is operative to cause the medical item type to be dispensed from the dispenser and to cause to be stored in the at least one data store, data representative of the medical item type having been dispensed to the authorized user.

2. The system according to claim 1 and further comprising at least one output device in operative connection with the at least one processor, wherein responsive to a remaining number of the medical item type in the dispenser falling to a predetermined level the at least one processor is operative to cause a message to be output by the output device.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein the output device provides a message to a provider of the medical item type.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the user interface includes a card reader, and wherein the user identifying data includes data read from a card associated with the user.

5. The system according to claim 4 wherein the user interface includes an input device, wherein values are enabled to be input through the input device, and wherein the user identifying data includes a personal identification number.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the user interface includes a touch screen display, wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the display to output item type indicia representative of the medical item type, and wherein the dispense instruction includes touching the touch screen adjacent to the item type indicia.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one data store further includes data representative of a price for the medical item type, and wherein the at least one processor is operative responsive to the dispense of the medical item type from the dispenser to cause to be included in the at least one data store, data representative of a charge for the medical item type.

8. A method comprising:

a) placing a plurality of medical item types in a medical item dispenser;

b) inputting through a user interface, user identifying data associated with a user;

c) comparing through operation of at least one processor, the input user identifying data and data corresponding to a plurality of authorized users stored in at least one data store in operative connection with the at least one processor;

d) receiving through the user interface at least one dispense instruction to dispense a medical item type;

e) dispensing the medical item type from the dispenser responsive to the dispense instruction when the user identifying data input by the user in step (b) corresponds to data for an authorized user; and

f) through operation of the at least one processor, storing in at least one data store, data representative of the dispense to the user of the medical item type from the dispenser.

9. A method comprising:

a) providing a medical item dispenser from which a plurality of medical item types are enable to be selectively delivered from the dispenser;

b) providing at least one interface device adapted to receive inputs from users;

c) storing in at least one data store in operative connection with at least one processor, data corresponding to a plurality of authorized users;

d) receiving at least one user identifying input through the at least one interface device;

e) determining through operation of the at least one processor that the at least one identifying input corresponds to data for an authorized user stored in the at least one data store;

f) receiving at least one medical item type identifying input through the at least one interface device;

g) delivering a medical item type from the dispenser responsive to the medical item type identifying input and the determination in step (e); and

h) storing in the at least one data store, data representative of the dispensing of the medical item type to the authorized user.

10. A method carried out through use of a medical item dispenser, at least one computer and at least one data store in operative connection with the at least one computer, comprising:

a) receiving at least one user identifying input from a user through at least one input device in operative connection with the at least one computer;

b) determining through operation of the at least one computer whether the at least one user identifying input corresponds to data for an authorized user in the data store;

c) receiving at least one medical item type identifying input from the user through the at least one input device;

d) responsive to a determination in step (b) that the at least one user identifying input corresponds to an authorized user, and the input received in step (c), dispensing a medical item type from the dispenser;

e) responsive to operation of the at least one computer, causing data representative of the dispense of the medical item type to the authorized user to be stored in the at least one data store.

11. The method according to claim 10 and further comprising analyzing through operation of the at least one computer, the data stored in the at least one data store including the data representative of the dispense of the medical item type to the authorized user, for a pattern of dispensing activity.

12. The method according to claim 10 and further comprising analyzing through operation of the at least one computer, the data stored in the at least one data store including the data representative of the dispensing of the medical item type to the authorized user, for at least one pattern associated with the abuse of the medical item type.

13. The method according to claim 10 and further comprising tracking through operation of the at least one computer the remaining number of the medical item type stored in the dispenser.

14. The method according to claim 13 and further comprising through operation of the at least one computer providing an indication when the number for the medical item type remaining in the dispenser falls to a predetermined level.

15. The method according to claim 14 and further comprising through operation of the at least one computer, placing an order with a vendor for the medical item type.

16. The method according to claim 10 and further comprising storing in operative connection with the at least one computer, a pattern of dispensing activity corresponding to potential abuse of the medical item type, and comparing through operation of the at least one computer data stored in the at least one data store including the data representative of the dispensing of the at least one medical item type by the authorized user, to the pattern.

17. The method according to claim 16 and further comprising providing an output through an output device when the data stored in the at least one data store including the data representative of the dispensing of the medical item type by the authorized user, corresponds to the pattern.

18. A system comprising:

a medical item dispenser, wherein the dispenser is adapted to dispense at least one medical item type;

at least one input device, wherein the at least one input device is adapted to receive user identifying data, and wherein the at least one input device is adapted to receive a dispense instruction;

at least one processor in operative connection with at least one data store, and wherein the at least one processor is in operative connection with the dispenser and the at least one input device;

wherein the at least one data store includes data corresponding to a plurality of authorized users, and wherein the at least one processor is operative to compare the user identifying data and the data corresponding to a plurality of authorized users;

wherein responsive to a dispense instruction input and the user identifying data input corresponding to an authorized user, the at least one processor is operative to cause a medical item type to be dispensed from the dispenser and to cause dispense data to be stored in the at least one data store, wherein the dispense data includes data associating the dispensed medical item type with the authorized user.

19. A method comprising:

a) receiving user identifying data associated with a user;

b) comparing through operation of at least one processor, the user identifying data and data corresponding to a plurality of authorized users stored in at least one data store in operative connection with the at least one processor;

c) receiving at least one dispense instruction to dispense a medical item type from a medical item dispenser;

d) dispensing the medical item type from the dispenser responsive to the dispense instruction and the user identifying data corresponding to data for an authorized user;

e) storing in the at least one data store, data associating the dispensed medical item type with the authorized user.