Automated prescription filling system/method with automated labeling and packaging system/method and automated order consolidation system/method

• US 6,970,769 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2004
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc. (The Cigna Group)
• Original Assignee: Medco Health Solutions Incorporated (The Cigna Group)
• Inventors: Leu, Chih-Jen, Rice, Dennis Wayne, Lasher, Christopher J., McErlean, James G., Monkhouse, Peter, Howell, Robert Gregory, Booler, Andrew P., Walton, Douglas W., Szesko, Michael Joseph, Hess, E. Christian, Bonkenburg, Thomas P., Shupert, P. Thomas, Bell, Michael W. G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi H.
• Application Number:
  US10/777,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20040159078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 700/216, 700/225, 700/231, 700/235, 700/236, 700/239, 700/241, 700/244, 53/55
• US Class Current: 700/216
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/20 for adding cards, coupons or other inserts to package contents adding unpacking elements B65B61/18
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 2009/0018 Preparing the labels
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/0015 Preparing the labels or articles, e.g. smoothing, removing air bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/22 by wetting, e.g. by applying liquid glue or a liquid to a dry glue coating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1002 with permanent bending or reshaping or surface deformation of self sustaining lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1028 by bending, drawing or stretch forming sheet to assume shape of configured lamina while in contact therewith
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1033 Flexible sheet to cylinder lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1051 by folding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1326 Severing means or member secured thereto also bonds
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1339 Delivering cut part in sequence to serially conveyed articles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1768 Means simultaneously conveying plural articles from a single source and serially presenting them to an assembly station
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1771 Turret or rotary drum-type conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1773 For flexible sheets

Abstract

Computer assisted systems, methods and mediums for filling one or more orders. One embodiment of the present invention is a system that includes an order consolidation station configured to receive at least one bottle containing pills individually counted and/or at least one package containing pharmaceutical products without having been designated for any of the orders when the package was created and/or at least one literature pack optionally including patient specific information. The order consolidation station is further configured to combine automatically the received bottle and/or package and/or literature pack into a container to be sent to a recipient including, for example, mail order pharmacies, wholesalers and/or central fill dealers for subsequent distribution or sale including retailer distribution or sale. The bottle is specifically designated for the order, and the order generally includes at least one prescription for the package.

Claims

1. A method for filling at least one order, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one bottle containing pills individually counted and at least one package containing pharmaceutical products without having been pre-designated for the at least one order when the at least one package was created, wherein the at least one bottle is specifically designated for the at least one order and wherein the at least one order includes at least one prescription for the at least one package,

detecting at least one identification information associated with the at least one bottle, and detecting at least one other identification information associated with the at least one package;

automatically combining the at least one bottle and the at least one package into the container when the at least one identification information associated with the at least one bottle and the at least one other identifier information associated with the at least one package correspond to the at least one prescription order; and

sending the at least one bottle and the at least one package to at least one recipient corresponding to the at least one order, to thereby fill the at least one order.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving at least one literature pack containing printed literature relating to the at least one order and patient specific information and configured to combine the at least one literature pack with the at least one bottle and the at least one package.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing the at least one package into one of an array of locations of a package storage device;

identifying the one of the array of locations; and

obtaining the at least one package from the one of the array of locations.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

printing at least one label for the at least one package, wherein the label is printed with patient specific information including instructions by a prescribing doctor to the patient.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

configuring the at least one label into a sufficiently small footprint to be affixed on the at least one package.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

detecting and reading the label affixed on the at least one package; and

rejecting the at least one package and the label if an incorrect label is affixed thereto.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing the at least one bottle into one of an array of locations in a bottle storage device; and

identifying the one of the array of locations.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

opening a container to receive the at least one bottle and the at least one package into the container.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

printing an address or internal control information; and

affixing the address or the internal control information on the container.

8. A method for filling at least one order, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one bottle containing pills individually counted and at least one package containing pharmaceutical products without having been pre-designated for the at least one order when the at least one package was created, wherein the at least one bottle is specifically designated for the at least one order and wherein the at least one order includes at least one prescription for the at least one package, and

automatically combining the at least one bottle and the at least one package to send the at least one bottle and the at least one package to at least one recipient corresponding to the at least one order, to thereby fill the at least one order;

detecting the presence of a metallic substance in the at least one bottle; and

rejecting the at least one bottle if a metallic substance is detected therein.

11. A method for filling at least one order, the method comprising the steps of:

storing and dispensing at least one bottle containing pills individually counted, wherein the at least one bottle is specifically designated for the at least one order;

storing and dispensing at least one package containing pharmaceutical products without having been designated for any of the at least one order when the at least one package was created, wherein the at least one order includes at least one prescription for the at least one package;

detecting at least one identification information associated with the at least one bottle, and detecting at least one other identification information associated with the at least one package;

automatically combining the at least one bottle and the at least one package into the container when the at least one identification information associated with the at least one bottle and the at least one other identifier information associated with the at least one package correspond to the at least one prescription order to send the at least one bottle and the at least one package to at least one recipient corresponding to the at least one order,

to thereby fill the at least one order.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

storing and dispensing at least one literature pack containing patient specific printed literature relating to the at least one order; and

receiving the at least one literature pack and combining the at least one literature pack with the at least one bottle and the at least one package.

13. A method for filling at least one order, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one literature pack via a first transport mechanism containing printed literature relating to the at least one order and patient specific information having at least one identification information and at least one package containing pharmaceutical products without having been pre-designated for the at least one order when the at least one package was created having at least another identification information, and wherein the at least one order includes at least one prescription for the at least one package, and

receiving at least one prepackaged pharmaceutical product via a second transport mechanism and the at least one literature pack and automatically combining the at least one prepackaged pharmaceutical product having identification information corresponding to a particular prescription order and the at least one literature pack having another identification information corresponding to the same particular prescription order into at least one container corresponding to the same prescription order, to thereby fill the at least one order.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

receiving at least one bottle containing pills individually counted and configured to combine the at least one literature pack with the at least one bottle and the at least one package, and wherein the at least one bottle is specifically designated for the at least one order.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

storing the at least one package into one of an array of locations of a package storage device;

identifying the one of the array of locations; and

obtaining the at least one package from the one of the array of locations.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

printing at least one label for the at least one package, wherein the label is printed with patient specific information including instructions by a prescribing doctor to the patient.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

configuring the at least one label into a sufficiently small footprint to be affixed on the at least one package.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

detecting and reading the label affixed on the at least one package; and

rejecting the at least one package and the label if an incorrect label is affixed thereto.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

storing the at least one bottle into one of an array of locations in a bottle storage device; and

identifying the one of the array of locations.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

detecting the presence of a metallic substance in the at least one bottle; and

rejecting the at least one bottle if a metallic substance is detected therein.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

opening a container to receive the at least one bottle and the at least one package into the container.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

printing an address or internal control information; and

affixing the address or the internal control information on the container.