Systems and methods for tracking pharmaceuticals within a facility

• US 7,182,256 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2005
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meps Real-Time, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Safety Syringes Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Caputo, Jimmy C., Andreasson, Christer O.
• Primary Examiner(s): FUREMAN, JARED
• Application Number:
  US11/041,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20050131579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/383, 235/381, 235/382, 235/382.5, 235/375, 340/568.1, 340/573.1, 340/572.1, 340/5.9, 340/5.92, 621/25, 700/231, 700/236, 700/237, 232/43.1
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/30 Printed labels
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0084 for multiple medicaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6054 Magnetic identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades

Abstract

A medication-dispensing unit is provided for tracking medical products having a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag uniquely associated therewith. The dispensing unit includes compartments for receiving medical products therein, and readers for reading the RFID tags associated with the medical products in the compartments. A processor is coupled to the readers for receiving and processing readings of the RFID tags in the compartment to identify the medical products in the compartments. The processor may identify a medical product removed from a compartment by determining a difference between readings of the RFID tags in the compartment taken before and after the medical product is removed from the compartment. The processor may verify that the medical product removed from the compartment is authorized to be removed or confirm that an identified patient is intended to receive the medical product being removed from the compartment.

Claims

1. In a system for tracking and monitoring medical products within a healthcare facility for medical products received by a pharmacy of the facility to administration to patients including inventory of medical products in medication dispensing units of the healthcare facility, and for verifying receipt of medical products in the dispensing units, monitoring removal thereof and tracking delivery of medical products from dispensing units to patients, and for verifying that patients receive correct medical products before administration, the system comprising:

a pharmacy terminal for receiving product information and writing radio frequency identification (RFID) tag information for medical products received in the pharmacy, the product information including at least one of product name, dosage, patient ID,

a management computer for receiving product information read from RFID tags of the medical products from the pharmacy terminal, and for comparing information of the medical products shipped to the healthcare facility with the information received from the pharmacy terminal to verify that the medical products were received by the pharmacy,

a plurality of medication dispensing units for receiving medical products to be dispensed to patients, and each dispensing unit including a medication dispensing terminal, each dispensing unit including at least one storage drawer for storing medical products therein, each dispensing terminal being capable of reading RFID tags of medical products inside the dispensing unit before the dispensing unit receives medical products from the pharmacy and reading RFID tags inside the dispensing unit after medical products are placed therein for determining RFID tag readings before and after the medical products are disposed in the dispensing unit, each dispensing terminal being capable of communicating with the management computer for detecting a mismatch between the medical products received by the dispensing unit and medical products withdrawn from the pharmacy, and

a patient room terminal for communicating with the management computer and including an RF reader for verifying the patient to receive medical products and comparing medical product information read from RFID tags with information of medical products to be administered to the patient, and for detecting a mismatch.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein at least one medication dispensing unit includes a movable medication cart.

3. A system as in claim 1 including an RF reader in the healthcare facility for reading RFID tags as medical products are moved in the healthcare facility.

4. A system as in claim 1 including an RF reader mounted near a doorway for reading RFID tags of medical products.

5. A system as in claim 1 wherein the storage drawers are lockable and at least some of the drawers include plural compartments for receiving medical products.

6. A system as in claim 1 wherein the medication dispensing terminal can detect unauthorized removal of medical products from the unit to notify an administrator of the healthcare facility of a mismatch.

7. A system as in claim 1 wherein the patient room terminal comprises an RF reader pad in a patient'"'"'s room for reading RFID tags of medical products to be dispensed to patients.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dispensing units automatically open drawers containing medical products to be removed via a healthcare worker accessing a dispensing unit.

9. An apparatus for tracking unit dose medical products in a healthcare facility, each of the unit dose medical products having a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag uniquely associated therewith, the apparatus comprising,

a pharmacy terminal for at least one of writing and reading product information to and from the RFID tags,

a dispensing unit comprising a plurality of lockable drawers for receiving one or more unit dose medical products therein,

a reader for reading the RFID tags associated with the unit dose medical products in the drawers,

a processor coupled to the reader for receiving and processing readings of the RFID tags in the drawers to identify medical products in the drawers,

wherein the processor can verify that a unit dose medical product removed from a drawer is authorized to be removed and the removed medical product is assigned to an individual patient as the medical product is removed, and

wherein the processor can identify a medical product removed from a drawer by reading RFID tags in the drawer taken before and after a medical product is removed.