Method of dispensing and tracking the giving of medical items to patients

• US 7,349,858 B1
• Filed: 10/27/1999
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ArXium, Inc. (Van Humbeck Family)
• Original Assignee: AutoMed Technologies Incorporated (Cencora, Inc.)
• Inventors: Slaymaker, R. Barrie Jr., McGrady, R. Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): GILLIGAN, CHRISTOPHER L
• Application Number:
  US09/428,035
• Time in Patent Office: 3,072 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 4, 235/435, 235/375, 600/300
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A method of tracking and dispensing the dispense of medical items for use by patients associated with a health care institution, includes storing in a data store in connection with a computer, data representative of patients and medical items prescribed for the patients. Authorized users such as nurses, are enabled to dispense prescribed items for patients through medical item dispensers. A record is included in the data store that the medical items have been dispensed. In an exemplary system (650) medical items that have been dispensed are tracked to the point of giving the item to the patients using portable terminals (662) that are carried to the bedside of the patients. The activity of giving the appropriate medical item to each respective patient is recorded in the portable terminal as medical items are given to a plurality of patients. The data stored in the portable terminal concerning the giving of medical items to patients is communicated through the system and stored in the data store to provide a record that the medical items which were dispensed for a patient, were actually administered.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) storing in a data store in operative connection with a computer, data representative of a plurality of patients for whom medical items may be used;

(b) storing in the data store, data representative of a plurality of medical items prescribed for use by corresponding patients;

(c) storing in the data store, data representative of a plurality of authorized users;

(d) inputting to the computer, user data;

(e) comparing the input user data to the data stored concerning authorized users and determining that the input user data corresponds to one authorized user;

(f) inputting to the computer, data corresponding to one of the plurality of patients;

(g) inputting to the computer, data corresponding to at least one medical item prescribed for the one patient;

(h) responsive to the determination that the input user data corresponds to one authorized user, dispensing the at least one medical item from a medical item dispenser responsive to reading machine readable indicia on a report in step (g); and

(i) storing in the data store data representative that the at least one medical item has been taken by the one authorized user.