Method of monitoring medical item inventory

• US 7,596,426 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2006
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AutoMed Technologies Incorporated (Cencora, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AutoMed Technologies Incorporated (Cencora, Inc.)
• Inventors: Colburn, Eric R., McGrady, R. Michael, Fedor, Max A., Neu, Daniel W., Gillio, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mackey; Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Butler; Michael E.
• Application Number:
  US11/488,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: 700/236, 700/244, 700/226
• US Class Current: 700/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• 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 medical item inventory system includes a plurality of different types of stored medical items. The system can track a quantity of a medicinal substance type removed from its storage location, including the quantity used and the quantity returned to storage. The system can monitor the medical item inventory in real time to automatically determine a low supply of a particular medical item type. In response to a determination of a low supply of a particular medical item type, the system automatically electronically places a purchase order to a supplier of the particular medical item type. The purchase order includes the particular medical item type, a requested quantity, and a requested delivery date. The requested quantity and delivery date can both be calculated by the system based on a rate of use of the particular medical item type.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) receiving an indication that plural medical items having different characteristics have been removed for use in a surgical procedure, including an indication that a first quantity of a medical item having a first characteristic has been manually removed from a first storage location in a medical facility,

wherein the medical items are part of an inventory of quantities of various medical items having different characteristics,

wherein medical items stored in the first storage location have a medical item characteristic different from medical items stored in a second storage location;

wherein first removal data is received from a sensor at the first storage location that indicates that the first quantity has been removed from the first storage location for a patient,

(b) wherein second removal data is received from a barcode scanner that indicates that the first quantity has been removed from the first storage location for the patient,

wherein the barcode scanner is operative to scan a barcode identifier that corresponds to the first Quantity of the medical item having the first characteristic,

wherein a data store includes information that correlates the barcode identifier with the medical item,

(c) performing a determination that the first removal data is consistent with the second removal data and generating third removal data subsequent to performing the determination,

wherein the third removal data is operative to automatically cause a charge for the first quantity to be allocated to the patient,

wherein the third removal data is operative to cause at least one update of standing of medical item quantities associated with the inventory in carrying out real time processor monitoring of the inventory, including update to reflect location of the first quantity;

(d) subsequent to step (d), receiving return data from the sensor that indicates that a second quantity of the first quantity removed in step (a) that was not used in the surgical procedure has been returned to the first storage location, and

wherein the return data is operative to automatically cause a credit for the second quantity to be allocated to the patient and applied against the charge,

wherein the return data is operative to cause at least one update of the standing of medical item quantities associated with the inventory in carrying out real time processor monitoring of the inventory, including update to reflect location of the second quantity and update to reflect patient usage of a third quantity,

wherein the first quantity equals the second quantity plus the third quantity.

2. The method according to claim 1 the third quantity is used in a surgical procedure.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein step (a) includes receiving an indication that a first quantity of a particular medicinal substance has been removed for use in the surgical procedure, wherein step (e) includes receiving an indication that a quantity of the substance has been returned to storage, wherein step (b) includes receiving an indication that a user has been verified prior to the substance being returned to storage, wherein verification required verifying user identification.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sensor outputs the return data responsive to an authorized user manually returning the second quantity to the first storage location.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the sensor outputs the return data responsive to the authorized user manually returning a medical item to a hook register.

6. The method according to claim 4 wherein manually returning the second quantity to the first storage location automatically causes the at least one update of standing of medical item quantities.

7. The method according to claim 1 and subsequent to step (d) further comprising receiving input from an authorized user that is operative to cause an update of the standing of medical item quantities to reflect location of the second quantity at the first storage location.

8. A method comprising:

(a) manually removing a first quantity of a medicinal substance having a first medical characteristic from a first storage location in a pharmacy,

wherein the medicinal substance having the first medical characteristic is part of an inventory of various medicinal substances having different medical characteristics,

wherein the medicinal substance stored in the first storage location has a medical characteristic different from other medicinal substances stored in other storage locations in the pharmacy;

(b) manually providing user input to at least one user input device, removal input representative of removing the first quantity from the first storage location for a patient,

wherein the removal input is operative to cause a charge for the first quantity to be allocated to an account of the patient,

wherein the removal input is operative to cause at least one update of standing of medical item quantities associated with the inventory in carrying out real time processor monitoring of the inventory, including update to reflect location of the first quantity;

(c) subsequent to step (b), manually returning to the pharmacy, a second quantity of the first quantity removed in step (a); and

(d) manually providing user input to the at least one user input device, return input representative of returning the second quantity in step (c),

wherein the return input is operative to automatically cause a credit for the second quantity to be allocated to the account of the patient,

wherein the return input is operative to cause a third quantity of the first quantity removed in step (a) to be determined, wherein the first quantity equals the second quantity plus the third quantity,

wherein the return input is operative to cause at least one update of the standing of medical item quantities associated with the inventory in carrying out real time processor monitoring of the inventory, including update to reflect standing of the third quantity.

10. The method according to claim 8 wherein step (b) includes manually inputting the removal input to a data terminal including a user interface.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the terminal is operatively connected to at least one inventory data store, wherein step (b) includes providing data corresponding to the first quantity to the at least one inventory data store via input to the terminal.

12. The method according to claim 8 and further comprising:

(e) subsequent to step (a), using the second quantity to replenish a remote storage of the medicinal substance.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein step (e) is prior to step (c), and further comprising:

(e) subsequent to step (e) and prior to step (c), removing the second quantity from the remote storage.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein step (d) includes inputting data representative of returning the second quantity.

15. The method according to claim 8 and further comprising:

subsequent to step (d), viewing at least one displayed output reflective of the third quantity.

16. The method according to claim 15 and further comprising:

subsequent to step (d), returning to the pharmacy at least one of the third quantity.

17. The method according to claim 8 and further comprising:

subsequent to step (d), returning the third quantity to the pharmacy.

18. The method according to claim 8 wherein the return input in step (d) is operative to cause an update of the standing of medical item quantities associated with the inventory to reflect patient usage of the third quantity.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the return input in step (d) is operative to cause a bill for the third quantity to be allocated to the patient.

9. A method comprising:

(a) storing various types of medications in a plurality of storage locations in a storage area;

(b) providing input via at least one computer to at least one data store, data correlating each storage location with the type of medical item stored therein;

(c) removing a first quantity of a first type of medical item from a first storage location in the storage area,

wherein removing the first quantity of the first type of medical item from the first storage location in the storage area causes a sensor that corresponds to the first storage location to output an indication that the first quantity of the first type of medical item has been removed from the first storage location;

(d) using a barcode scanner to scan a barcode identifier that is configured to identify the first type of the medical item,

wherein scanning the barcode identifier causes identification data to be generated,

wherein scanning the barcode identifier causes a comparison to be undertaken between the indication output by the sensor and the identification data,

(e) determining that the indication output by the sensor and the identification data are consistent,

(f) receiving via the at least one computer, inputted first quantity data corresponding to removing the first quantity in step (c);

(g) storing the first quantity data received in step (f) in the at least one data store;

(h) using a second quantity of the first quantity removed in step (c);

(i) receiving via the at least one computer, inputted second quantity data corresponding to using the second quantity in step (h);

(j) storing the second quantity data received in step (i) in the at least one data store;

(k) comparing through operation of the at least one processor the first quantity data stored in step (g) and the second quantity data stored in step (j); and

(l) responsive to a difference resulting from the comparing in step (k), providing at least one output reflective of the difference.