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

• US 7,668,618 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2008
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• 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: Monkhouse, Peter, Booler, Andrew P., Walton, Douglas W., Howell, Robert G., Hess, E. Christian, Bonkenburg, Thomas P., Shupert, P. Thomas, Bell, Michael W. G., Leu, Chih-Jen, Szesko, Michael J., Lasher, Christopher J., Rice, Wayne, McErlean, James G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURGESS, RAMYA PRAKASAM
• Application Number:
  US12/194,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20080312767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 700/228, 700/230, 700/216, 700/217, 700/218, 700/219, 700/242, 534/94, 534/95
• US Class Current: 700/214
• 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 bottle transfer system, comprising:

a plurality of storage locations, each storage location having a top side and a bottom side;

a stoppage mechanism disposed on each of the plurality of storage locations, the stoppage mechanism having a first position and a second position;

a first transport mechanism transporting the bottle to one of the plurality of storage locations, wherein the bottle is stored by the one of the plurality of storage locations when the stoppage mechanism is in the second position;

a second transport mechanism moving the stoppage mechanism between the first position and the second position;

a computer system receiving the patient specific order, said patient specific order comprising one or more bottles and patient specific literature corresponding to the patient specific order; and

said computer system identifying one or more storage locations, wherein the first transport mechanism transfers the one or more bottles corresponding to a patient specific order to the one or more storage locations, wherein the computer system instructs the second transport mechanism to transfer the stoppage mechanism of the one or more of the plurality of storage locations from the second position to the first position when the one or more bottles corresponding to the patient specific order has been transferred to the one or more of the plurality of storage locations and are ready for dispensing with other components of the patient specific order, including at least one of another bottle and the patient specific literature corresponding to the patient specific order.

2. The bottle transfer system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of storage locations form a table and wherein the first transport mechanism is disposed on a top side of the table and the second transport mechanism is disposed on a bottom side of the table.

3. The bottle transfer system of claim 1, further comprising an order consolidation station configured to:

at least one of receive the one or more bottles containing a number of pills individually counted and receive from a second system at least one package containing prepackaged pharmaceutical products as determined by the patient specific order;

at least one identifier detector to detect identification information associated with the at least one bottle, and to detect at least another identification information associated with the at least one package, and

wherein the computer system is configured to coordinate the placing of the at least one bottle and the at least one package in a container when the at least one identification information associated with the bottle and the at least another identification information associated with the at least one container correspond to the at least one prescription order.

4. The bottle transfer system of claim 1, further comprising an order consolidation station configured to print at least one customized literature pack for the at least one patient specific order comprising patient specific information;

and insert automatically the at least one literature pack into the container.

5. The bottle transfer system of claim 3, further comprising:

a package storage device having an array of locations and configured to store the at least one package into one of the array of locations; and

a package dispenser configured to identify the one of the array of locations, obtain the at least one package from the one of the array of locations and provide the at least one package to the second system.

6. The bottle transfer system of claim 3, further comprising a package label printer to print at least one label for the at least one package, wherein the label is printed with patient specific information.

7. The bottle transfer system of claim 6, wherein the package dispenser further includes a labeler to affix a label on the at least one package.

8. The bottle transfer system of claim 6, wherein the package dispenser further includes an error detection system configured to detect the label affixed on the at least one package and reject the at least one package if an error is detected.

9. The bottle transfer system of claim 1, further comprising a metal detector configured to detect a metallic substance in the at least one bottle, wherein the bottle is transported to a quality assurance area if a metallic substance is detected.

10. The bottle transfer system of claim 1, further comprising a bottle dispenser comprises a bottle buffer configured to receive the at least one bottle belonging to the one of at least one prescription order, wherein the bottle buffer is disposed and configured to release the received at least one bottle.

11. The bottle transfer system of claim 3, further comprising a packager configured to open the container to receive the at least one bottle and at least one package.

12. The bottle transfer system of claim 11, wherein the packager comprises:

a printer configured to print an address or internal control information, and affix the address or the internal control information on the container.

13. A container transfer system, comprising:

a plurality of storage locations, the plurality of storage locations storing one or more containers corresponding to a patient specific prescription order, said plurality of storage locations including a stoppage mechanism having first position and a second position;

a first transport mechanism transporting said one or more containers to one or more of the plurality of storage locations, wherein said one or more containers are stored by the one or more of the plurality of storage locations when the stoppage mechanism is in the second position;

a second transport mechanism responsively connected to transfer the stoppage mechanism between the first position and the second position;

a computer system receiving the patient specific order said patient specific order comprising one or more containers and patient specific literature corresponding to the patient specific order; and

said computer system identifying one or more storage locations, wherein the first transport mechanism transfers the one or more containers corresponding to a patient specific order to the one or more plurality of storage locations, wherein the computer system generates an instruction for the second transport mechanism to transfer the stoppage mechanism of the one or more of the plurality of storage locations between the first position and the second position when the one or more containers corresponding to the patient specific order has been transferred to the one or more of the plurality of storage locations and are ready for dispensing with other components of the patient specific order, including at least one of another container and the patient specific literature corresponding to the patient specific order.

14. The container transfer system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of storage locations form a table and wherein the first transport mechanism is disposed on a top side of the table and the second transport mechanism is disposed on a bottom side of the table.

15. The container transfer system of claim 13, further comprising an order consolidation station configured to:

at least one of receive the one or more containers containing a number of pills individually counted and receive from a second system at least one package containing prepackaged pharmaceutical products as determined by the patient specific order;

at least one identifier detector to detect identification information associated with the at least one container, and to detect at least another identification information associated with the at least one package, and

wherein the computer system is configured to coordinate the placing of the at least one container and the at least one package in a container when the at least one identification information associated with the container and the at least another identification information associated with the at least one container correspond to the at least one prescription order.

16. The container transfer system of claim 13, further comprising an order consolidation station configured to print at least one customized literature pack for the at least one patient specific order comprising patient specific information;

and insert automatically the at least one literature pack into the container.

17. The container transfer system of claim 15, further comprising:

a package storage device having an array of locations and configured to store the at least one package into one of the array of locations; and

a package dispenser configured to identify the one of the array of locations, obtain the at least one package from the one of the array of locations and provide the at least one package to the second system.

18. The container transfer system of claim 15, further comprising a package label printer to print at least one label for the at least one package, wherein the label is printed with patient specific information.

19. The container transfer system of claim 18, wherein the package dispenser further includes a labeler to affix a label on the at least one package.

20. The container transfer system of claim 18, wherein the package dispenser further includes an error detection system configured to detect the label affixed on the at least one package and reject the at least one package if an error is detected.

21. The container transfer system of claim 13, further comprising a metal detector configured to detect a metallic substance in the at least one container, wherein the container is transported to a quality assurance area if a metallic substance is detected.

22. The container transfer system of claim 13, further comprising a container dispenser comprises a container buffer configured to receive the at least one container belonging to the one of at least one prescription order, wherein the container buffer is disposed and configured to release the received at least one container.

23. The container transfer system of claim 15, further comprising a packager configured to open the container to receive the at least one container and at least one package.

24. The container transfer system of claim 23, wherein the packager comprises:

a printer configured to print an address or internal control information, and affix the address or the internal control information on the container.