Systems and methods for performing quality assurance of branding of pharmaceutical/medical containers and computer assisted systems and methods for branding pharmaceutical/medical containers

• US 7,837,107 B1
• Filed: 12/04/2007
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc. (The Cigna Group)
• Original Assignee: Medco Health Solutions Incorporated (The Cigna Group)
• Inventors: Leu, Chih-Jen, Rice, Wayne, McErlean, James G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNSON, SONJI N
• Application Number:
  US11/950,184
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 414/273, 264/328.1, 368/10
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/26 by rotary conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/045 in bags
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/06 Packaging groups of articles, the groups being treated as single articles
• 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: B65B 61/26 for marking or coding completed packages
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/28 by applying separate preformed closures, e.g. lids, covers
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 1/026 and the article being moved out of its normal conveyance path towards the labelling head B65C1/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 2009/0081 Means for forming a label web buffer, e.g. label web loop
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 2009/0093 Devices switching between a peelable and a non peelable position
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/1876 and being transferred by suction means
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/44 by special means responsive to marks on labels or articles feed control in wrapping B65B
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 3/00 Closing bottles, jars or similar containers by applying caps caps per se B65D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

In some embodiments, quality assurance systems for verifying branding of at least one medication container associated with at least one of a prescription and medication order are provided. The systems including: a transport system that transports at least one first container branded with a particular branding among a plurality of brandings to and from a pharmaceutical and/or medical product dispensing system, and transports the at least one first container to the pharmaceutical and/or medical product dispensing system after correcting the particular branding when correction is performed; a scanning system including at least one scanner for scanning identification information associated with the at least one first container; a display that displays order information associated with the identification information received from the scanning system including information indicating a correct branding for the at least one first container; and a pharmacist station for determining whether the correct branding matches the particular branding and correcting the particular branding if the correct branding does not match the particular branding.

Claims

1. A quality assurance system for verifying branding of at least one medication container associated with at least one of a prescription and medication order, comprising:

a transport system that transports at least one first container branded with a particular branding of a particular entity among a plurality of brandings of a plurality of entities, at least one of the plurality of entities comprising a different entity than the particular entity, to and from a pharmaceutical and/or medical product dispensing system, and transports the at least one first container to the pharmaceutical and/or medical product dispensing system after correcting the particular branding when correction is performed;

a scanning system including at least one scanner for scanning identification information associated with the at least one first container;

a computer control system receiving the identification information from the scanning system, and retrieving information from a database indicating a correct branding among the plurality of brandings for the at least one first container;

a display that displays order information associated with the identification information received from the scanning system including the information indicating the correct branding among the plurality of brandings for the at least one first container; and

a pharmacist station for determining whether the correct branding matches the particular branding among the plurality of brandings and correcting the particular branding if the correct branding does not match the particular branding.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one first container of the particular branding comprises at least one container capped with a cap of the particular branding and wherein the pharmacist station corrects the branding by replacing the cap capped on the at least one first container with a cap of the correct branding.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein a cap is at least one of a cover, a lid, a top, a plug, and a stopper.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the pharmacist station corrects the branding by replacing the at least one first container with at least one second container with the correct branding imprinted thereon.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the scanning system scans the identification information that is stored on the at least one first container using at least one of a barcode, an RFID, or text.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the display displays the order information including a reason the at least one first container has been diverted to the quality assurance system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of brandings comprises at least two of graphics, third-party information, text, and blank caps.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a carrier conveying the at least one first container, and wherein the identification information includes carrier information associated with the carrier, and the scanner system determines order information associated with the at least one carrier based on the identification information, the carrier information, and a map of the locations of the plurality of containers held in the carrier.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of brandings comprises third-party branding information.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a shipping-labeling system for affixing a mailing label to the second container indicating a mailing address to which the second container is to be sent based on the identification information; and

wherein the transport system further transports the second container to and from the shipping-labeling system.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a packaging system that transfers the at least one first container in a second container; and

a manual packing area for transferring at least one manually packed item into the second container,

wherein the transport system further transports the second container and the at least one first container to and from the packaging system, the manual packing area, and the pharmaceutical and/or medical product dispensing system responsive to the order information.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a storage system for storing the second container until at least one additional item to be transferred into the second container is ready, wherein the storage system further transports the second container to and from the storage system.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one first container is a plurality of containers, and further comprising:

an order consolidation station that receives and consolidates the plurality of containers; and

a container system that transfers the plurality of containers into a second container;

wherein the transport system further transports the plurality of containers and the second container to and from the order consolidation system.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the branding is performed by the pharmaceutical and/or medical product dispensing system.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein by the branding is performed by a pharmaceutical and/or medical product branding system, and where the transport system further transports the at least one first container to and from the pharmaceutical and/or medical product branding system.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the pharmacist station is further for inputting the at least one first container to said transport system to automatically transport the at least one first container to the pharmaceutical product dispensing system, and further comprising a packaging system that receives the at least one first container from said transport system, and automatically packages and ships to a customer the at least one first container.

17. A method for verifying branding of at least one medication container associated with at least one of a prescription and medication order, comprising:

receiving at least one first container branded with a particular branding of a particular entity among a plurality of brandings of a plurality of entities, at least one of the plurality of entities comprising a different entity than the particular entity, from a pharmaceutical and/or medical product dispensing system;

scanning identification information associated with the at least one first container;

retrieving information from a database indicating a correct branding among the plurality of brandings for the at least one first container based on the identification information

displaying order information associated with the identification information including information indicating the correct branding among a plurality of brandings for the at least one first container;

determining whether the correct branding matches the particular branding among the plurality of brandings;

correcting the particular branding if the correct branding does not match the particular branding

transporting the at least one first container to the pharmaceutical and/or medical product dispensing system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of brandings comprises third-party branding information.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

transferring the at least one first container into a second container; and

transporting the second container to a manual packing area for transferring at least one manually packed item into the second container.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising

storing the second container in a storage system until at least one additional item to be transferred into the second container is ready;

and

transporting the second container to and from a storage system.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

affixing a mailing label to the second container indicating a mailing address to which the second container is to be sent based on the identification information.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one first container is a plurality of containers, and further comprising:

transporting the plurality of containers and a second container to and from an order consolidation system; and

transferring the plurality of containers into the second container at the consolidation system.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising automatically packing the at least one first container and shipping the packaged at least one first container to a customer.

24. A quality assurance system for verifying branding of at least one medication container associated with at least one of a prescription and medication order, comprising:

a transport system that automatically transports at least one first container branded with a particular branding of a particular entity among a plurality of brandings of a plurality of entities from an automated pharmaceutical product dispensing system, and transports the at least one first container to the pharmaceutical product dispensing system after correcting the particular branding when correction is performed;

a scanning system including at least one scanner for scanning identification information associated with the at least one first container;

a computer control system receiving the identification information from the scanning system, and retrieving information from a database indicating a correct branding among the plurality of brandings for the at least one first container;

a display that displays order information associated with the identification information received from the scanning system including the information indicating the correct branding among the plurality of brandings for the at least one first container;

a pharmacist station for determining whether the correct branding matches the particular branding among the plurality of brandings, correcting the particular branding if the correct branding does not match the particular branding, and inputting the at least one first container to said transport system to automatically transport the at least one first container to the pharmaceutical product dispensing system; and

a packaging system that receives the at least one first container from said transport system, and automatically packages and ships to a customer the at least one first container.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the at least one first container of the particular branding comprises at least one container capped with a cap of the particular branding and wherein the pharmacist station corrects the branding by replacing the cap capped on the at least one first container with a cap of the correct branding.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the pharmacist station corrects the branding by replacing the at least one first container with at least one second container with the correct branding imprinted thereon.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the scanning system scans the identification information that is stored on the at least one first container using at least one of a barcode, an RFID, or text.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the display displays the order information including a reason the at least one first container has been diverted to the quality assurance system.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the plurality of brandings comprises at least two of graphics, third-party information, text, and blank caps.

30. The system of claim 24, further comprising a carrier conveying the at least one first container, and wherein the identification information includes carrier information associated with the carrier, and the scanner system determines order information associated with the at least one carrier based on the identification information, the carrier information, and a map of the locations of the plurality of containers held in the carrier.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein the plurality of brandings comprises third-party branding information.