Adaptive pharmaceutical product management methods and system
First Claim
1. A method for adaptive storage of pharmaceutical products within a pharmacy at plural pharmaceutical product storage locations having rankings based on relative ease-of-accessibility to a pharmacy workstation so that more frequently used products are more easily accessible to a human user working from the pharmacy workstation based on updated product usage frequency rankings, the method comprising:
- placing plural pharmaceutical product containers into storage locations each having an ease-of-accessibility ranking, there being an excess of storage locations to permit adaptive placement of containers into the storage locations;
creating with a processing device a database record of the storage location of each container;
automatically visually indicating the storage location of a container for a pharmaceutical product required for prescription fulfillment with a visible indicator proximate the storage location which guides the user to the storage location;
picking the container from the indicated storage location;
fulfilling the prescription at the workstation with product from the container;
updating with the processing device the database to indicate use of the product;
determining with the processing device a usage frequency ranking of the product;
determining with the processing device an updated storage location for the container if product remains in the container or for a further container of the product based on the usage frequency ranking of the product, the updated storage location having an ease-of-accessibility ranking commensurate with the usage frequency ranking of the product;
automatically visually indicating the updated storage location with a visible indicator proximate the updated storage location which guides the user to the updated storage location; and
placing the container at the indicated updated storage location.
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Abstract
Methods and systems for adaptive storage and management of pharmaceutical product containers at a pharmacy are described. Pharmaceutical product containers are managed so that the containers for more-frequently-used pharmaceutical products are stored among plural storage locations more-efficiently accessible to a pharmacy workstation. Containers for less-frequently- used pharmaceutical products are managed so that the containers for such products are stored among the storage locations which are less-accessible to the pharmacy workstation. As the frequency of pharmaceutical product usage changes, the inventory of pharmaceutical product containers is managed adaptively so that the containers used most frequently are stored at locations more-easily accessible to the pharmacy workstation, thereby facilitating fulfillment of prescriptions by pharmacy personnel. Further efficiencies may be achieved through use of an optical positioning system providing directed placing and picking of pharmaceutical product containers. The methods and system have particular application to management of partially-full pharmaceutical product containers which may be repeatedly taken from and returned to inventory.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for adaptive storage of pharmaceutical products within a pharmacy at plural pharmaceutical product storage locations having rankings based on relative ease-of-accessibility to a pharmacy workstation so that more frequently used products are more easily accessible to a human user working from the pharmacy workstation based on updated product usage frequency rankings, the method comprising:
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placing plural pharmaceutical product containers into storage locations each having an ease-of-accessibility ranking, there being an excess of storage locations to permit adaptive placement of containers into the storage locations; creating with a processing device a database record of the storage location of each container; automatically visually indicating the storage location of a container for a pharmaceutical product required for prescription fulfillment with a visible indicator proximate the storage location which guides the user to the storage location; picking the container from the indicated storage location; fulfilling the prescription at the workstation with product from the container; updating with the processing device the database to indicate use of the product; determining with the processing device a usage frequency ranking of the product; determining with the processing device an updated storage location for the container if product remains in the container or for a further container of the product based on the usage frequency ranking of the product, the updated storage location having an ease-of-accessibility ranking commensurate with the usage frequency ranking of the product; automatically visually indicating the updated storage location with a visible indicator proximate the updated storage location which guides the user to the updated storage location; and placing the container at the indicated updated storage location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification