Pharmacy workspace

• US 8,776,445 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2011
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Inventors: Jhaveri, Nimesh S., Dhruve, Archana, Hill, Heather K., Kozic, Dejan, Tebbe, Laura Jean, Heald, Susan G., Tulyathorn, Warit, Jones, Mark A., Frisk, Sara B., Levin, Jennifer M., Comiskey, Jennifer A., Blanchard, David T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Katcheves, Basil
• Assistant Examiner(s): MINTZ, RODNEY K
• Application Number:
  US13/286,922
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 52/361, 52/364, 52/791, 52/797, 52/798, 522/34, 522/381, 52/33, 52/796, 521/731, 521/74, 522/361, 186/35, 186/36, 705/2
• US Class Current: 52/33
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/00 Shop, bar, bank or like counters show cases or show cabinets A47F3/00; safety transaction partitions, e.g. movable pay plates, E05G7/00
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/02 Hotels; Motels; Coffee-houses; Restaurants; Shops; Department stores
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/08 Hospitals, infirmaries, or the like; Schools; Prisons

Abstract

A pharmacy workspace that has a prescription station that has a prescription desk; a pharmacist station that has a pharmacist desk that is distinct from the prescription desk; a clinic station that has an examination room; and a reception desk that is centrally positioned between the three stations and separated from them by only an open circulation area.

Claims

1. A pharmacy workspace comprising:

a prescription station where prescriptions are received and where prescription medicine is delivered to a customer;

a prescription desk that is in the prescription station, where customers and pharmacy staff interact;

a pharmacist station that is directly accessible to customers, where customers consult with a pharmacist;

a pharmacist desk that is in the pharmacist station, and is distinct from the prescription desk;

pharmacist seating behind the pharmacist desk;

signage at the pharmacist station that identifies the availability of a pharmacist to consult with customers;

a separate clinic station where common acute health issues are treated, the separate clinic station has an entrance, an examination room, and a waiting area that separates the entrance from the examination room;

signage at the clinic station that identifies the use of the clinic station for treating common acute health issues; and

a reception desk that is centrally positioned between the three stations and is separated from the three stations by only an open circulation area, with the entrance to the clinic station facing the reception desk.

2. The pharmacy workspace as recited in claim 1, in which:

the reception desk is located no more than twenty-five feet from the prescription desk and no more than thirty-five feet from the pharmacist desk and from the entrance to the clinic station.

3. The pharmacy workspace as recited in claim 1, in which:

the sum of the distances from the reception desk to (a) the entrance to the clinic station, (b) the pharmacist desk, and (c) the prescription desk is no more than 50 feet.

4. The pharmacy workspace as recited in claim 1, in which:

the prescription desk and the pharmacist desk each have a front edge that borders the open circulation area and faces the reception desk; and

the entrance to the clinic station adjoins the open circulation area and faces the reception desk.

5. The pharmacy workspace as recited in claim 1, in which:

the prescription desk borders the open circulation area and faces the reception desk; and

the prescription desk has direct line-of-sight to a display above the reception desk where wait times are displayed.

6. The pharmacy workspace as recited in claim 1, in which:

the prescription station has at least one kiosk that prompts customers to enter identifying information and enables customers to confirm and to pay for a prescription.

7. The pharmacy workspace as recited in claim 1, in which:

the pharmacist desk borders the open circulation area and faces the reception desk; and

the pharmacist station is adjacent to and connected to the prescription station.

8. The pharmacy workspace as recited in claim 1, in which:

the pharmacist desk has direct line-of-sight to a display above the reception desk where wait times are displayed.

9. The pharmacy workspace as recited in claim 1, in which:

the clinic station has video conference equipment that enables a customer to consult with a health care specialist.

10. The pharmacy workspace as recited in claim 1, in which:

the clinic station has a seating area that has direct line-of-sight to a display above the reception desk where wait times are displayed.

11. The pharmacy workspace as recited in claim 1, in which:

the reception desk has a touchscreen device that (a) enables customers to enter identifying information, (b) prompts users to request information about one or more of health topics, community events, and pharmacy programs, and (c) enables customers to check in for appointments and sign up for events.

12. The pharmacy workspace as recited in claim 1, in which:

the reception desk has a touchscreen device that is programmed to provide third party health recommendations based on data associated with a customer.

13. The pharmacy workspace as recited in claim 1, that also comprises:

a touchscreen device that uses data associated with a customer (a) to automatically provide third party health recommendations for that customer;

(b) to steer the customer to the pharmacist station when a pharmacist who is stationed there will have health recommendations for the customer, and (c) to steer the customer to the clinic station when a medical assistant who is stationed there will have health recommendations for the customer.

14. The pharmacy workspace as recited in claim 1, in which:

gondolas proximate to the reception desk are adapted to provide expanded, open views of the workspace.

15. The pharmacy workspace as recited in claim 1, that also comprises:

a meeting room where community health care events are provided by third parties.

16. The pharmacy workspace as recited in claim 1, in which a meeting room where health care events are provided by third parties:

is provided between the clinic station and the pharmacist station;

has direct line-of-sight to a display above the reception desk where wait times are displayed;

is separated from the reception desk by only the open circulation area; and

has signage that identifies the use of the meeting room for one or more health care events.

17. A pharmacy workspace comprising:

a prescription station where prescriptions are received and where prescription medicine is delivered to a customer;

a first prescription desk that is in the prescription station, where customers and pharmacy staff interact;

a second customer-facing prescription desk that is in the prescription station and is adjacent to and angled with respect to the first prescription desk;

a pharmacist station that is directly accessible to customers, where customers consult with a pharmacist;

a pharmacist desk that is in the pharmacist station, and is distinct from the prescription desk;

pharmacist seating behind the pharmacist desk;

signage at the pharmacist station that identifies the availability of a pharmacist to consult with customers;

a separate clinic station where common acute health issues are treated, the separate clinic station has an entrance, an examination room, and a waiting area that separates the entrance from the examination room;

signage at the clinic station that identifies the use of the clinic station for treating common acute health issues;

a reception desk that is centrally positioned between the three stations and is separated from the three stations by only an open circulation area, with the entrance to the clinic station facing the reception desk and each prescription desk having a front edge that borders the open circulation area and faces the reception desk.

18. A pharmacy workspace comprising:

a reception desk that is in an open circulation area;

gondolas proximate to the reception desk that are adapted to provide open views of the pharmacy workspace;

a prescription station that is functionally adjacent to the reception desk, is separated from the reception desk by only the open circulation area, and has a pair of adjacent, angled, customer-facing prescription desks that have front edges that border the open circulation area and face the reception desk;

at least one kiosk at the prescription station that prompts customers to enter identifying information and enables customers to confirm and to pay for a prescription;

a pharmacist station that is functionally adjacent to the reception desk, is separated from the reception desk by only the open circulation area, is adjacent to and connected to the prescription station, and has a pharmacist desk that is distinct from the prescription desks, borders the open circulation area, and faces the reception desk;

pharmacist seating that is in the pharmacist station, behind the pharmacist desk;

a clinic station that is located functionally adjacent to the reception desk, has an examination room, and is separated from the reception desk by only the open circulation area;

video conference equipment that is in the clinic station and enables a customer to consult with a health care specialist;

a touchscreen device that uses data associated with a customer (a) to automatically provide third party health recommendations for that customer;

(b) to steer the customer to the pharmacist station when a pharmacist who is stationed there will have health recommendations for the customer, and (c) to steer the customer to the clinic station when a medical assistant who is stationed there will have health recommendations for the customer; and

a flexible workspace that is provided between the clinic station and the pharmacist station, has direct line-of-sight to a display above the reception desk where wait times are displayed, and is separated from the reception desk by only the open circulation area.