Pharmacy workflow management system including plural counters

• US 8,855,811 B1
• Filed: 09/17/2012
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Capsa Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Kirby Lester LLC (Capsa Solutions LLC)
• Inventors: Schultz, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WAGGONER, TIMOTHY R
• Application Number:
  US13/621,322
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 700/236, 700/240, 700/242, 700/244
• US Class Current: 700/236
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/02 Pill counting devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A pharmacy workflow management system including plural counters and a pharmacy workflow management method. In embodiments, the system includes a housing, a first automatic object counter and a cassette dispenser which feeds objects from a cassette mounted thereto to the first object counter. A second object counter counts objects fed from a cassette mounted to the cassette dispenser. A data processing platform within the housing is programmed with instructions that enable the system to compare the counts from the first and second object counters. The data processing platform also provides for management of pharmacy workflow by providing improved control of prescription fulfillment.

Claims

1. A pharmacy workflow management system comprising:

a housing defined by housing walls;

an information display associated with the housing;

an optical tablet counter within the housing which counts poured tablets and tablets fed from a cassette comprising;

an optical energy source;

an image sensor receiving optical energy from the source and configured to discriminate between unblocked regions of the sensor and regions of the sensor blocked from receiving the optical energy by falling tablets; and

an image processor receiving data from the sensor and configured to count the tablets;

a cassette dispenser proximate the housing and having a cassette mount to which a cassette is interchangeably mounted in position to feed tablets to the optical tablet counter;

a cassette dispenser drive system which powers a mounted cassette to feed tablets therefrom;

a cassette counter which is a separate counter from the optical tablet counter and which counts tablets fed from a mounted cassette; and

a data processor within the housing operatively connected to the optical tablet counter, the cassette counter, and the cassette dispenser drive system, the data processor being configured to receive data for a plurality of prescriptions, store the received data for the prescriptions, retrieve the data for one of the stored prescriptions for fulfillment, the data including a type of tablet and a required tablet quantity, verify that a user-selected container or cassette contains the required type of tablets, if the required type of tablets are in a mounted cassette, activate the cassette dispenser drive system to feed tablets from the mounted cassette to the cassette counter and the optical tablet counter providing plural counts of each tablet in a single feeding of tablets from the mounted cassette, deactivate the cassette dispenser drive system once the cassette counter count equals the required tablet quantity, store the optical tablet counter count for tablets poured from the user-selected container or fed from the cassette, indicate a tablet count on the information display, and create a record that the required tablet quantity has been counted.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the data processing platform is further configured to provide data for any of the stored prescriptions on the display.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the data processing platform is further configured to provide data for the retrieved prescription on the display.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the data processing platform is further configured to compare counts of the optical tablet counter and the cassette counter for each tablet fed from the cassette.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the data processing platform is further configured to compare the counts to determine whether the counts differ by more than a predetermined amount.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the data processing platform is further configured to generate a signal if the counts differ by more than the predetermined amount.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the data processing platform is further configured to stop the cassette dispenser drive system if the counts differ by more than the predetermined amount.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the data processing platform is further configured to compare the counts to determine whether the counts match the required tablet quantity.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the data processing platform is further configured to control the cassette dispenser drive system based on the cassette counter count.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the data processing platform is further configured to slow the cassette dispenser drive system as the cassette counter count approaches the required tablet quantity.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the data processing platform is further configured to control the cassette dispenser drive system to feed tablets at a rate of a plurality of rates.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the data processing platform is further configured to control the cassette dispenser drive system rate based on type of tablet.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the data processing platform is further configured to inventory count all of the tablets in a cassette.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the data processing platform is further configured so that the optical tablet counter counts tablets fed from a mounted cassette or poured manually while the cassette is mounted.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising a funnel which receives the tablets from the cassette for delivery to the optical tablet counter.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical tablet counter counts tablets falling side-by-side past the image sensor.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the cassette dispenser includes a code reader configured to read an identification code on the cassette.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the data processing platform is further configured to permit operation of the cassette dispenser drive system when the identification code matches an expected code.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the cassette dispenser includes the cassette counter and the cassette counter detects tablets fed in a singulated manner from the mounted cassette.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the cassette counter comprises an energy beam emitter, a receiver onto which the energy beam is directed and passage of a tablet between the energy beam emitter and the receiver increments the cassette counter count.