System and method of enhanced distribution of pharmaceuticals in long-term care facilities

• US 8,954,338 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2013
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tech Pharmacy Services, LLC
• Original Assignee: Tech Pharmacy Services Incorporated (Partners Pharmacy LLC)
• Inventors: Moncrief, James W., Martin, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuelling, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/075,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20140059980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 3
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 1/30 Devices or methods for controlling or determining the quantity or quality or the material fed or filled
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A system and related methods of enhanced distribution of pharmaceuticals in long-term care facilities are provided. An embodiment of a system includes one or more pharmaceutical storage and electronic dispensing machines each positioned in a long-term care facility remote from a long-term care facility pharmacy group management server and in communication therewith, and long-term care facility pharmacy management computer programs associated with the long-term care facility pharmacy group management server to enhance use of the one or more of pharmaceutical storage and electronic dispensing machines The long-term care facility management computer programs include a patient prescription receiver and a medication dispensing apparatus administrator and are configured and operable to transmit dispensing instructions to the one or more pharmaceutical storage and electronic dispensing machines when no drug conflicts exist to thereby initiate packaging and dispensing of one or more disposable patient dosing packages.

Claims

1. A system to facilitate enhanced use of two or more pharmaceutical storage and electronic dispensing machines in a plurality of long-teem care facilities when in communication with a communications network and one or more remote long-term care facility pharmacy management servers, the system comprising:

two or more pharmaceutical storage and electronic dispensing machines positioned at each of a plurality of long-term care facilities, each of the two or more pharmaceutical storage and electronic dispensing machines being positioned remote from, and adapted to be in communication with, one or more long-term care facility pharmacy management servers associated with a long-term care facility remote pharmacy via a communications network, each of the plurality of long-team care facilities remote from the long-term'"'"' care facility remote pharmacy, the one or more long-term care facility pharmacy management servers including non-transitory, tangible memory medium to store long-term care facility management computer programs, the long-term care facility management computer programs including;

a patient prescription receiver to receive one or more patient medication prescription orders, and

a medication dispensing apparatus administrator to selectively remote control the two or more pharmaceutical storage and electronic dispensing machine functions;

the long-term care facility management computer programs also being configured and operable to;

verify, at the long-term care facility remote pharmacy, the one or more patient medication prescription orders received from one or more pharmaceutical prescription document processors when positioned in communication with the two or more pharmaceutical storage and electronic dispensing machines to thereby enhance reduction of medication order errors;

compare one or more digital images of the one or more patient medication prescription orders with one or more of a patient medication profile, a patient diagnosis profile, and a drug interaction profile, to thereby enhance reduction of drug conflicts;

determine, responsive to the one or more patient medication prescription orders, whether drug conflicts exist; and

transmit dispensing instructions to the two or more pharmaceutical storage and electronic dispensing machines via the communications network when no drug conflicts exist to thereby initiate packaging and dispensing of one or more disposable patient dosing packages at the two or more pharmaceutical storage and electronic dispensing machines.

2. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the two or more pharmaceutical storage and electronic dispensing machines includes a plurality of removable medication cartridges, each of the plurality of removable medication cartridges associated with an individual medication, and wherein the long-term care facility management computer programs further include instructions to provide remote training to one or more long-term care facility staff members from the long-term care facility remote pharmacy by selectively remotely controlling one or more functions, available to the one or more long-term care facility staff members from a terminal of each of the two or more pharmaceutical storage and electronic dispensing machines, by the long-term care facility management computer programs via the communications network responsive to input received from the one or more long-term care facility remote pharmacy personnel.

3. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the two or more pharmaceutical storage and electronic dispensing machines are further adapted to be in communication with one or more video devices, and wherein the long-term care facility management computer programs further include instructions to display, at the long-term care facility remote pharmacy, one or more video images of at least one visually accessible functional component of each of the two or more pharmaceutical storage and electronic dispensing machines over the communications network to provide remote troubleshooting of the two or more pharmaceutical storage and electronic dispensing machines by the one or more long-term care facility remote pharmacy personnel.

4. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the long-term care facility management computer programs are further configured and operate to verify, at the long-term care facility remote pharmacy, one or more changed order reports received from the one or more pharmaceutical prescription document processors to thereby further enhance reduction of medication order errors, the one or more changed order reports configured to indicate changes in time, quantity, or method of dispensing pharmaceuticals associated with the one or more patient medication prescription orders.

5. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein receipt of the one or more patient medication prescription orders from the one or more pharmaceutical prescription document processors includes receipt of an image of a physician'"'"'s prescription order associated with each of the one or more medication prescription orders.