Universal label and verification systems and methods for filling customer orders of medical items

• US 9,117,016 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnicare Incorporated (CVS Health Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omnicare Incorporated (CVS Health Corporation)
• Inventors: Carson, Bradley E., Friday, Jack M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAIL, ALLYSON NEEL
• Application Number:
  US13/801,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20140021253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 235/381, 235/380
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

Label and verification systems and methods to assist with manual labeling and verification of various types of products including medical items that may be filled as part of a customer order, including boxes, cards, bottles, and many other known types of containers. The label and verification system prompts a user to scan a product label on a product, determines whether the product label corresponds to one of the medical items in the customer order, and then prints a patient label for the product. After prompting the user to affix the patient label to the product and rescan the product, the system verifies that the correct patient label and product label are on the product from the customer order. The system and method may be operable to label more than 90% of containers commonly used to hold medications and medical items with increased speed and accuracy.

Claims

1. A method for filling a customer order containing at least one product to be labeled and verified with a label and verification (LV) kiosk including a scanner, a label printer, and a human machine interface (HMI), each product including a medical item, and the method comprising:

prompting a user with the HMI to manually scan a product label on a product contained in the customer order at the scanner;

receiving first identification data from the product label manually scanned by the user with the scanner, the first identification data being associated with the product;

determining whether the first identification data corresponds to a medical item contained in the customer order;

printing a patient label containing second identification data with the label printer if the first identification data corresponds to a medical item contained in the customer order, the second identification data being associated with a patient who is to receive the product;

prompting the user with the HMI to manually affix the patient label to the product and to manually scan the product label and the patient label at the scanner; and

verifying that the patient label was affixed to the product by confirming that the first and second identification data were each received and correctly correspond to the customer order when the product label and the patient label were manually scanned by the user with the scanner.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the first identification data cannot be determined to correspond to at least one of the products contained in the customer order, the method further comprises:

prompting the user with the HMI to return the product with the product label that has been scanned and to retrieve a new product contained in the customer order.

3. A method for filling a customer order containing at least one product to be labeled and verified with a label and verification (LV) kiosk including a scanner, a label printer, and a human machine interface (HMI), each product including a medical item, and the method comprising:

prompting a user with the HMI to scan a product label on a product contained in the customer order at the scanner;

receiving first identification data from the product label scanned by the user with the scanner, the first identification data being associated with the product;

determining whether the first identification data corresponds to a medical item contained in the customer order;

printing a patient label containing second identification data with the label printer if the first identification data corresponds to a medical item contained in the customer order, the second identification data being associated with a patient who is to receive the product;

prompting the user with the HMI to affix the patient label to the product and to scan the product label and the patient label at the scanner;

verifying that the patient label was affixed to the product by confirming that the first and second identification data were each received and correctly correspond to the customer order when the product label and the patient label were scanned by the user with the scanner;

generating pick instructions identifying a storage location for each of the products contained in the customer order to be filled;

providing the pick instructions to the user with the HMI for a first product contained in the customer order, such that the user can retrieve the first product and then label and verify the first product using the prompting, receiving, determining, printing, prompting, and verifying steps; and

repeating the steps of providing the pick instructions and labeling and verifying for each other products contained in the customer order.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the LV kiosk includes a display screen at the HMI and a kiosk housing separated from a plurality of racks and/or carousels defining storage locations for bulk supply of products, and providing the pick instructions to the user with the HMI further comprises:

providing the pick instructions by generating a message on the display screen identifying which of the plurality of racks and/or carousels hold the first product to be retrieved by the user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the LV kiosk includes a kiosk housing connected to a storage carousel located within a cage having a door, the storage carousel including a plurality of radially oriented storage bins on a plurality of shelves for holding bulk supply of products, and the method further comprises:

determining with the pick instructions a first location on the storage carousel in which a storage bin holds the first product to be retrieved; and

actuating the storage carousel to rotate to present the first location at the door of the cage such that the user can retrieve the first product.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the LV kiosk includes a display screen at the HMI and a plurality of pick modules located on the kiosk housing adjacent to corresponding shelves on the storage carousel, and providing the pick instructions to the user with the HMI further comprises:

selectively operating the pick module corresponding to the shelf of the storage carousel including the first location after the first location has been rotated to the door of the cage; and

generating a message on the display screen prompting the user to use the operating pick module to find and retrieve the first product.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein after the first product has been labeled and verified, the method further comprises:

prompting the user to place the first product into a storage tote located proximate to the LV kiosk; and

determining with the pick instructions a second location on the storage carousel in which a storage bin holds a second product to be retrieved and actuating the storage carousel to rotate to present the second location at the door of the cage simultaneous to prompting the user to place the first product into the storage tote such that the second location will be accessible to the user immediately after the first product has been placed into the storage tote.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the storage carousel includes storage bins holding controlled substances, the door on the cage is motorized, and when the first product is a controlled substance, the method further comprises:

closing the motorized door to prevent access to the storage bins of the storage carousel before providing any pick instructions to retrieve a product from the storage carousel;

verifying third identification data provided by the user at the HMI to determine if the user is authorized to retrieve controlled substances; and

opening the motorized door to provide access to the storage carousel only when the third identification data has verified that the user is authorized to retrieve controlled substances and only after the first location has been rotated to the door of the cage.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of radially oriented storage bins in the storage carousel define separated vertical columns containing groups of storage bins that may be presented simultaneously for access at the door of the cage, and the method further comprises:

maintaining controlled substances of different schedule levels in different vertical columns of the storage carousel, thereby separating controlled substances of different schedule levels in independent pie-piece-shaped portions of the storage carousel; and

rotating the storage carousel such that the portions of the storage carousel containing controlled substances of a schedule level higher than what the user is authorized to remove are never rotated past the door, thereby preventing a user from having even temporary access to controlled substances of a schedule level higher than what the user is authorized to remove.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the LV kiosk includes a display screen at the HMI, the kiosk housing is connected to a plurality of storage carousels, and the method further comprises:

determining with the pick instructions which of the plurality of storage carousels includes a first location in which a storage bin holds the first product to be retrieved; and

generating a message on the display screen for the user that identifies which of the plurality of storage carousels includes the first location such that the user can go to that storage carousel to retrieve the first product.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the storage carousel also includes a light curtain optical sensor located adjacent to the door, and actuating the storage carousel to rotate to present the first location at the door of the cage further comprises:

detecting with the light curtain optical sensor an entry of a user'"'"'s arm into the storage carousel from outside the cage; and

stopping rotating movement of the storage carousel whenever the user'"'"'s arm is detected by the optical sensor to avoid injuring the user.

12. A method for filling a customer order containing at least one product to be labeled and verified with a label and verification (LV) kiosk including a scanner, a label printer, and a human machine interface (HMI), each product including a medical item, and the method comprising:

prompting a user with the HMI to scan a product label on a product contained in the customer order at the scanner;

receiving first identification data from the product label scanned by the user with the scanner, the first identification data being associated with the product;

determining whether the first identification data corresponds to a medical item contained in the customer order;

printing a patient label containing second identification data with the label printer if the first identification data corresponds to a medical item contained into eh customer order, the second identification data being associated with a patient who is to receive the product;

prompting the user with the HMI to affix the patient label to the product and to scan the product label and the patient label at the scanner; and

verifying that the patient label was affixed to the product by confirming that the first and second identification data were each received and correctly correspond to the customer order when the product label and the patient label were scanned by the user with the scanner;

wherein when the first and second identification data cannot be verified to correctly correspond to the customer order, the method further comprises;

printing a replacement patient label containing the second identification data associated with a patient who is to receive the product; and

prompting the user with the HMI to remove the patient label originally affixed to the product, to affix the replacement patient label to the product, and to scan the product label and the replacement patient label at the scanner.

13. A method for filling a customer order containing at least one product to be labeled and verified with a label and verification (LV) kiosk including a scanner, a label printer, and a human machine interface (HMI), each product including a medical item, and the method comprising:

prompting a user with the HMI to scan a product label on a product contained in the customer order at the scanner;

receiving first identification data from the product label scanned by the user with the scanner, the first identification data being associated with the product;

determining whether the first identification data corresponds to a medical item contained in the customer order;

printing a patient label containing second identification data with the label printer if the first identification data corresponds to a medical item contained in the customer order, the second identification data being associated with a patient who is to receive the product;

prompting the user with the HMI to affix the patient label to the product and to scan the product label and the patient label at the scanner;

verifying that the patient label was affixed to the product by confirming that the first and second identification data were each received and correctly correspond to the customer order when the product label and the patient label were scanned by the user with the scanner;

determining whether the product with the product label that has been scanned is a flag label product, which requires a flag label to be applied that contains a subset of information contained on the patient label; and

printing a flag label responsive to determining that the product is a flag label product such that the user can affix the flag label to the product.

14. A label and verification kiosk configuered to fill a customer order containing at least one product, each product including a medical item, and the kiosk comprising:

a kiosk housing;

a label printer located at the kiosk housing and operable to print a patient label;

a scanner located at the kiosk housing and operable to scan product labels on products and patient labels;

a human machine interface (HMI) including a display screen located at the kiosk housing, the HMI configured to provide instruction prompts to a user;

a controller having a processor and a memory;

a program code resident in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor to determine if first identification data from a product label on a product scanned by the user at the scanner corresponds to a medical item in the customer order, actuate printing of a patient label containing second identification data with the label printer, prompt the user with the HMI to affix the patient label to the product, and verify that the patient label was affixed to the product by confirming that the first and second identification data were each received when the product label and the patient label are scanned by the user with the scanner; and

at least one auxiliary shelf located at the kiosk housing and configured to hold totes in proximate relation to the label printer, the scanner, and the HMI such that the user can collect a plurality of products for the customer order into a tote from storage racks and carousels separate from the kiosk housing, and then place the tote onto the at least one auxiliary shelf for ready access during labeling and verification of the plurality of products in the tote.

15. A label and verification kiosk configuered to fill a customer order containing at least one product, each product including a medical item, and the kiosk comprising:

a kiosk housing;

a label printer located at the kiosk housing and operable to print a patient label;

a scanner located at the kiosk housing and operable to scan product labels on products and patient labels;

a human machine interface (HMI) including a display screen located at the kiosk housing, the HMI configured to provide instruction prompts to a user;

a controller having a processor and a memory;

a program code resident in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor to determine if first identification data from a product label on a product scanned by the user at the scanner corresponds to a medical item in the customer order, actuate printing of a patient label containing second identification data with the label printer, prompt the user with the HMI to affix the patient label to the product, and verify that the patient label was affixed to the product by confirming that the first and second identification data were each received when the product label and the patient label are scanned by the user with the scanner; and

a work shelf projecting from the kiosk housing adjacent to the label printer and the scanner, the work shelf sized to accommodate only one product such that the user is encouraged to label and verify only one product at a time for the customer order.

16. A label and verification system configured to fill a customer order containing at least one product, each product including a medical item, and the system comprising:

a storage carousel including a plurality of radially oriented storage bins on a plurality of shelves for holding bulk supply of products;

a cage surrounding the storage carousel, the cage including a door configured to provide selective access to one of the storage bins on each shelf of the storage carousel that faces towards the door; and

a label and verification kiosk coupled to the cage and comprising;

a kiosk housing at least partially surrounding the storage carousel and located adjacent to the door;

a label printer located at the kiosk housing and operable to print a patient label;

a scanner located at the kiosk housing and operable to scan product labels and patient labels on products;

a controller having a processor and a memory; and

program code resident in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor to identify a first location in the storage carousel containing a storage bin with a first product for the customer order, actuate the storage carousel to rotate the first location to the door of the cage so that a user can access the storage bin with the first product, and actuate a manual labeling and verification of the first product using the label printer and the scanner after retrieval from the storage carousel.

17. The label and verification system of claim 16, further comprising:

a light curtain optical sensor coupled to the controller and located adjacent to the door, the optical sensor operable to detect entry of a user'"'"'s arm into the storage carousel from outside the cage such that the rotation of the storage carousel can be stopped whenever the user'"'"'s arm is detected by the optical sensor.

18. The label and verification system of claim 16, wherein the label and verification kiosk further comprises:

a plurality of pick modules located on the kiosk housing adjacent to corresponding shelves on the storage carousel, the controller being operable to actuate the pick module adjacent to the corresponding shelf carrying the first location when the first location is rotated to the door of the cage.

19. The label and verification system of claim 16, wherein the storage carousel includes storage bins holding controlled substances, and the door on the cage is motorized such that the controlled substances in the storage carousel cannot be accessed by a user until authorized access is granted by the controller.