System and method for filling and dispensing orders

• US 9,449,148 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RxSafe LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RxSafe LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Holmes, William K.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOGAN, KYLE O
• Application Number:
  US13/804,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20140094958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 700/216
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

A method of filling prescription orders includes inputting the prescription orders into a pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device, processing the prescription orders with the pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device to fill a plurality of vials with desired pharmaceuticals, and transferring the plurality of filled vials from the pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device to a storage unit. The method also includes storing the plurality of filled vials in the storage unit until a customer claims one of the plurality of filled vials and directing the one of the plurality of filled vials from the storage unit to the customer.

Claims

1. A method of filling prescription orders, the method comprising:

inputting the prescription orders into a pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device;

processing the prescription orders with the pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device to fill a plurality of vials with desired pharmaceuticals;

transferring the plurality of filled vials from the pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device to a storage unit;

storing the plurality of filled vials in the storage unit until a customer claims one of the plurality of filled vials; and

directing the one of the plurality of filled vials from the storage unit to a store kiosk that is accessible to the customer,

wherein a conduit extends from an outlet of the storage unit to the store kiosk, and wherein directing the one of the plurality of filled vials includes directing the one of the plurality of filled vials through the conduit from the storage unit to the store kiosk,

wherein transferring the plurality of filled vials includes moving the plurality of filled vials from the pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device to a feeder of the storage unit, and

wherein the storage unit includes a gantry assembly, and further comprising operating the gantry assembly to move the plurality of filled vials from the feeder to a storage space inside the storage unit.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising operating the gantry assembly to retrieve the one of the plurality of filled vials from the storage space of the storage unit when the customer claims the one of the plurality of filled vials.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage unit is a high-density storage unit, and wherein storing the plurality of filled vials includes simultaneously storing over one thousand filled vials in the storage unit.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying, at the storage unit, that each of the plurality of filled vials is correctly filled.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the storage unit includes at least one of a bar code scanner and a scale, and wherein verifying that each of the plurality of filled vials is correctly filled includes at least one of scanning each of the plurality of filled vials with the bar code scanner and weighing each of the plurality of filled vials with the scale.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a plurality of filled containers in a secondary storage machine until the customer claims one of the plurality of filled containers, the plurality of filled containers having different sizes and shapes than the plurality of filled vials; and

directing the one of the plurality of filled containers from the secondary storage machine to the customer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein directing the one of the plurality of filled vials includes directing the one of the plurality of filled vials from the storage unit through a first conduit to the customer, and wherein directing the one of the plurality of containers includes directing the one of the plurality of containers from the secondary storage machine through a second conduit to the customer.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising refrigerating the plurality of containers stored within the secondary storage machine.

9. A method of filling prescription orders, the method comprising:

inputting the prescription orders into a pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device;

processing the prescription orders with the pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device to fill a plurality of vials with desired pharmaceuticals;

transferring the plurality of filled vials from the pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device to a storage unit;

storing the plurality of filled vials in the storage unit until a customer claims one of the plurality of filled vials;

directing the one of the plurality of filled vials from the storage unit to a store kiosk that is accessible to the customer;

wherein a conduit extends from an outlet of the storage unit to the store kiosk, and wherein directing the one of the plurality of filled vials includes directing the one of the plurality of filled vials through the conduit from the storage unit to the store kiosk; and

detecting, by a sensor coupled to the conduit, movement of the one of the plurality of filled vials through the conduit.

10. A method of restocking unclaimed prescription orders, the method comprising:

filling a vial with pharmaceuticals using a pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device;

transferring the filled vial from the pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device to a storage space of a storage unit;

storing the filled vial in the storage unit until a customer claims the filled vial;

monitoring a length of time that the filled vial is stored in the storage unit;

directing the filled vial out of the storage space and into a bin of the storage unit when the filled vial is unclaimed by the customer after a predetermined period of time; and

returning the filled vial from the bin to the pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein returning the filled vial includes returning the filled vial to the pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device if the filled vial is unclaimed by the customer after ten days.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein returning the filled vial to the pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device includes collecting the filled vial from the bin and inserting the filled vial into the pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the storage unit includes a gantry assembly, and further comprising operating the gantry assembly to move the filled vial from the storage unit to the bin.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising storing the returned vial within the pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device without removing the pharmaceuticals from the returned vial.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein storing the returned vial includes storing the returned vial within the pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device without altering a label on the returned vial.