Systems and methods for performing quality assurance of branding of pharmaceutical/medical containers and computer assisted systems and methods for branding pharmaceutical/medical containers

• US 9,592,925 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2012
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc. (The Cigna Group)
• Original Assignee: Medco Health Solutions Incorporated (The Cigna Group)
• Inventors: Leu, Chih-Jen, McErlean, James G., Rice, Dennis Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, SONJI N
• Application Number:
  US13/693,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20140230366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/26 by rotary conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/045 in bags
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/06 Packaging groups of articles, the groups being treated as single articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/20 for adding cards, coupons or other inserts to package contents adding unpacking elements B65B61/18
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/26 for marking or coding completed packages
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/28 by applying separate preformed closures, e.g. lids, covers
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 1/026 and the article being moved out of its normal conveyance path towards the labelling head B65C1/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 2009/0081 Means for forming a label web buffer, e.g. label web loop
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 2009/0093 Devices switching between a peelable and a non peelable position
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/1876 and being transferred by suction means
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/44 by special means responsive to marks on labels or articles feed control in wrapping B65B
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 3/00 Closing bottles, jars or similar containers by applying caps caps per se B65D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

In some embodiments, quality assurance systems for verifying branding of at least one medication container associated with at least one of a prescription and medication order are provided. The systems including: a transport system that transports at least one first container branded with a particular branding among a plurality of bran dings to and from a pharmaceutical and/or medical product dispensing system, and transports the at least one first container to the pharmaceutical and/or medical product dispensing system after correcting the particular branding when correction is performed; a scanning system including at least one scanner for scanning identification information associated with the at least one first container; a display that displays order information associated with the identification information received from the scanning system including information indicating a correct branding for the at least one first container; and a pharmacist station for determining whether the correct branding matches the particular branding and correcting the particular branding if the correct branding does not match the particular branding.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a capper capping a medication container with a bottle cap;

a brander branding the bottle cap of the medication container;

a transporter transporting the medication container; and

a controller controlling the transporter to transport the medication container to the capper to be capped with the bottle cap, select a branding of a plurality of brandings for the bottle cap based on predetermined information associated with the medication container, and direct the brander to brand the bottle cap of the medication container with the selected branding with the bottle cap on the medication container, wherein the predetermined information includes identification of a client of a mail order pharmacy, and the branding is associated with a client of the mail order pharmacy.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the capper comprises:

a capper selecting device to select and provide the bottle caps; and

a capper application device to receive the bottle caps from the capper selecting device and respectively cap the caps on a plurality of medication containers.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the transporter includes a plurality of conveyors.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a container carrier retains the medication container during transport by the transporter.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the brander is configured to associate predetermined information with the medication container based on a location of the medication container in the container carrier.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a tagger system tagging the medication container with the predetermined information; and

a dispensing system filling the medication container with a specific quantity of product based on the predetermined information.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first storage bin storing caps of a first branding of the plurality of brandings; and

a second storage bin storing caps of a second branding of the plurality of brandings,

wherein the controller further controls the capper to select, from one of the first storage bin and second storage bin, either a first branded cap of the first storage bin or a second branded cap of the second storage bin based on the predetermined information.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a packager transferring the medication container in a consolidation container; and

a manual packing area transferring a manually packed item into the consolidation container,

wherein the transporter transports the medication container to and from the packager, the manual packing area, and the capper and transports the consolidation container to and from the packager and the manual packing area.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a storage storing the consolidation container until at least the manually packed item to be transferred into the consolidation container is ready,

wherein the transporter further transports the consolidation container to and from the storage.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a shipping-labeler affixing a mailing label indicating a mailing address to which the consolidation container is to be sent based on the predetermined information,

wherein the transporter further transports the consolidation container to and from the shipping-labeler.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a first storage bin storing caps of a first branding of the plurality of brandings; and

a second storage bin storing caps of a second branding of the plurality of brandings,

wherein the controller further controls the capper to select, from one of the first storage bin and second storage bin, either a first branded cap of the first storage bin or a second branded cap of the second storage bin based on the predetermined information; and

wherein the medication container is associated with a prescription.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected branding includes graphics.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected branding includes a blank cap.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected branding includes information placed on a label of the medication container.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein branding by the brander is selectively branded directly on the cap of the medication container.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein branding by the brander is selectively branded on a label affixed to the cap of the medication container.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the brander selectively brands the bottle cap prior to capping the medication container with the cap with a predictable torque.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the brander selectively brands the bottle cap after capping the medication container with the cap with a predictable torque.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the medication container is associated with a prescription.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined information includes customer information associated with the medication container.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a carrier ID reader reads a carrier ID of a carrier in which the medication container was transported to the capper,

wherein the predetermined information includes the carrier ID of the carrier in which the medication container was transported to the capper.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the brander receives a capped medication container after the capper has capped cap the medication container with the bottle cap to be branded.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the brander brands a medical container that includes a pharmaceutical.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the brander holds the medical container that has the cap fixed thereon to brand the bottle cap.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the brander selectively brands the bottle cap on the medical container with at least one of a plurality of different brands at the brander.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the client provides a benefit plan to a member receiving the medication container.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the medication container includes a uniquely identifiable customer label prior to capping of the medication container.

27. A system comprising:

a capper to cap a medication container with a bottle cap;

a brander to brand the bottle cap of the medication container;

a transporter to transport the medication container;

a controller to control the transporter to transport the medication container to the capper to be capped with the bottle cap, select a branding of a plurality of brandings for the bottle cap based on predetermined information associated with the medication container, and direct the brander to brand the bottle cap of the medication container with the selected branding with the bottle cap on the medication container; and

a labeler to label the medication container,

wherein the controller directs the labeler to uniquely label the medication container based on at least a portion of the predetermined information; and

wherein the brander includes;

a printer printing a branding label for the bottle cap remote from medication container and

a branding label peeling system removing the branding label from a backing web for placing the branding label on the bottle cap.

29. A system comprising:

a capper to cap a medication container with a bottle cap;

a brander to brand the bottle cap of the medication container;

a transporter to transport the medication container;

a controller to control the transporter to transport the medication container to the capper to be capped with the bottle cap, select a branding of a plurality of brandings for the bottle cap based on predetermined information associated with the medication container, and direct the brander to brand the bottle cap of the medication container with the selected branding with the bottle cap on the medication container; and

a first labeler to uniquely label the medication container,

wherein the controller directs the first labeler to uniquely label the medication container based on at least a portion of the predetermined information;

wherein the brander includes;

a plurality of pre-branded bottle caps,

a plurality of unbranded bottle caps,

a printer remote from the medical container and configured to print a branding label for a bottle cap of the unbranded bottle caps with the branding on the branding label being associated with the medication stored in the medical container, and

a second labeler to place the branding label on the unbranded bottle caps to produce labeled bottle caps; and

wherein the controller directs the capper to cap medical containers with either the pre-branded caps or the labeled bottle caps.