System and method for processing a multiple prescription order

• US 9,710,866 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edge Medical, LLC
• Original Assignee: Edge Medical, LLC
• Inventors: Luciano, Lawrence, Luciano, Jr., Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reyes, Reginald R
• Application Number:
  US11/796,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20070250346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,737 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0069 Trays for holding or distributing medicines display trays A47F3/14; serving trays A47G23/06
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2577/2083 in container flange
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/36 one sheet or blank being recessed and the other formed of relatively stiff flat sheet material, e.g. blister packages , the recess or recesses being preformed B65D73/0057, B65D73/0092 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/527 Tear-lines for separating a package into individual packages B65D1/30, B65D21/0206, B65D75/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/5888 Tear-lines for removing successive sections of a package for separating package into individual packages B65D75/527
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

An ordering system that fills a prescription order is described. The ordering system comprises a Graphical User Interface, a transactional component, a production facility, a detailed labeling component, and a distribution point. The GUI is configured to receive at least one prescription order that is associated with a particular patient wherein the at least one prescription order comprises at least two different medications. The transactional component charges for processing the prescription order. The production facility receives the prescription order and fills a plurality of multiple prescription containers. Each of the multiple prescription containers is associated with a prescribed time interval determined by the prescription order, and each multiple prescription container comprises the different medications that are to be consumed at the prescribed time interval. The detailed labeling component is associated with the multiple prescription containers, and the detailed labeling component is configured to generate a detailed label that provides a plurality of medical information regarding the medications to the patient. The detailed label is combined with the multiple prescription containers.

Claims

1. An ordering system that fills a prescription order, the ordering system comprising:

a Graphical User Interface (GUI) displayed on a client computer, the GUI receiving at least one prescription order that is associated with a particular patient wherein the at least one prescription order comprises at least two different medications;

a transactional component displayed on the client computer, the transactional component charging for processing the prescription order;

a network communicatively coupled to the client computer;

a verified multiple prescription order that is communicated to a production facility, wherein the production facility includes a production server communicatively coupled to the network and the production server receives the verified multiple prescription order;

an encryption component between the client computer and the production server;

the production facility filling a plurality of multiple prescription containers, each multiple prescription container being associated with a prescribed time determined by the prescription order, and each multiple prescription container includes the different medications that are to be consumed at the prescribed time, wherein each of the at least two different medications within the multiple prescription container are in a tablet form;

the production facility including an inventory management module that selects a size of the plurality of multiple prescription containers based upon a number of medications associated with the prescription order, manages medication inventory and communicates a tablet type, a quantity and a time for taking the medications to a tablet management system;

the tablet management system including a plurality of tablet refill modules, wherein each tablet refill module houses a particular medication and at least two tablet refill modules fill each multiple prescription container;

an automated inspection module that inspects each multiple prescription container by analyzing a tablet shape to determine that each container has been filled with medications according to the prescription order;

the automated inspection includes an inspection module that operates at visual wavelengths and analyzes a tablet color and the tablet shape;

a detailed labeling component generating a detailed label that provides a plurality of medical information regarding the medications in the associated prescription container; and

a distribution point that distributes each multiple prescription container to a pharmacist or a consumer.

2. The ordering system of claim 1 further comprising configuring the GUI to receive an order from the particular patient, and having the patient receive the plurality of multiple prescription containers.

3. The ordering system of claim 1 wherein the transactional component communicating with an insurance company server having the particular patient'"'"'s insurance information.

4. The ordering system of claim 1 wherein the prescription order received from the GUI is communicated to a database communicatively coupled to the production facility and the database stores the prescription order so that a user may access a plurality of multiple prescription orders at a later time.

5. The ordering system of claim 1 wherein the detailed label includes the name of the particular patient.

6. The ordering system of claim 5 wherein the detailed label includes a picture of the particular patient.

7. The ordering system of claim 5 wherein the detailed label includes a picture of each tablet.

8. The ordering system of claim 5 wherein the detailed label includes a drug interaction section that identifies drug interactions associated with each medication.

9. The ordering system of claim 1 further comprising an updated medical information server communicatively coupled to a production facility server via the network, wherein the updated medical information server includes updated information about the medications in the production facility.

10. The ordering system of claim 1, wherein the inventory management system is configured to indicate when the medication inventory is low.

11. The ordering system of claim 1 further comprising a grouping of filled multiple prescription containers, wherein each grouping contains medications associated with a particular time of day, and each container contains printed markings that indicate the patient'"'"'s name and the same time of day that the medications are to be taken.

12. The ordering system of claim 1 further comprising a secondary container configured to receive the plurality of filled multiple prescription containers generated by the production facility, wherein the secondary container is configured to receive the detailed label.

13. The ordering system of claim 1 wherein the detailed label includes the quantity of each tablet.

14. The ordering system of claim 5 wherein the detailed label includes a drug interaction section that identifies drug interactions associated with each medication being taken by the patient.

15. A method for processing a multiple prescription order that comprises a plurality of different medications, the method comprising:

receiving, at a Graphical User Interface displayed on a client computer, a multiple prescription order that is associated with a particular patient, the multiple prescription order comprising at least two different medications that are both to be consumed at a prescribed time determined by the multiple prescription order;

initiating a transaction displayed on a client computer that charges for filling the multiple prescription order;

enabling the client to communicate with a network;

generating a verified multiple prescription order that is communicated to a production facility that includes an inventory management module, a tablet management system, and an automated inspection module;

determining that the medications for the prescription order are available in the inventory management module;

selecting a size of a plurality of multiple prescription containers based upon a number of medications associated with the multiple prescription order;

communicating tablet type, quantity, and time for taking the medications to the tablet management system;

filling a the plurality of multiple prescription containers with the tablet management system that includes a plurality of tablet refill modules, wherein each tablet refill module houses a particular medication, and at least two tablet refill modules fill each multiple prescription container, each multiple prescription container being associated with a prescribed time determined by the prescription order, and each multiple prescription container comprises at least two different medications that are in tablet form and are to be consumed at the prescribed time;

inspecting each multiple prescription container with an automated inspection module that analyzes tablet shape to determine that each container has been filled with medications according to the prescription order, wherein the automated inspection module operates at visual wavelengths and analyzes a tablet color and the tablet shape;

generating a detailed label that includes medical information regarding the medications; and

receiving the multiple prescription containers in a secondary container that receives the detailed label; and

distributing each multiple prescription container to a pharmacist or a consumer.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the receiving of the multiple prescription order includes receiving the multiple prescription order from a networked computer.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the receiving of the multiple prescription order includes receiving the multiple prescription order from a scanned order.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the receiving of the multiple prescription includes receiving the multiple prescription order from the particular patient.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the image of the different medications includes a color picture of each tablet.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the automated inspection includes an inspection module that operates at visual wavelengths and analyzes a tablet color and the tablet shape.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the detailed label includes a drug interaction section identifies drug interactions associated with each medication, wherein the drug interaction section on the detailed label.

22. The method of claim 15 further comprising an updated medical information server communicatively coupled to a production facility server via a network, wherein the updated medical information server includes updated information about the medications in the production facility.

23. The method of claim 15 wherein the inventory management system indicates when the medication inventory is low.

24. The method of claim 15 further comprising a grouping of filled multiple prescription containers, wherein each grouping contains medications associated with a particular time of day, and each container contains printed markings that indicate the patient'"'"'s name and the same time of day that the medications are to be taken.

25. The method of claim 15 wherein the detailed label includes the quantity of each tablet.

26. The method of claim 15 wherein the detailed label includes a drug interaction section that identifies drug interactions associated with each medication being taken by the patient.