Identification system and method for medication management

• US 20060229551A1
• Filed: 02/11/2006
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Martinez, John D., Steinhauer, Thomas C., Wilkinson, James P., Frazier, Kimberly
• Granted Patent: US 8,219,413 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/67
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6054 Magnetic identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6072 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1413 Modular systems comprising interconnecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage

Abstract

An identification system and method for medication management comprises a controller, a drug library accessible by the controller, the drug library containing drug library profiles including a data set of drug information, and an identification module configured to read patient identification information from machine-readable identification devices worn by patients and to read drug information from machine-readable identification devices affixed to drugs or containers of drugs. The controller compares the read information to each other and to the drug library profile and provides alerts or error signals in the event of an inconsistency. In one case, identification devices are read by an optical reader fixedly mounted to the identification module. In another case, identification devices are read by an optical reader that is hand-held and mobile and can be moved to the location of the identification device. The hand-held reader communicates with the identification module by wired or wireless means. In another case, a third reader that is non-optical and wireless is fixedly mounted to the identification module. The controller is also configured to provide alerts or error messages in the event that there is an inconsistency between the drug information on the drug or drug container when compared to the drug library profile associated with the controller.

Claims

1. An identification system for medication management, the system comprising:

a drug library comprising a plurality of drug library profiles, each one of the drug library profiles defining a data set of drug information;

an identification module configured to obtain drug information from machine-readable information devices affixed to drugs or containers of drugs and to obtain patient information from machine-readable information devices worn by patients, and configured to communicate the drug information and patient information; and

a controller in communication with the identification module, the controller configured to;

access the drug library to associate a drug library profile with the controller;

receive the patient information from the identification module;

receive the drug information from the identification module, the drug information including patient information for whom the drug is to be administered;

determine whether the patient information received from the identification module from the machine-readable information device worn by a patient is consistent with the patient information contained in the drug information received from the identification module; and

determine whether the drug information received from the identification module is consistent with the drug library profile associated with the controller.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to display an alert message when the patient information received from the identification module is not consistent with the patient information received from the drug or drug container.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to display an alert message when the drug information includes a drug identifier that is not in the data set of drug information of the drug library profile associated with the controller.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to display an alert message when the drug information includes a drug concentration that is not consistent with the data set of drug information in the drug library profile associated with the controller.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to display an alert message when the drug information includes a drug dose that is not consistent with the data set of drug information in the drug library profile associated with the controller.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a server in communication with the controller, the server configured to provide the controller with a medication order for the selected patient.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the drug library is integral with the controller.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the drug library is accessible by the controller through a remote server.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the identification module is selectively detachable from the controller.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the identification module comprises a bar code reader for reading bar code-type information devices.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the identification module comprises a RFID reader for reading RFID-type information devices.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the identification module comprises a hand-held mobile reader configured to read information devices located remotely from the identification module.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the identification module further comprises a bar code reader fixed in position at the identification module for reading bar code-type information devices brought to its proximity to be read, and a RFID reader fixed in position at the identification module for reading RFID-type information devices brought to its proximity to be read.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the hand-held mobile reader is connected with the identification module through a wired or wireless connection.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an infusion pump connected with the controller;

wherein the controller is adapted to provide programming parameters to the infusion pump that are received from the drug or drug container information device through the identification module.

16. An identification system for medication management, for use with an infusion pump, the system comprising:

an infusion pump;

a drug library comprising a plurality of drug library profiles, each one of the drug library profiles defining a set of drug identifiers, drug concentrations, and drug doses;

a controller configured to provide pumping parameters to the infusion pump and configured to access the drug library to associate the controller with a drug library profile;

an identification module configured to obtain drug information from machine-readable identification devices affixed to drugs or containers of drugs and to obtain patient identification information from machine-readable identification devices worn by patients, and configured to communicate the drug information and patient identification information; and

a communications interface processor in communication with the controller and the identification module, the interface processor configured to;

receive patient identification information from the identification module;

receive drug information from the identification module, the drug information including a patient identifier, a drug identifier, a drug concentration, and a drug dose;

determine whether the patient identification information received from the identification module matches the patient identifier received from the drug information from the identification module, and determine whether the drug information received from the identification module is consistent with the drug library profile based at least on comparisons between the received patient identification information, the received drug information, and information from the drug library profile associated with the controller; and

provide the controller with infusion pump programming parameters.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the identification module is selectively detachable from the controller.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the identification module comprises a bar code reader for reading bar code-type information and identification devices.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the identification module comprises a RFID reader for reading RFID-type information and identification devices.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the identification module comprises a hand-held mobile reader configured to read information devices located remotely from the identification module.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the identification module further comprises a bar code reader fixed in position at the identification module for reading bar code-type information and identification devices brought to its proximity to be read, and a RFID reader fixed in position at the identification module for reading RFID-type information and identification devices brought to its proximity to be read.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein the infusion pump is selectively detachable from the controller.

23. An identification method for medication management, the method comprising:

reading a machine-readable identification device worn by a patient to obtain patient identification information;

reading a machine-readable identification device affixed to a selected drug or drug container to obtain drug information that includes a patient identifier, a drug identifier, a drug concentration, and a drug dose;

comparing the patient identification information from the identification device worn by the patient to the patient identifier from the identification device affixed to the drug or drug container;

communicating a first error message when the patient Identification information does not match the patient identifier;

comparing the drug identifier from the identification device affixed to the drug or drug container to a set of drug identifiers of a drug library profile;

communicating a second error message when the drug identifier is not within the set of identifiers of the drug library profile;

comparing the drug concentration from the identification device affixed to the drug or drug container to a set of drug concentrations of the drug library profile;

communicating a third error message when the read drug concentration is not within the set of concentrations of the drug library profile;

comparing the read drug dose from the identification device affixed to the drug or drug container to a set of drug doses of the drug library profile;

communicating a fourth error message when the read drug dose is not within the set of drug doses of the drug library profile; and

providing infusion pump programming parameters, the programming parameters corresponding to the read drug dose.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising manually confirming that the infusion pump programming parameters agree with a medication order for the patient.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein either step of reading further comprises reading with a reader that is fixed in position such that information or identification devices to be read must be moved to the proximity of the bar code reader.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein either step of reading further comprises reading with a reader that is mobile and hand-held such that the hand-held reader may be brought to the proximity of information or identification devices to be read.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein either step of reading further comprises reading either with a reader that is fixed in position such that information or identification devices to be read must be moved to the proximity of the bar code reader or with a reader that is mobile and hand-held such that the hand-held reader may be brought to the proximity of information or identification devices to be read, and further wherein one of the readers is optical and another is the readers is wireless but non-optical.

28. An identification system for medication management, for use with an infusion pump and a physiological monitor, the system comprising:

an infusion pump;

a drug library accessible by the controller and comprising a plurality of drug library profiles, each one of the drug library profiles defining a set of drug identifiers, drug concentrations, drug doses, and a physiological level;

a physiological monitor providing a physiological level;

an identification module configured to obtain drug information from machine-readable identification devices affixed to drugs or containers of drugs and to obtain patient identification information from machine-readable identification devices worn by patients, and configured to communicate the drug information and patient identification information; and

the controller in communication with the identification module and physiological monitor, the interface communications processor configured to;

receive patient identification information from the identification module from the machine-readable identification device worn by a patient;

receive drug information from the identification module from the machine-readable identification device affixed to a drug or drug container, the drug information including a patient identifier, a drug identifier, a drug concentration, and a drug dose;

receive a physiological level from the physiological monitor;

communicate a first error signal when the drug information includes a patient identifier that does not match the patient identification derived from the machine-readable identification device worn by the selected patient;

communicate a second error signal when the drug information includes a drug identifier that is not in the set of drug identifiers of the drug library profile associated with the controller;

communicate a third error signal when the drug information includes a drug concentration that is not in the set of drug concentrations of the drug library profile associated with the controller;

communicate a fourth error signal when the drug information includes a drug dose that is not in the set of drug doses of the drug library profile associated with the controller;

communicate a fifth error signal when the physiological level from the physiological monitor is not consistent with the physiological level in the drug library profile associated with the controller; and

provide the controller with infusion pump programming parameters.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the physiological level in the drug library profile associated with the controller is patient specific.

30. The system of claim 28 wherein the physiological level in the drug library profile associated with the controller is drug specific.

31. The system of claim 28 wherein the pump is selectively detachable from a central controller.

32. The system of claim 28 wherein the physiological monitor is selectively detachable from the controller.

33. The system of claim 28 wherein the identification module is selectively detachable from the controller.

34. The system of claim 28 wherein the infusion pump programming parameters correspond to the selected drug dose.

35. An automatic identification system for medication management, the system comprising:

an infusion pump;

a drug library comprising a plurality of drug library profiles, each one of the drug library profiles defining a set of drug identifiers, drug concentrations, and drug doses;

an identification module configured to obtain drug information from machine-readable identification devices affixed to drugs or containers of drugs and to obtain patient identification information from machine-readable identification devices worn by patients, and configured to communicate the drug information and patient identification information; and

a controller in communication with the infusion pump and the automatic identification module, the controller configured to;

access the drug library associated with the controller to obtain a drug library profile;

receive patient identification information from the identification module;

receive drug information from the identification module, the drug information including a patient identifier, a drug identifier, a drug concentration, and a drug dose;

determine whether the contents of the drug or drug container are consistent with the drug library profile based at least on comparisons between the received patient identification, the received drug information, and information from the drug library profile associated with the controller; and

provide infusion pump programming parameters.

36. An identification apparatus for medical instruments, the device comprising:

a housing;

a first optical reader including a first optical scanner fixed in position on the housing such that the first optical scanner faces outward from the housing with a first field of view of the first optical scanner directed outside the housing;

whereby an identification device must be brought to a position within the first field of view of the first scanner to be read;

a second optical reader mounted within the housing with a second optical scanner that is mobile in relation to the housing having a second optical field of view;

whereby the second optical scanner may be carried to an identification device to place the identification device within the second optical field of view to read the identification device;

a communication device for interconnecting the mobile second optical scanner with the second optical reader; and

a non-optical wireless identification reader fixed in position on the housing and having a non-optical, wireless field of view directed outward from the housing;

whereby an identification device must be placed within the non-optical, wireless field of view to be read by the non-optical wireless identification reader.

37. The identification apparatus of claim 36 wherein the non-optical reader comprises an RFID reader adapted to read RFID devices.

38. The identification apparatus of claim 36 wherein the non-optical reader comprises an RFID reader adapted to read and write to RFID devices.

39. The identification apparatus of claim 36 further comprising a control switch having a first position at which a reader is activated to read an identification device and a second position at which a reader at the housing is inactivated.

40. The identification apparatus of claim 36 wherein the communication device comprises a hardwired arrangement between the mobile scanner and the housing.

41. The identification apparatus of claim 36 wherein the communication device comprises a wireless communication system between the mobile scanner and the housing.