MANAGEMENT, REPORTING AND BENCHMARKING OF MEDICATION PREPARATION

• US 20100094653A1
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baxter Corporation Englewood (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Forhealth Technologies Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Valentine, Matthew A., Padmani, Bhavesh S., Olsen, Gregory T., Schneider, Dennis, Bender, Jayson Lee, Tribble, Dennis, Khan, Abdul Wahid
• Granted Patent: US 8,554,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• 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 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A system for preparing and managing patient-specific dose orders includes an order processing server configured to receive the patient-specific dose orders, define a queue of dose orders and distribute the dose orders to at least one dose preparation station. The dose preparation station is in bi-directional communication with the order processing server and has an interface for providing an operator with a protocol associated with each received drug order and specifying a set of steps to fill the drug order. Steps to fill the drug order are captured at the station and a display, positionable independent of the station outputs the dose order queue and metrics concerning activity at the dose preparation station. Systems for preparing patient-specific doses and a method for telepharmacy in which data captured while following the protocol are provided to a remote site for review and approval by a pharmacist.

Claims

1. A method for performing telepharmacy comprising the steps of:

receiving and processing a dose order;

preparing a dose at a medication preparation station based on the dose order including following a recipe;

capturing information that relates to following the recipe during the step of preparing the dose;

storing the captured information at a database;

accessing the captured information from a remote site using a portal in communication with the database;

inspecting the prepared dose through the portal;

reviewing the captured information in order to verify whether the dose has been prepared in accordance with the recipe; and

approving release of the dose to the patient if the reviewing step confirms that the dose has been prepared in accordance with the recipe.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of preparing the dose and capturing information comprise the steps of:

confirming an identity of a drug product that is used to prepare the dose;

confirming an identity of a diluent that is combined with the drug product in a reconstitution process to form a drug product; and

capturing an image of the completed drug product.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of confirming the identity of the drug product comprises the steps of:

printing and applying a product label to the drug product; and

scanning a label on the drug product to verify contents of the drug product, wherein the step of confirming the identity of the diluents comprises the steps of;

scanning a label on the diluent that is to be combined with the drug product; and

capturing an image of the diluent.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the completed drug product comprises a drug vial.

5. The method of claim 2, further including the steps of:

applying a label to a dose container that is prepared in view of the dose order;

acquiring a dose volume from the completed drug product;

capturing an image of a product dose transfer in which a dose volume is transferred from the completed drug product to the dose container; and

capturing an image of the completed dose container.

6. The method of claim 5, further including the step of:

scanning a label on the completed dose container.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of capturing information includes the step of using a hands-free device to capture an image with a camera.

8. A system for preparing and managing patient-specific dose orders that have been entered into a first system, comprising:

an order processing server executing software on a processor thereof and connected by a network to the first system and configured to receive the patient-specific dose orders from the first system, the order processing server including a database configured to store the dose orders and information that relates to the dose orders, the order processing server being configured to generate a dose order queue listing all dose orders received by the order processing server;

a dose preparation station for preparing a plurality of doses based on received dose orders, the dose preparation station being in bi-directional communication with the order processing server and having an interface for providing an operator with a protocol associated with each received drug order and specifying a set of steps to fill the drug order,

the dose preparation station being configured to present the protocol and having one or more data input devices to capture information that relates to the set of steps to fill the drug order; and

a display communicatively coupled to the order processing server and positionable independently of the dose preparation station, the display outputting the dose order queue and metrics concerning activity at the dose preparation station.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of dose preparation stations.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the dose preparation station has a printer for printing dose labels of only those dose orders that are received from the order processing server.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the protocol is based at least in part on information obtained from a National Drug Code (NDC) associated with each drug that is used to fulfill the drug order.

12. A system for preparing patient-specific drug doses based upon drug orders that have been entered into a first system, comprising:

a dose preparation station having a work area adapted for the preparation of a plurality of drug doses corresponding to at least a portion of the patient-specific dose orders that originated from the first system;

an interface at the station having a display and one or more input devices; and

a computer associated with the station and executing code that is operative to receive a protocol associated with the preparation of each of the drug doses, display the protocol for a given one of the drug doses, wherein the protocol specifies a set of steps to prepare that drug dose, and capture information that relates to the set of steps taken to prepare that drug dose using the one or more input devices.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein a product information screen is provided for each drug dose and is configured to include a plurality of input fields, wherein the input fields includes a first NDC code field for entering an 11 digit unformatted NDC code for the drug, a second NDC code field for entering a 10 digit unformatted NDC code and an NDC format field for entering a format of the 10 digit NDC code.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein a product information screen is displayed for entering and storing product information for each drug, the screen including a plurality of product input fields, including a first NDC code field for entering a 10 digit unformatted NDC code for the drug and an NDC format field for entering a format of the 10 digit NDC code, wherein the computer is configured to calculate and store in memory a corresponding 11 digit unformatted NDC code for the drug based on the first NDC code field and the NDC format field

15. A system configured to provide drug order preparation benchmarks to an administrator, the system being in communication with a plurality of local servers each associated with a hospital or pharmacy, comprising:

a central server having a selective communication link to the plurality of local servers and configured to receive drug order preparation data from each local server;

a dose metrics module having access to the drug order preparation data and operative to process the drug order preparation data of at least one local server in accordance with a rule so as to output a performance metric; and

an output module operative to compare the performance metric of the at least one local server to the performance metric associated with one or more of the plurality of local servers.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the dose metrics module includes a configuration file and wherein the rule is stored in the configuration file and is associated with the at least one local server.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the associated rule is selectable by an administrator.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the central server comprises a processor executing code that is operative to provide the comparative performance metric.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the central server comprises:

a database connected so as to maintain the drug order preparation data from each local server;

a tabulation module operative to process the drug order preparation data from each local server and to generate billing data as a function of said processing; and

a communications module operative to forward the billing data to the administrator.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processing comprises a tally of records uploaded to the central server by each local server.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the billing data is forwarded by the communications module in the form of an invoice.

22. A system for preparing patient-specific drug doses based upon drug orders that have been entered into a first system, comprising:

an order processing server executing software on a processor thereof and connected by a network to the first system and configured to receive the patient-specific dose orders from the first system, the order processing server including a database configured to store the dose orders and information that relates to the dose orders, the order processing server being configured to generate a dose order queue listing all dose orders received by the order processing server;

a plurality of dose preparation stations for preparing a plurality of doses based on received dose orders, each dose preparation station being in bi-directional communication with the order processing server and having an interface for providing an operator with information relating to drug preparation and to allow the operator to input information in furtherance of a protocol having a drug-identification integrity-check process; and

a display communicatively coupled to the order processing server and positionable independent of the dose preparation station, the display outputting the dose order queue and metrics concerning activity at the dose preparation station;

wherein the order processing server is configured to operate in a first mode where drug orders are parsed and sent to a select dose preparation station based on at least one optimization criteria and a second mode where individual drug preparation stations select drug orders to fulfill at which time the drug order is assigned to the drug preparation station,

wherein printed dose labels for placement of completed drug orders are only printed at the dose preparation station which was responsible for preparation of the drug.

23. A system for preparing and managing patient-specific dose orders that have been entered into a plurality of first systems, comprising:

an order processing server executing software on a processor thereof and connected by a network to the first systems and configured to receive the patient-specific dose orders from the first systems, the order processing server including a database configured to store the dose orders and information that relates to the dose orders, the order processing server being configured to generate a dose order queue listing all dose orders received by the order processing server;

a central dose preparation site that includes at least one dose preparation station for preparing a plurality of doses based on received dose orders, the dose preparation station being in bi-directional communication with the order processing server and having an interface for providing an operator with a protocol associated with each received drug order and specifying a set of steps to fill the drug order, the dose preparation station being configured to present the protocol and having one or more data input devices to capture information that relates to the set of steps to fill the drug order, the captured information being dose preparation data that is electronically communicated back to the specific first system, from which the dose order originated, when the prepared dose is delivered and received back at the first system to facilitate confirmation of dose preparation process and approval and release of the dose; and

a display communicatively coupled to the order processing server and positionable independently of the dose preparation station, the display outputting the dose order queue and metrics concerning activity at the dose preparation station.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the plurality of first systems are located in at least two different sites remote from the central dose preparation site and the dose preparation data includes confirmation data entered by the operator to confirm that steps of the protocol were successfully completed and further includes indicia associated with the dose that permits the contents of the dose to be confirmed.