Methods and devices for dispensing pharmaceutical and medical supply items

• US 5,905,653 A
• Filed: 12/04/1997
• Issued: 05/18/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Omnicell Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Arnold, Richard C., Godlewski, Peter P., Holmes, William K., Higham, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elmore, Reba I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US08/985,156
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 364/479.01, 364/479.02, 364/479.06, 364/479.08, 364/478.02, 364/478.03, 364/478.09, 364/478.17, 364/479.1, 364/479.11, 364/479.12 , 364/479.14, 312/215, 395/250, 395/210, 361/727, 221/153, 221/154
• US Class Current: 700/244
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/001 Trolleys for transport of medicaments, food, linen, nursing supplies carts specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis A61B50/13; hand carts B62B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

The invention provides an exemplary method for dispensing medical supply or pharmaceutical items from a dispensing unit which comprises a processor and a cabinet having a plurality of drawers which are lockable within the cabinet by a locking mechanism. The drawers include a plurality of bins for holding the pharmaceutical or medical supply items, with at least some of the bins having lids equipped with a sensor that communicates with the processor to indicate when the lid is lifted. Further, the processor includes a record of the items held within each drawer and which items may be accessed by specific users or user types. According to the method, user identification information is entered into the processor to identify a user that is requesting access to one of the pharmaceutical or medical supply items held in the dispensing unit. The processor then determines which drawer or drawers may be unlocked for access by the user by comparing the user identification information with the record of which items may be accessed by specific users. A signal is then sent from the processor to unlock at least one of the drawers to which the user may have access. The user then looks in the bins of the unlocked drawer to locate a desired pharmaceutical or medical supply item. The lid of bin having the desired pharmaceutical or medical supply item is lifted and the item is removed. Further, lifting of the lid sends a signal to the processor to confirm removal of the desired pharmaceutical or medical supply item.

Claims

1. A method for dispensing medical supply or pharmaceutical items, the method comprising:

providing a dispensing unit comprising a processor and a cabinet having at least one lockable door and a plurality of shelves or drawers behind the door having storage locations for holding pharmaceutical or medical supply items, the cabinet further including a visual indicator and a touch button located adjacent each of the storage locations and being in communication with the processor;

entering user identification information into the processor to identify a user that is requesting access to one of the pharmaceutical or medical supply items held in the dispensing unit;

entering pharmaceutical or medical supply item identification information into the processor to identify at least one pharmaceutical or medical supply item that the user requests to remove from the dispensing unit;

sending a signal from the processor to unlock the door if the processor determines from the user identification information that the user may have access to the requested pharmaceutical or medical supply item;

actuating the visual indicator adjacent the storage location on the shelf or in the drawer having the requested item;

removing the requested item from the storage location; and

touching the touch button adjacent the storage location having the requested item to send a signal to the processor confirming the removal of the item.

2. A method as in claim 1, further comprising entering patient identification information into the processor to identify a patient for which the user is requesting to remove the pharmaceutical or medical supply item.

3. A method as in claim 1, further comprising entering into the processor pharmaceutical or medical supply item identification information into the processor for at least two types of pharmaceutical or medical supply items, and further comprising actuating a second visual indicator adjacent a second storage location having the second requested pharmaceutical or medical supply item after the first touch button is touched.

4. A method as in claim 1, further comprising entering into the processor pharmaceutical or medical supply item identification information for at least two types of pharmaceutical or medical supply items, and further comprising simultaneously actuating all visual indicators that are adjacent the storage locations having the selected types of items.

5. A method as in claim 1, further comprising sending a signal from the processor to produce a warning if the touch button is not touched before closing the door.

6. A method as in claim 5, wherein the door remains unlocked when closed to provide the user with the option to re-open the door and complete the removal of the selected items.

7. A method as in claim 5, further comprising offering the user the option to cancel the option to re-open the door and take the item.

8. A method as in claim 1, further comprising entering into the processor the quantity of the requested pharmaceutical or medical supply item that the user requests to remove from the dispensing unit, removing the requested quantity from the dispensing unit, and touching the touch button once to confirm removal of the requested quantity.

9. A method as in claim 1, further comprising removing a plurality of the same type of pharmaceutical or medical supply item from the dispensing unit and touching the touch button multiple times to indicate the quantity of the item being taken.

10. A method for dispensing medical supply or pharmaceutical items, the method comprising:

providing a dispensing unit comprising a processor and a cabinet having a plurality of drawers which are lockable within the cabinet by a locking mechanism, wherein the drawers include a plurality of bins for holding the pharmaceutical or medical supply items, with at least some of the bins having lids equipped with a sensor that communicates with the processor to indicate when the lid is lifted, and wherein the processor includes a record of the items held within each drawer and which items may be accessed by specific users or user types;

entering user identification information into the processor to identify a user that is requesting access to one of the pharmaceutical or medical supply items held in the dispensing unit;

determining with the processor which drawer or drawers may be unlocked for access by the user by comparing the user identification information with the record of which items may be accessed by specific users;

sending a signal from the processor to unlock at least one of the drawers to which the user may have access;

looking in the bins of the unlocked drawer to locate a desired pharmaceutical or medical supply item;

lifting the lid of bin having the desired pharmaceutical or medical supply item;

removing the desired pharmaceutical or medical supply item from the bin, wherein lifting of the lid sends a signal to the processor to confirm removal of the desired pharmaceutical or medical supply item.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein at least one of the drawers has all non-locking lids, and further comprising comparing the user identification information with the record of all of the items held within the drawer having the non-locking lids, and sending a signal to the processor to unlock said drawer only if the user may have access to all items in that drawer.

12. A method as in claim 10, further comprising entering patient information into the processor to identify a patient for which the user is requesting to remove the pharmaceutical or medical supply item before access to any of the drawers is granted to the user.

13. A method as in claim 10, further comprising entering pharmaceutical or medical supply item identification information into the processor to identify at least one pharmaceutical or medical supply item that the user requests to remove from the dispensing unit.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein each drawer includes a visual indicator, and further comprising sending a signal from the processor to actuate the visual indicator of the drawer having the requested item.

15. A method as in claim 13, wherein each bin includes a visual indicator, and further comprising sending a signal from the processor to actuate the visual indicator of the bin having the requested item.

16. A method as in claim 10, wherein the processor unlocks every drawer having at least one item to which the user may be granted access based on the entered user identification information.

17. A method as in claim 13, further comprising determining with the processor which drawers may be unlocked based on both the user identification information and the requested pharmaceutical or medical supply item, such that only the drawer containing the item requested is opened and only if the user may have access to all the items in the receptacles having unlocked lids in that drawer.

18. A method as in claim 10, further comprising lifting the lid a number of times corresponding to the number of pharmaceutical or medical supply items removed from the bin to enter into the processor the quantity removed.

19. A method as in claim 18, further comprising producing an audible signal each time the lid is lifted.

20. A method as in claim 10, further comprising touching a button adjacent the lifted lid a number of times corresponding to the number of pharmaceutical or medical supply items removed from the bin to enter the quantity removed into the processor.

21. A method as in claim 20, further comprising producing an audible signal each time the lid is lifted.

22. A method as in claim 18, wherein each bin only holds a single quantity of an item.

23. A method as in claim 20, wherein each bin only holds a single quantity of an item.

24. A method for dispensing pharmaceutical or medical supply items from a dispensing unit comprising a cabinet having a processor and a plurality of retractable drawers, with at least some of the drawers having a plurality of receptacles for holding items and with at least some of the drawers having lockable lids for at least some of the receptacles, the method comprising:

entering user identification information into the processor to identify a user that is requesting access to the pharmaceutical or medical supply items held in the dispensing unit;

entering pharmaceutical or medical supply item identification information into the processor, the pharmaceutical or medical supply item identification information identifying specific pharmaceutical or medical supply items that the user requests to remove from the dispensing unit;

comparing the user identification information with an access list having information as to which of the requested pharmaceutical or medical supply items that the user may be given access based on the previously entered user identification information to determine one or more of the drawers to which the user may be given access;

unlocking one of the drawers having one of the requested pharmaceutical or medical supply items if the access list indicates that the user may have access to the drawer having the requested pharmaceutical or medical supply item;

retracting the unlocked drawer;

unlocking the lid of the receptacle having the requested item if the retracted drawer contains at least some lockable lids to allow access to the requested item while preventing access to other receptacles having lockable lids; and

removing the requested pharmaceutical or medical supply item from the receptacle having the unlocked lid.

25. A method as in claim 24, further comprising springing the unlocked lid at least partially open to visually apprise the user of the receptacle that may be accessed.

26. A method as in claim 25, further comprising providing a colored marker on a front edge of the partially opened lid.

27. A method as in claim 24, further comprising entering the quantity of each item to be removed into the dispensing unit.

28. A method as in claim 24, further comprising entering or selecting patient identification information into the dispensing unit.

29. A method as in claim 28, wherein the entering step comprises selecting patient identification information from a list stored in the dispensing unit.

30. A method as in claim 24, wherein all other drawers remain locked during removal of the requested item.

31. A method as in claim 24, wherein the lid is locked prior to entering the user and item identification information.

32. A method as in claim 24, further comprising unlocking multiple lids if the user requests to remove multiple items.

33. A method as in claim 24, further comprising actuating a visual indicator on a front of the drawer having one or more unlocked lids.

34. A method as in claim 24, wherein the processor sends a signal to re-lock the drawer upon closing of the drawer.

35. A method as in claim 34, further comprising unlocking another drawer if other items that have been requested are present in other drawers.

36. A method as in claim 24, further comprising simultaneously unlocking each drawer containing at least one requested item.

37. A method as in claim 24, wherein a plurality of the receptacles each contain multiple items of the same type.

38. A method as in claim 37, wherein one or more of the receptacles hold only a single unit of each item.

39. A method as in claim 37, further comprising entering a quantity of more than one of the same type of item into the dispensing unit, and unlocking the lid of a second receptacle if a first of the receptacles having the item lacks sufficient quantity to fill the requested quantity.

40. A method as in claim 24, further comprising periodically re-stocking any fully or partially depleted receptacles.

41. A method as in claim 40, further comprising entering a list of items and associated quantities that are to be restocked into the dispensing unit prior to restocking.

42. A method as in claim 41, wherein the entering step comprises electronically transferring the list of items and quantities from a remote processor.

43. A method as in claim 42, further comprising storing multiple restock lists in the processor.

44. A method as in claim 40, further comprising unlocking the lids of the receptacles to be restocked upon receipt of the restock list by the processor.

45. A method as in claim 44, further comprising actuating visual indicators on fronts of the drawers containing items to be restocked and unlocking those drawers.

46. A method as in claim 40, wherein the drawer requiring an item to be restocked includes a hinged cover containing the lockable lids for the receptacles, and further comprising unlocking the cover to provide access to all receptacles in the drawer.

47. A method as in claim 46, wherein the lock on the cover is unlocked by the processor based on the user identification information, and based on whether any of the items to be restocked are located under the cover.

48. A method as in claim 40, further comprising requiring the entry of a witness ID to initiate the restocking process.

49. A method as in claim 24, wherein each lid has an associated sensor to detect if the lids has been accessed, and further comprising sending a signal to the processor upon access of the lids to confirm removal of the item.