Product identification and tracking

• US 8,376,228 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2009
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CVS Pharmacy Incorporated (CVS Health Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: DeVet, Roberto, Condon, Molly, Bilicki, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNSON, SONJI N
• Application Number:
  US12/365,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20090194587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage

Abstract

A system may be configured to identify pedigree information associated with a drug. The system may include a structure with an RFID reader and a bar code reader. The system may also include a master control unit configured to receive product identification data from the RFID reader and the bar code reader. The system may also include a database system configured to store pedigree information associated with medicament containers. The system may also include a display unit disposed proximate to the support structure, and the display unit may be configured to receive and display the pedigree information to a user. In response to the movement of a medicament container proximate the RFID reader or the bar code reader, the master controller may submit a query to the database system, receive the pedigree information, and cause the display unit to display a portion of the pedigree information to the user.

Claims

1. A system configured to maintain pedigree information associated with a drug, the system comprising:

a support structure including an RFID reader and a bar code reader;

a master control unit that is operably coupled to the RFID reader and the bar code reader, said master control unit configured to receive product identification data from the RFID reader and the bar code reader;

a database system communicatively coupled to the master control unit, said database system configured to store pedigree information associated with a plurality of medicament containers, said pedigree information including information relating to a chain of custody of the medicament containers and, for each medicament container, at least two of i) a location and date of manufacture, ii) a batch number, iii) a previous storage location, iv) a quantity of drug in the medicament container, and v) an expiration date;

a display unit operably coupled to the master control unit and disposed proximate to the support structure, said display unit configured to receive and display said pedigree information to a user; and

an alarm operably connected to the master control unit that notifies the user if the chain of custody information is incomplete, and displaying a notification if the chain of custody is incomplete wherein, in response to the movement of a medicament container proximate the RFID reader or the bar code reader, the master controller submits a query to the database system, receives said pedigree information, and causes the display unit to display at least a portion of the pedigree information to the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the query includes at least a portion of product identification data associated with the medicament container.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the display unit includes a touch screen adapted to control the master control unit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the barcode reader is disposed in an upper portion of the support structure and the RFID reader is disposed in a lower portion of the support structure.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID reader is adapted to read RFID tags from a distance of about twelve inches or less.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of data processing systems at a corresponding plurality of drug handling facilities, the data processing systems retrieving and storing the pedigree information;

a central system communicating with the plurality of data processing systems and the database system, the central system updating the chain of custody information stored in the database system according to input from the data processing systems.

7. A computer-implemented method of tracking drug containment units, the method comprising:

receiving, at a drug handling facility, a drug containment unit;

identifying the drug containment unit using a scanning system having an RFID reader, a barcode reader, a computing device configured to electronically communicate with a database system, and a display, wherein identifying the drug containment unit includes moving the drug containment unit proximate the RFID reader or the bar code reader;

querying the database system to retrieve pedigree information associated with the drug containment unit, wherein said pedigree information includes information relating to a chain of custody of the drug containment unit and at least two of i) a location and date of manufacture, ii) a batch number, iii) a previous storage location, iv) a quantity of drug in the drug containment unit, and v) an expiration date;

displaying at least a portion of the pedigree information on the display, wherein displaying at least a portion of the pedigree information includes displaying a notification if the chain of custody is incomplete; and

updating the pedigree information to reflect that the drug containment unit has been received.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein querying the database system includes submitting, from the scanning system, at least a portion of identification information associated with the drug containment unit.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein displaying at least a portion of the pedigree information includes displaying a notification if the pedigree information is unavailable.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising printing the pedigree information on the drug containment unit.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising entering into the scanning system handling information associated with a shipping container in which the drug containment unit was packaged.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the database system is updated to include the handling information.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the handling information is entered by scanning the shipping container.