Pharmacy dispensing system and method

• US 8,805,578 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ArXium, Inc. (Van Humbeck Family)
• Original Assignee: AutoMed Technologies Incorporated (Cencora, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chudy, Duane S., Schultz, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WAGGONER, TIMOTHY R
• Application Number:
  US13/839,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20130218326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 700/236, 700/237, 700/240, 700/241, 700/242, 700/243, 53/55
• US Class Current: 700/241
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• 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 40/60 for the operation of medical equipment or devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A system for filling a prescription order for a patient includes a plurality of trays each having an RFID tag for storing a unique identifier corresponding to the prescription order, and a plurality of workstations operatively linked to one another, each workstation having an antenna for detecting the unique identifier in one of the plurality of trays, where the detecting is operative to trigger displaying of a profile of at least one prescription item for the corresponding prescription order.

Claims

1. A system for filling a prescription order for a patient comprising:

a tray including a unique identifier and the unique identifier is configured to be associated with a prescription order of the patient;

a filling workstation including a display screen; and

a reader associated with the filling workstation configured to read the unique identifier of each tray when each tray is located at the filling workstation;

wherein the filling workstation is configured to display information related to an unfilled individual prescription item of the prescription order to be filled at the filling workstation on the display screen in response to the reader reading the unique identifier.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the unique identifier is an RFID tag located within the tray, and the reader includes an antenna configured to receive a signal from the RFID tag.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a tray programmer configured to program the RFID tag with the unique identifier.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the prescription order includes at least two unfilled individual prescription items, and further wherein the filling workstation is configured to highlight on the display at least one of the unfilled individual prescription items stored in an area proximate the filling workstation.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the information related to the unfilled individual prescription item includes an image of the individual prescription item.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the information related to the unfilled individual prescription item includes text information identifying the patient, text information identifying the unfilled individual prescription item, and the image of the unfilled individual prescription item.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the information related to the unfilled individual prescription item includes information regarding a storage location of the individual prescription item within a pharmacy.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the information related to the storage location is an indication of shelf location where the unfilled individual prescription item is stored within the pharmacy.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the workstation is configured to display information related to multiple unfilled individual prescription items of the prescription order on the display screen in response to the reader reading the unique identifier.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the prescription order includes at least two unfilled individual prescription items, and further wherein the workstation is configured to order the display of information for the unfilled individual prescription items to minimize a cost function associated with filling the prescription order.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the prescription order includes at least two unfilled individual prescription items, and further wherein the workstation is configured to order the display of information for the unfilled individual prescription items to minimize a distance traveled by pharmacy personnel to fill the prescription order.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising an automated dispenser, wherein the filling workstation is configured to trigger dispensing by the automated dispenser in response to the reader reading the unique identifier.

13. A system for filling a prescription order for a patient, comprising:

a plurality of trays, wherein each tray of the plurality of trays has an RFID tag;

a tray programmer structured to program a unique identifier into the RFID tag of a selected tray of the plurality of trays, and wherein the unique identifier is associated with the prescription order;

a computer; and

a plurality of workstations operatively linked to one another, wherein at least one of the workstations comprises a reader coupled to the computer for detecting the unique identifier, and

wherein the computer displays a profile of at least one individual prescription item to be filled while the tray is located at the at least one workstation for the corresponding prescription order in response to detecting the unique identifier.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the computer displaying the profile displays textual information representing at least one of:

an individual prescription item of the profile, and

a respective storage location for the individual prescription item of the profile.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the computer displaying the profile displays a medication image representing the individual prescription item of the profile.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the computer displaying the profile displays a graphical user interface symbol representing a respective storage location for the individual prescription item of the profile.

17. A system for filling a prescription order for a patient, comprising:

a tray having an RFID tag;

a tray programmer to program a unique identifier into the RFID tag of the tray, wherein the unique identifier is associated with the prescription order; and

two or more workstations operatively linked to one another, wherein at least one of the workstations comprises;

a display,

a reader coupled to the display for detecting the unique identifier, and

wherein the display presents a profile information corresponding to at least one individual prescription item to be filled while the tray is located at the at least one workstation for the corresponding prescription order in response to detecting the unique identifier.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the profile information includes textual information representing at least one of:

an individual prescription item of the profile, and

a respective storage location for the individual prescription item of the profile.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the profile information includes a medication image representing the individual prescription item of the profile.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the profile information includes a graphical user interface symbol representing a respective storage location for the individual prescription item of the profile.

21. A system for filling a prescription medication order, comprising:

a plurality of trays, wherein each tray includes a unique machine-readable tray identifier;

a database which includes prescription data representative of at least one prescription item, data representative of the tray identifier, and data which assigns the tray identifier to the prescription data, wherein the prescription data includes at least an image of the prescription item; and

a workstation in communication with the database, and including a display screen and a tray identifier reader configured to read the tray identifiers, the workstation interacting with the database to display, on the display screen, the image of the prescription item associated with the tray identifier to be filled while the tray associated with the tray identifier is located at the at least one workstation.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the prescription data includes data representative of a patient name.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the prescription data includes data representative of a prescription order.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the prescription data further includes data representative of the type of medication.

25. A system for filling a prescription order, comprising:

a plurality of trays, wherein each tray includes a unique machine-readable tray identifier;

a database which includes prescription data representative of a plurality of prescription items, data representative of a plurality of prescription orders and data associating tray identifiers with the prescription orders; and

a workstation in communication with the database, the workstation including a tray identifier reader configured to read the tray identifiers of the trays at the workstation and the workstation including an arrangement of light emitting elements selectively lit based upon the reading of the tray identifier at the workstation providing information related to an unfilled prescription item of the prescription order to be placed in the tray while the tray is located at the workstation.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the light emitting elements are a display screen and are lit to form an image representative of the unfilled prescription item of the prescription order to be placed in the tray while the tray is located at the workstation.