A method and apparatus for dispensing drugs, wherein a patient's order of one or more prescriptions is automatically filled. Various drugs are stored in three or more filler lines. A vial size is assigned to each line. When a prescription is filled, it is automatically assigned to a line in view of the vial size requirements and processed accordingly. Provisions are made for the inability to fill a prescription or order. Subsequently, all of the patient's prescriptions are collected and made available as a single order.
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In accordance with the invention, a system is provided for dispensing prescriptions, preferably for out-patients, wherein the system packages an order of one or more prescriptions in view of patient prescription information and then presents a complete patient's order to a pharmacist for pick-up or delivery. Such a system is illustrated in
As illustrated in
For ease of understanding, only one of lines 12, 14, and 16 will be described in detail. However, it should be apparent that, with the exception of vial size, the description is applicable to each of lines 12, 14, and 16. Therefore, reference numerals identifying items in the drawings which have counterparts associated with each line will be used generically in this description, but in the drawings will carry additional designations such as a, b, and c to identify those items corresponding to the particular lines.
The first machine position at each line of the system is a vial unscrambler 20. In such a machine, vials of one size are dumped into a hopper 22 in bulk form. The hopper 22 preferably is large enough to hold approximately about 1100 vials, about a days supply.
The unscrambler 20 orients the vials upright in a separator 23 and spaces them on a conveyor 24 ready to feed into a vial filler 26. The unscrambler 20 can also be equipped to shoot a blast of air into the vial, cleaning debris that might be present. Preferably, the unscrambler 20 comprises a machine similar to an Omega Model number 20-LP manufactured by Omega Design Corporation, 211 Philips Road, Lionville, Pa. or a New England Machinery Model NEHE-50J or NEHB-50AJ manufactured by New England Machinery, Inc., 6204 29th Street East, Bradenton, Fla.
From the unscrambler 20, a vial will travel via the conveyor 24 to the vial filler 26 (also referred to as the filler). The vial filler 26 preferably comprises a modified Automatic Tablet Control machine manufactured by Sanyo Corporation in Japan and distributed by Baxter Health Care Corporation, One Baxter Parkway, Deerfield, Ill. under the mark ATC. This ATC machine or automatic tablet control, is capable of holding up to about 480 different oral, solid medications. Such medications are held in canisters calibrated specifically for those drugs. There can be one or more ATC machines per line depending on drug mix and drug volume required by the institution in which the system 10 is installed.
The conveyor 24 brings the vial under a filling position of the filler 26 and a signal from the controller system activates the appropriate drug canister, as required. More than one canister can be assigned to a specific drug and can dispense doses simultaneously. The drug doses are counted into the vial until filling is complete.
After filling, the vial is labeled by a label machine 28 (also referred to as the labeler), which an preferably be similar to Avery Model ALX 910 available from Avery Label Division, 35 McLachlan Drive, Rexdale, Ontario, Canada or a Willett Model 2600 manufactured by Willette America, Inc., 4901 Northeast Parkway, Fort Worth, Texas. The labeler 28 can be located downstream of the vial filler 26 as shown or it can preferably be located under the vial filler 26 to label vials during or immediately following filling. A signal from the control system is sent to the label machine 28 at the same time the vial is being filled. The label machine print human readable information, as well as bar code information on demand. The label information is kept in a data base and contains drug description, as well as any warning statements.
After the label is printed, a reader can be provided associated with the labeler 28, to verify the contents of the label by reading the printed bar code.
Once a vial is filled and labelled, it travels down the conveyor 24 to a capping machine 30 (also referred to as the capper). The capping machine 30 grasps the vial and preferably applies a child-resistant cap 31 to the vial.
As illustrated, just after the capper 30, each line includes a bar code reader 36 and a wrap belt 39 disposed on opposite sides of the conveyor 24. The wrap belt 39 serves to spin a vial around so that the bar code thereon can be read by the reader 36. The bar code reader 36 verifies the legibility of the bar code on the label and confirms the prescription number to the control system.
After the vial is capped, a sensor associated therewith verifies that the cap has been properly applied. The capper 30 preferably includes a reservoir 33 that is sufficiently large to store one full shift's supply of caps. The preferred capping machine can be one similar to Kalish-Cap Mark III manufactured by HG Kalish Inc., 6535 Mill Creek #62, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada or Capamatic DLR-1 manufactured by National Instrument Co., 4119 Fordleight Road, Baltimore, Md.
Once a vial has been capped and the contents are verified by the capper sensor 36, it proceeds to an accumulator or accumulation station 32 positioned at the end of its respective conveyor 24 (accumulator 32c is illustrated most clearly in FIG. 1). The accumulation station 32 serves two functions: sorting and ejecting Vials are ejected when they have an improper drug count, unreadable labels, or improperly seated caps. A signal sent by the filler 26, labeller 28, or capper 30 causes a defective vial to be ejected into a reject bin 35 by a blast of pneumatic air gun 34 if any of the situations is detected. When a vial is ejected, the control system places a refill request with the filler 26 on a priority basis so that another attempt is made to complete the prescription order.
A circulating conveyor 42 (also referred to as a sorting conveyor) carries circulating bins 40 along a path that brings each of the bins under an accumulator 32 once per rotation. The bins 40 are bar coded and the control system assigns at least one circulating bin 40 per patient. If a particular patient has more vials than a single bin can hold, a second or third bin will also be assigned. A bin 40 will circulate the conveyor 42 until a patient's total order has been collected. The bar code on the bin 40 will be read by bar code reader 63 prior to travel under the accumulators 32 and a signal will correctly time an accumulator 32 to discharge a specific patient's vial into the bin 40.
All properly bottled vials are assigned to a location on the accumulator 32 where they await a circulating bin 40 in which they are to be placed. These locations are also referred to as the staging output area. The accumulator 32 preferably has up to twenty locations for temporary vial storage.
The accumulators 32 are positioned above the conveyor 42 so that the vials awaiting on an accumulator can be placed into a passing bin 40. To this end, each accumulator 32 has associated therewith a pneumatic gripper 37 on a rodless cylinder for placing upon command, a vial into an accumulator position.
One or more of the bins is assigned to a patient by the control system. As the assigned circulating bin(s) 40 move(s) under the vial accumulator 32, the accumulator 32 drops the vials into the assigned bin(s). The drop of the vials is effectuated by means of a released door contained in the accumulator position on which the vials rest and which is activated by a solenoid controlled by the control system. Preferably, the accumulator 32 is capable of placing its entire contents in one bin, if necessary. In this manner, all of the vials for one patient's order can be sorted and placed together in a bin.
When a patient's total order has been accumulated in one or more bin(s) 40, the sorting conveyor 42 transfers the bin(s) 40 to one of a plurality of spurs.
Spur 50 is a conveyor referred to as the exception conveyor. An order is placed on spur 50 if, for some reason, the contents must be modified due to error.
The spur 50 can also be used to place medications other than oral solids into a patient's bin 40. This spur 50 can carry a bin 40 under a rack that contains, for example, liquids or creams. By reading the bar code on the bin 40, the rack automatically would discharge the correct medication into the bin 40.
Spur 52 is a conveyor referred to as the mail order conveyor. An order is placed on spur 52 if it is to be mailed to a patient.
Spur 54 is a conveyor referred to as the pick-up conveyor. An order is placed on spur 54 if it is to be picked up by a patient, e.g. a walk-in.
As illustrated, a variety of extractors are operatively positioned to move bins onto and off of the conveyors 42, 50, 52, 60, and 61. These extractions are generally designated by the numeral 62. Extractor 62a, upon command, diverts bins from conveyor 42 into conveyor 50. Extractor 62b, upon command, diverts bins from conveyor 42 onto conveyor 52. Extractor 62c, upon command, diverts bins from conveyor 42 onto conveyor 54. Extractor 62d, upon command, diverts returned bins from conveyor 61 onto conveyor 60. Extractor 62e, upon command, diverts returned bins from conveyor 60 onto conveyor 42.
Additionally, a scanner 63 is provided that reads bar codes on returned bins.
An empty bin 40 is placed on a return conveyor 60 or 61 which places it back on the circulating conveyor 42. A return conveyor 60 is used to return bins used for mail orders, while return conveyor 61 is used to return bins used for pick-up orders. At the point of return, the bar code on the bin (40) will be read and noted in the control system as an available bin. If the bar code is unreadable, the bin 40 is automatically ejected from the system 10.
The return is located just downstream from the take-off on the circulating bin conveyor 42 so the circulating conveyor 42 will always be full.
Overhead transfer cylinders 64 are used to transfer bins 40 from one straight conveyor 42a to another straight conveyor 42b, which together form the circulating conveyor 42.
In
In the data flow diagram, several items such as data units, smart boxes, registers, etc. are identified. These are discussed first.
The Patient Entry List 100 is a collection of patient orders received by the control system 80 from the host computer 70. Generally, the orders are organized in a first-in, first-out (FIFO) manner. However, when orders receive priority status, e.g. during a refill as described above, a latter order can be placed at the head of the list so that it will be processed first.
Each entry on the Patient Entry List includes patient specific information, for identification purposes, and one or more prescriptions for a patient.
The Bin Wait Queue 102 is used to temporarily hold a patient's order pending availability of one of the circulating bins 40. This is a FIFO queue and when a bin 40 becomes available, the order held the longest is assigned to that bin 40.
The Restock List 104 is a FIFO list which is used whenever a drug canister does not contain a sufficient quantity to fill a patient's order. When such is the case, the unfilled order is removed from the Patient Entry List and placed at the end of the Restock List until the designated canister is filled.
The Patient Filling List 106 is a FIFO list used once it has been determined that an order can be filled by the system 10. Once such a determination is made, a patient's order is transferred from the Patient Entry List and placed at the end of the Patient Filling List.
The Prescription Wait Lists 108 are FIFO lists that has been determined that a patient's order can be filled. For every filling list 12, 14 and 16 in the System 10, there is a dedicated Prescription Wait List. When such a determination is made, a prescription in a patient's order is placed at the tail end of the appropriate Prescription Wait List Prescriptions are removed from a Prescription Wait List in the order received.
The Prescription Sort Lists 110 are randomly accessible lists used once prescriptions have been filled One Prescription Sort List 110 is provided for each of the lines 12, 14, and 16. Once a prescription is filled, the prescription is placed at the end of its respective Prescription Sort List 110. At that time, the associated vial will be sitting in the accumulator 32.
The Prescription Sort Lists are used by the control system 80, as discussed below, to place vials in the staging area into the correct bin 40. Prescriptions are randomly removed from these lists as they are placed into their bins.
As illustrated in
The Prescription Fill Lists 114 are used when vials are to be filled. One Prescription Fill List 114 is produced for each filler 26. When an accumulator area becomes available, as discussed below, prescriptions are taken off of the associated Prescription Wait Queue and placed at the tail end of the Prescription Fill List. At that time, a vial is positioned on the filling line for the prescription. After a prescription is filled and left waiting to enter the accumulator 32, it is removed from this list.
The Prescription Restock Lists 116 are FIFO lists used whenever a prescription cannot be filled by the associated filler 26. One Prescription Restock List 116 is provided for each filler 26.
If it is determined, as discussed below, that a filler 26 cannot fill a prescription, the prescription is transferred from its associated Prescription Wait Queue 112 to this list until the filler 26 is restocked. Then, the prescription is reinserted in a Prescription Wait Queue 112 at the head of the list.
The Prescription Filled Queues 118 are used after vials have passed their line scanners. One Prescription Filled Queue is provided for each filling line. When such is the case, a prescription is placed at the tail end of the Prescription Filled Queues. Each entry in a Prescription Filled Queue 118 is flagged to indicate the specific accumulator area to which the associated vial is to be sent or if the vial is to be directed to the reject bin. Since vials pass through the rotary indexes in a FIFO manner, this is a FIFO queue.
As illustrated in
The Patient Filled List 122 is used after a patient's order has been filled. When such is the case, a patient's order is removed from the Patient Filling List 106 and placed at the tail end of the Patient Filled List 122.
The Patient Filled List 122 is used by the mail order/pick-up delivery process to deliver a bin 40 to the correct destination handling area from the sorting conveyor 42. Once a bin has been physically removed from the sorting conveyor 42, the patient's order is removed from the list.
With the foregoing description, of the various lists and queues employed in the control system 80, the various processes employed by the system 10 under the control of the control system 80 will now be described.
As illustrated in
The patient fill process is the process by which a patient's order is divided into its various prescriptions which are then assigned to the various lines 12, 14, and 16. As illustrated in
Subsequently, it is determined whether the prescriptions are successfully assigned to the various lines. If not, the patient order is placed on the Re-fill List 104 and the prescriptions are removed from the Prescription Filling Lists 114. If the prescriptions are successfully assigned, it is determined whether a bin 40 is available for receipt of the patient order. If a bin is not available, then the patient order is placed in the Bin Wait Queue 120 and the prescriptions are removed from the Prescription Fill Lists 114. The process 202 then again waits for a patient's order information to be presented in the Patient's Entry List.
If a bin 40 is available, then the patient's order is placed on the Patient Filling List 106 and an optimal bin 40 is selected and assigned to this patient, as discussed below. Subsequently, the process for filling prescriptions commences.
A simple process is used to determine the optimal filling line assignment for a prescription. As illustrated in
If it is determined that the filling of the prescription will not run the drug quantity below a minimum or that filling the prescription will not run a canister empty, then the prescription is assigned to the associated Prescription Wait List 108 with a dormant flag set to true. At start up all bins are empty and resting on the return conveyor. Bins from return conveyor are placed on sorting conveyor by the overhead transfer mechanism 62. Bins travel on sorting conveyor through bar code reader 63 which reads bin number. Software recognizes bin as being the first unassigned bin available (see FIG. 9), as it keeps track of all bin numbers and assigns them to patient orders.
The Bin Return Process 204 primarily moves bins from the return conveyor 60 back onto the sorting conveyor 42. Secondarily, it determines if any patient's orders are in the Bin Wait Queue 102 and, if so, places such orders at the head of the patient's entry list so that they are processed next.
As illustrated in
If an empty slot on the sorting conveyor is available, then a delay is imposed until such slot travels to a position in front of the return bin. Then, a command is issued to the return bin extractor.
After the following issuance of the command to the return bin extractor, a determination is made as to whether any patient orders ar in the Bin Wait Queue and whether the particular bin is available. If the determination is negative, then the entire process is repeated. Otherwise, the patient's order information is removed from the Bin Wait Queue and placed at the head of the Patient Entry List 100. Then the entire process recommences.
The Restock Process 206 is invoked if any drug canister should not have a quantity sufficient to fill any prescription within a patient's order. As illustrated in
In the Restock Process 206, a continuous routine waits in a loop for indicators that a drug canister has been restocked. Then a determination is made as to whether any patient orders in the restock List are waiting for the indicated restock. If no orders are waiting for the indicated restock, the routine recommences. Any patient order placed in the Restock List waiting for this restock is removed and placed at the head of the Patient Entry List 100. Otherwise, it is determined whether any prescriptions on a Prescription Restock List 116 are waiting for the indicated restock. If the answer is negative, then the restock routine returns to the beginning. If the answer is affirmative, the prescriptions are removed from the Restock List 116 and placed at the associated head of the Prescription Wait Queue 112. Then, the restock routine returns to the beginning to wait for a further indication of a restock.
A Prescription Fill Process 208 is actually a collection of processes, lists, and hardware interfaces as illustrated in FIG. 4. For every filling line in the system, there is a Prescription Fill Process 208.
As illustrated in
After the associated filling line is checked, or if the associated Prescription Fill List 114 is empty, then a determination is made as to whether the associated Prescription Wait Queue 112 is empty. If the Prescription Wait Queue 112 is empty, then the routine returns to the beginning. Otherwise, a determination is made as to whether the Prescription Wait Queue 112 entry dormant flag is set to true. If the Prescription Wait Queue 112 entry dormant flag is set to true, then the routine recommences. Otherwise, a determination is made as to whether the filling of the prescription would empty the requisite drug canister. If the filling of the prescription would empty the requisite drug canister, then the prescription is placed on the associated Prescription Restock List 116 and a restock request is generated. Then the routine recommences.
If filling of the prescription would not empty the requisite drug canister, then a check for an assignment of a free accumulator area is made.
If the accumulator 32 does not include free area for assignment, then the routine is recommenced. Otherwise, if a free area of the accumulator 32 is assignable, then the prescription is removed from the Prescription Wait Queue 112 and moved to the associated Prescription Fill List 114. At the same time, a command is issued to the associated unscrambler 18 to drop a vial.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The check of the filler commences with a determination which is made as to whether a filler command is pending. If a filler command is not pending, then a determination is made as to whether a prescription is assigned the status "waiting for filling." If no prescription is assigned the status "waiting for filling," then the check of the filler is terminated. If a prescription is assigned the status "waiting for filling," then a command is issued to the filler to fill the prescription. Then the check of the filler is terminated.
If at the beginning of the check of the filler, it is determined that a filler command is pending, then a determination is made as to whether a filler response is ready. If a filler response is not ready, then the check of the filler is terminated. If a filler response is ready, then a determination is made as to whether a prescription has been successfully filled. If a prescription has not been successfully filled, then a signal is issued to alert the system of the partially filled vial and the vial is handled appropriately. Then the check of the filler is terminated.
If it is determined that a prescription has been successfully filled, then a command is issued to the labeller to apply a label to the vial. Then the prescription is assigned a status of "waiting for label" and the check of the filler is terminated.
As illustrated in
If an error in the filling process is detected, then an error handling routine is invoked and the labeller checking routine is terminated.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
If the prescription is flagged as bad, a command removes the prescription order from the Prescription filled queue. The vial is ejected into the reject bin by a blast of air prior to reaching the accumulator staging area and its assigned accumulator area is freed up.
To accomplish the foregoing, as a first step, this process determines whether there is an entry in the Prescription Filled Queue 118. If no entry is made, then this routine loops until an entry is made in the Prescription Filled Queue 118. Subsequently, the prescription information is transferred from the Prescription Filled Queue 118 to the Prescription Sort List 110 and the staging input process routine recommences.
As illustrated in
In a routine for this process, as a first step, a determination is made as to whether a staging scanner message exists. If no message exists, then the routine loops back to the beginning. If staging scanner message exists, then a determination is made as to whether a bin is assigned. If a bin is not assigned, then the routine recommences. If a bin is assigned to a patient, then a determination is made as to whether any prescriptions are to be placed in the assigned bin. If no prescriptions are to be placed in this bin, then the prescription routine recommences. If prescriptions are to be placed in the bin, then a command is issued to drop the vials to the staging output. Subsequently, the prescription is removed from the Prescription Sort List 110 and the patient's prescription status is updated on the Patient Filling List 106. Then, a determination is made as to whether a patient's order is complete. If a patient's order is not complete, the routine is recommended. If the patient's order is complete, then the patient's order is transferred from the Patient Filling List 122 to a patient filled list.
In the Staging Output Process 214, output gates are opened and closed at the appropriate times to drop a vial containing a prescription into a bin as it passes by on the sorting conveyor. A routine for this process, illustrated in
Every time a bin passes by the mail order/pick-up scanners, a Mail Order/Pick-Up Delivery Process 216 checks to see if the bin is assigned to a patient. If it is, this process checks to see if this patient order is filled by checking the Patient Filled List 122. If a match occurs, this process signals a mail order/pick-up extraction process to push the bin onto the appropriate conveyor and the patient order is removed from the Patient Filled List 122.
In a routine for this process, illustrated in
The mail order/pick-up extraction process 218 is a routine used to direct bins to one of the conveyors 52 or 54. This process, upon receiving a signal to extract a bin, starts a time delay to allow the bin to travel from the associated mail order or pick-up scanner to the extractor before issuing a command to extend the associated extractor.
In a routine for this process, illustrated in
If more than one bin is assigned to a particular patient, determination is made as to whether it is the first bin. If it is the first bin, a delay is induced until the bin is by a secondary extractor. At that point, a command is issued to the secondary extractor to place the first bin on the appropriate conveyor.
If the bin encounters one of several and is not the first bin assigned to the patient, then a command is issued to the extractor Queue. Then a delay is induced until the bin is by the extractor. At that point, a command is issued to the extractor to place the bin on the assigned conveyor. Then, the patient order is removed from the Patient Filled List 122 and the routine is recommenced.
It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.
Charhut, Kenneth A., Goodale, Keith, Blechl, Joseph, Skou, Will
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