 |
Claims  |
|
|
I claim:
1. A system for the delivery of medications under the control of a pharmacy
to patients in the wards of a health care institution comprising:
a computer system;
one or more pharmacy terminals operatively connected to said computer
system;
one or more dispensing stations located in the wards of said health care
institution, each of said stations including,
(a) a station terminal operatively connected to said computer system;
(b) a station printer operatively connected to said computer system; and
(c) a dispensing cabinet for holding a plurality of unit dose medication
packages, said dispensing cabinet electrically controllable by said
computer system to dispense one or more of said packages at a time;
said computer system including means for maintianing,
(a) medication order data entered by said pharmacy, said order data
indicating medication orders for patients admitted to said health care
institution, said orders including the administration schedule for the
medication and the identity of the dispensing station from which
medications are to be obtained for said patients;
(b) station drug data of each of said dispensing stations, said station
drug data indicating the medication stored at said station and if the
medication stored at said station is stored in said dispensing cabinet the
location of said medications in said cabinet and the quantity of said
medication currently at said dispensing station;
software means operable in said computer system for:
(a) automatically reading said patient order data on a periodic basis and
determining for each dispensing station the medication that is scheduled
to be administered during an upcoming medication round to patients
serviced by each said dispensing station and for generating a medication
requirement report for each said determination, said report being printed
at each said dispensing station on said station printer whereby it is made
available to medication administration personnel; and
(b) responding to a medication dispensing request entered at the terminal
of a said dispensing station, said request for the medication ordered for
a specified patient, and reading said patient order data to determine the
medication scheduled to be administered to said specified patient in the
upcoming medication round and:
(1) if medication scheduled to be administered in the upcoming medication
round is held in the dispensing cabinet at said dispensing station at
which said request is entered causing said dispensing cabinet to dispense
the scheduled medication in unit dose package or packages whereby the
dispensed medication may be taken by the person making the dispensing
request and administered to said specified patient; and
(2) if medication scheduled to be administered in the upcoming medication
round is not held in the dispensing cabinet notifying the person making
the request to obtain the medication from the medications stored outside
the dispensing cabinet whereby the medication may be taken by the person
making the request and administered to said patient.
2. A system according to claim 1 wherein said computer system further
includes station stocking software means operable in said computer system
for:
(a) reading said medication order data to determine the medication
requirements for a specified dispensing station for a predetermined period
of time, said medication order data being read to determine all orders
which are to be administered from said specified dispensing station and to
determine the types and quantities of medications that are scheduled to be
administered from said specified dispensing station; and
(b) comparing the total medication needs determined for said specified
dispensing station with the quantities of medications indicated as being
at said specified dispensing station by said station drug data and
developing a restocking plan for said specified station which will
substantially allow the needs of the patients serviced by said specified
dispenstion station to be met during said predetermined period of time.
3. A system according to claim 1 wherein said medication order data
includes an indication of when an ordered medication is to be discontinued
and wherein said software includes means for reading said patient order
data on a periodic basis to determine if any orders are to be discontinued
and setting a stop indicator for said order in said patient order data if
indicated, and wherein said means for automatically reading said patient
order data includes means responsive to said stop indicators to prevent
discontinued orders from being scheduled for administration and wherein
said means for responding includes means responsive to said stop
indicators so that discontinued orders will not be dispensed from said
dispensing cabinet.
4. (Amended) A system according to claim 1 wherein said computer system
includes means for maintaining patient data indicating demographical
information about patients to be serviced by said dispensing system, and
further wherein said software means includes means for displaying patient
demographical data from said patient data at a said dispensing station
terminal.
5. A system according to claim 1 wherein said patient order data further
specifies for each said patient the room-bed assignment for said patient
in said institution and a record of which room-bed assignments are
supplied medications from each dispensing station and wherein said
software means includes means for changing the room-bed assignment
specified in said data and if the room-bed change results in said patient
being moved to a room-bed assignment being serviced by a different
dispensing station generating a report and causing said report to be
printed at said patient's previous dispensing station, said report
informing transferring personnel to retrieve any of said patient's
medications not held in said dispensing cabinet and to transfer them along
with the patient to the new room-bed assignment.
6. (New) A system according to claim 5 wherein said computer system
includes means for reserving medications at said dispensing stations
according to the medication orders specified in said medication order data
and further including software means for cancelling the reservations at
said previous dispensing station attributable to said patient being
reassigned and reserving the medications attributable to said patient at
said different dispensing station.
7. A system according to claim 1 including means for monitoring various
status conditions of the dispensing cabinets, said status conditions
including access doors being open/closed, dispenser being active/idle,
dispenser being enabled/disabled, dispenser elevator being up/down,
polling being enabled/disabled, and power failure status, said status
conditions being monitored to determine aspects of said dispensing
cabinet's operations including whether or not said dispensing cabinet is
online, whether or not to allow medications to be accessed from said
dispensing cabinet, and whether or not said dispenser has experienced a
power failure said means for monitoring further including means for
causing a report to be generated at said pharmacy terminal notifying
pharmacy personnel of a sensed operation problem.
8. A system according to claim 1 including means for sensing operatioal
problems associated with said dispensing stations, said operational
problems including loss of power to the dispenser, communication line
failures, and interface failure, and means for attempting to automatically
rectify a sensed operational problem and if said problem cannot be
rectified printing a notice of said problem on said station printer.
9. A system according to claim 1 further wherein said computer system
includes means for maintaining drug master data specifying medications
available to the pharmacy of said health care institution, said drug
master data specifying interaction information and therapeutic equivalent
information for each said medication, and further wherein said means for
maintaining said medication order data includes software means operable on
said computer for enabling a new medication order to be entered into said
medication order data from a said pharmacy terminal, and for reading said
drug master data and said medication data order to determine if a said new
medication order is therapeutically equivalent to any prior medication
orders entered for the same patient and for determining if said medication
order has an interaction problem with another drug order for the same
patient, and for warning the personnel entering said new medication order
of any interaction problem or therapeutic equivalent medication
identified, said warning issued on said pharmacy terminal.
10. A new system according to claim 1 further including software means for
enabling new medication orders to be entered at said pharmacy terminal.
11. (Amended) A system according to claim 10 wherein said software means
includes means for notifying said pharmacy personnel of medications that
are ordered for a specified patient that are not stored at said dispensing
station servicing said specified patient so that said ordered medication
can be delivered to said station from another location.
12. A system according to claim 10 further wherein said computer system
includes means for maintaining patient data indicating any allergies any
of said patients have and further software means responsive to the entry
of a new order in said medication order data for checking to see whether
the ordered medication would cause an allergic reaction for said patient
for which the order is entered based on said allergy indications in said
patient data.
13. A system according to claim 10 further wherein said medication order
data includes data specifying a message related to a particular medication
ordered to be administered, and further wherein said software means
includes means for displaying a said specified message for a medication
dispensed from a said station, said message being displayed on said
station terminal.
14. A system according to claim 10 further wherein said software means
includes means for notifying pharmacy personnel entering a new order of
the quantity of the medication ordered available in the station supplying
the patient, said notification generated on said pharmacy terminal.
15. A system according to claim 1 wherein said means for maintaining
includes means for specifying said orders to be placed on hold, and
further wherein said dispensing control means includes means for
preventing orders which are specified as being on hold from being
dispensed from said dispensing cabinet.
16. A system according to claim 1 further wherein said means for
maintaining reduces the quantity specified for a particular medication in
said station drug data each time said particular medication is dispensed
from said dispensing cabinet.
17. A system according to claim 1 further wherein said means for
maintaining reduces the quantity specified for a particular medication in
said station drug data each time a notice to dispense said particular
medication is issued.
18. A system according to claim 1 further including software means for
recording medications dispensed to said patients.
19. A system according to claim 18 further wherein said medication
requirement report specifies medications previously scheduled to be
dispensed but which were not dispensed so that medication administration
personnel are notified of scheduled orders which were not administered at
the specified scheduled time.
20. A system according to claim 1 wherein said medication order drug data
includes an indication of when an ordered medication is to be discontinued
and wherein said software means includes means for reading said patient
order data on a periodic basis to determine if any orders are to be
discontinued within an upcoming pedetermined time period and for causing a
medication discontinue notice report to be printed at each said station on
said station printer, said report indicating which medications are to be
discontinued within said predetermined period.
21. A system according to claim 1 wherein said cabinet includes as a means
for preventing the medications held in said dispensing cabinet from being
accessed by medication administration personnel until dispensed from said
cabinet.
22. A system for dispensing medications in unit dose packages to patients
in a health care institution, comprising:
one or more dispensing cabinet means for holding a plurality of different
types of said medications in unit dose packages, and each selectively
controllable for dispensing any one of said different types of medications
one or more of said unit dose packages at a time;
a dispensing cabinet printer means for each said dispensing cabinet means;
control means connected for controlling said dispensing cabinet means and
said printer means, said control means including;
(a) database means for holding medication order data specifying medication
orders for patients in said institution in accordance with medication
prescriptions for said patients, each said order specifying the medication
dose, the scheduled times for administration of said dose and which of
said dispensing cabinet means it is to be dispensed from;
(b) dispensing control means responsive to said medication order data for
controlling each said dispensing cabinet means to cause each to
selectively dispense for a said patent a said dose in accordance with said
medication order data, said dispensing control means capable of causing
any one of said unit dose packages of any of said different types of
medications to be dispensed for any one of said patients; and
(c) report generating means responsive to said data for preparing a
medication requirement report for each of said dispensing cabinet means
and for causing said report to be printed at said dispensing cabinet
printer means for each said dispensing cabinet means, said medication
requirement report having information on the doses being dispensed for
each said patient, including the scheduled time for administration of said
dose, whereby doses dispensed from said dispensing cabinet means can be
taken and administered to said patients in accordance with said medication
requirement report.
23. A system according to claim 22 wherein said control means further
includes terminal means for inputting control commands to said control
means and for inputting new medication orders into said database means.
24. A system according to claim 23 wherein said medication order data
includes means for designating one of said medication orders to be placed
on hold, and further wherein said dispensing control means includes means
for preventing orders which are specified as being on hold from being
dispensed from said dispensing cabinet means, said designation entered at
said terminal means.
25. A system according to claim 23 including further database means for
holding medication interaction data specifying the interaction
characteristics of said medications, and further wherein said control
means includes means for warning pharmacy personnel inputting new
medication orders if said medication specified in said new order has a
interaction characteristic which would cause it to interact with a
medication previously ordered for said patient.
26. A system according to claim 22 further wherein said medication order
data includes data specifying a message related to a particular medication
ordered to be administered, and further wherein said control means
includes means for displaying said message at said dispensing cabinet
means when said medication dose is dispensed.
27. A system according to claim 22 further wherein said patient medication
order data includes an indication of when an ordered medication is to be
discontinued and wherein said control means includes means for reading
said medication order data on a periodic basis to determine if any orders
are to be discontinued within an upcoming predetermined time period and
for causing a medication discontinue notice report to be printed on said
dispensing cabinet printer means, said report indicating which medications
are to be discontinued within said predetermined period.
28. A system according to claim 22 further wherein said medication
requirement report specifies medications previously scheduled to be
dispensed but which were not dispensed so that medication administration
personnel are notified of scheduled orders which were not administered at
the specified scheduled time.
29. A system according to claim 22 further wherein said control means
includes means responsive to the specified scheduled times in said data
for administration of a said dose to cause each said dose to be dispensed
from said cabinet means at times corresponding to said specified scheduled
times whereby the release of said doses from said dispensing cabinet means
is substantially in accordance with the administration schedule for said
dose.
30. A system according to claim 22 further wherein medications are
dispensed to said patients in periodic rounds and further wherein said
report generating means includes means for causing said medication
requirement report to be printed periodically in accordance with the
timing of said medication rounds for said patients.
31. A system according to claim 30 further wherein said report generating
means includes means responsive to said data for preparing a medication
administration report for at least said patients for which medication
doses are ordered as specified in said medication order data and for
causing said report to be printed at said dispensing cabinet printer
means, said medication administration report having information on all the
ordered doses scheduled to be dispensed for each of said patients during
an upcoming predetermined time period encompassing a plurality of said
medication rounds, whereby said medication administration report can be
used as a permanent record of the administration of doses to said
patients.
32. A system according to claim 22 wherein said report generating means
further includes means for causing said medication requirement report for
said patients to be printed before said doses are dispensed from said
cabinet means.
33. A system for dispensing medications in a health care institution,
comprising:
one or more dispensing stocks for holding a plurality of different types of
said medications;
a dispensing stock printer means for each said dispensing stock;
control means connected for controlling said dispensing stock printer
means, said control means including:
(a) database means for holding medication order data specifying medication
orders for patients in said institution in accordance with medication
prescriptions for said patients, each said order specifying the medication
dose, the scheduled times for administration of said dose and which of
said dispensing stocks it is to be administered from; and
(b) report generating means responsive to said data for preparing a
medication requirement report for each of said dispensing stocks and for
causing said report to be printed at said dispensing stock printer means
for each said dispensing stock, said medication requirement report having
information on the dose to be administered for each said patient,
including the scheduled time for administration of said dose, whereby
doses can be taken from said stock and administered to said patients in
accordance with said medication requirement report.
34. A system according to claim 33 wherein said control means further
includes terminal means for inputting control commands to said control
means and for inputting new medication orders into said database means.
35. A system according to claim 34 wherein said medication order data
includes means for designating one of said medication orders to be placed
on hold, and further wherein said control means includes means for
preventing orders which are specified as being on hold from being
specified in said administration requirement report as to be administered,
said designation entered at said terminal means.
36. A system according to claim 34 including further database means for
holding medication interaction data specifying the interaction
characteristics of said medications, and further wherein said control
means includes means for warning pharmacy personnel inputting new
medication orders if said medication specified in said new order has a
interaction characteristic which would cause it to interact with a
medication previously ordered for said patient.
37. A system according to claim 33 further wherein said medication order
data includes data specifying a message related to a particular medication
ordered to be administered, and further wherein said control means
includes means for displaying said message at said dispensing stock when
said medication dose is specified to be administered.
38. A system according to claim 33 further wherein said patient medication
order data includes an indication of when an ordered medication is to be
discontinued and wherein said control means includes means for reading
said medication order data on a periodic basis to determine if any orders
are to be discontinued within an upcoming predetermined time period and
for causing a medication discontinue notice report to be printed on said
dispensing stock printer means, said report indicating which medications
are to be discontinued within said predetermined period.
39. A system according to claim 33 further wherein medications are
dispensed to said patients in periodic rounds and further wherein said
report generating means includes means for causing said medication
requirement report to be printed periodically in accordance with the
timing of said medication for said patients.
40. A system according to claim 39 further wherein said report generating
means includes means responsive to said data for preparing a medication
administration report for at least said patients for which medication
doses are ordered as specified in said medication order data and for
causing said report to be printed at said dispensing stock printer means,
said medication administration report having information on all the
ordered doses scheduled to be administered for each of said patients
during an upcoming predetermined time period encompassing a plurality of
said medication rounds, whereby said medication administration report can
be used as a permanent record of the administration doses to said
patients.
41. A system according to claim 33 further wherein said medication
requirement report specifies medications previously scheduled to be
dispensed but which were not dispensed so that medication and
administration personnel are notified of scheduled orders which were not
administered at the specified scheduled time.
42. A system for dispensing medications in unit dose packages to patients
in a health care institution, comprising:
one or more dispensing cabinet means for holding a plurality of different
types of said medications in unit dose packages, and each selectively
controllable for dispensing any one of said different types of medications
one or more of said unit dose packages at a time;
a dispensing cabinet printer means for each of said dispensing cabinet
means;
control means connected for controlling said dispensing cabinet means and
said printer means, said control means including:
(a) database means for holding medication order data specifying medication
orders for patients in said institution in accordance with medication
prescriptions for said patients, each said order specifying the medication
dose, the scheduled times for administration of said medication dose and
which of said dispensing cabinet means it is to be dispensed from;
(b) dispensing control means including a dispensing cabinet input means for
each said dispensing cabinet means so that each said dispensing cabinet
means has an associated input means, said input means for entering a
request to dispense medication for a specified patient from its associated
dispensing cabinet means, said control means responsive to a said request
for controlling a said dispensing cabinet means to cause it to selectively
dispense for said specified patient each said dose ordered to be
administered to said specified patient according to said orders, each said
dose being dispensed from said cabinet means in said unit dose packages,
said dispensing control means capable of causing any one of said unit dose
packages of any of said different types of medications to be dispensed for
any one of said patients; and
(c) report generating means responsive to said data for preparing a
medication requirement report for each of said dispensing cabinet means
and for causing said medicatio requirement report to be printed on said
printer means for each said dispensing cabinet means, said medication
requirement report having information on each said dose dispensed for said
patients, including the dose and scheduled time for administration,
whereby said doses dispensed from said dispensing cabinet means can be
taken and administered to said patients in accordance with said medication
requirement report.
43. A system according to claim 42 wherein said control means further
includes terminal means for inputting control commands to said control
means and for inputting new medication orders into said database means.
44. A system according to claim 43 wherein said medication order data
includes means for designating one of said medication orders to be placed
on hold, and further wherein said control means includes means for
preventing orders which are specified as being on hold from being
dispensed from said dispensing cabinet means, said designation entered at
said terminal means.
45. A system according to claim 43 including further database means for
holding medication interaction data specifying the interaction
characteristics of said medications, and further wherein said control
means includes means for warning pharmacy personnel inputting a new
medication order if said medication specified in said new order has an
interaction characteristic which would cause it to interact with a
medication previously ordered for said patient.
46. A system according to claim 42 further wherein said medication order
data includes data specifying a message related to a particular medication
ordered to be administered, and further wherein said control means
includes means for displaying said message at said dispensing cabinet
means when said medication dose is dispensed.
47. A system according to claim 42 further wherein said medication order
data includes an indication of when an ordered medication is to be
discontinued and wherein said control means includes means for reading
said medication order data on a periodic basis to determine if any orders
are to be discontinued within an upcoming predetermined time period and
for causing a medication discontinue notice report to be printed on said
dispensing cabinet printer means, said report indicating which medications
are to be discontinued within said predetermined period.
48. A system according to claim 42 further wherein said medication
requirement report specifies medications previously scheduled to be
dispensed but which were not dispensed so that medication and
administration personnel are notified of scheduled orders which were not
administered at the specified scheduled time.
49. A system according to claim 42 wherein said dispensing control means
includes means for determining from said medication order data whether a
said dose for said specified patient is scheduled to be administered
within a predetermined time from the time said request is entered and
causing said dispensing cabinet means to dispense only each said dose
scheduled to be administered within said predetermined time period.
50. A system according to claim 42 further wherein for each said dose
ordered to be administered as-needed said scheduled times in said data
specify a predetermined quantity of dose to be administered no more often
than a predetermined number of hours, and further wherein said dispensing
control means includes timing means responsive to a said request for
preventing said as-needed ordered medication from being dispensed from
said dispenser cabinet means at the time of said request if said
predetermined quantity of doses have been dispensed within said
predetermined number of hours.
51. A system according to claim 50 further wherein for said as-needed
ordered medications said data specifies a maximum number of doses to be
administered during a predetermined block of time and further wherein said
timing means includes means for preventing more than said maximum number
of doses to be dispensed during said block of time.
52. A system according to claim 42 further wherein said medications are
dispensed to said patients in periodic rounds and further wherein said
report generating means includes means for causing said medication
requirement report to be printed periodically in accordance with the
timing of said medication rounds for said patients.
53. A system according to claim 52 further wherein said report generating
means includes means responsive to said data for preparing a medication
administration report for at least said patients for which a said dose is
ordered as specified in said order data and for causing said report to be
printed at said printer means, said medication administration report
having information on all the ordered doses scheduled to be dispensed for
said patients during an upcoming predetermined time period encompassing a
plurality of medication rounds, whereby said medication administration
report can be used as a permanent record of the administration of doses to
said patients.
54. A system according to claim 42 wherein said report generating means
further includes means for causing said medication requirement report for
said patients to be printed before a said dose is dispensed from said
cabinet means.
55. A system for dispensing medications to patients in a health care
institution, comprising:
one or more dispensing stocks for holding a plurality of different types of
said medications;
a dispensing stock printer means and a dispensing stock terminal for each
of said dispensing stocks;
control means connected for controlling said dispensing stock terminal and
said printer means, said control means including:
(a) database means for holding medication order data specifying medication
orders for patients in said institution in accordance with medication
prescriptions for said patients, each said order specifying the medication
dose, the scheduled times for administration of said medication dose and
which of said dispensing stocks it is to be dispensed from;
(b) dispensing control means including input means for entering a request
to specify medication to be administered for a specified patient, said
control means responsive to a said request for causing said dispensing
stock terminal to identify for said specified patient each said dose
ordered to be administered to said specified patient according to said
orders and the location of each said dose in said stock whereby said dose
can be taken from said stock; and
(c) report generating means responsive to said data for preparing a
medication requirement report for each of said dispensing stocks and for
causing said medication requirement report to be printed on said printer
means for each dispensing stock, said medication requirement report having
information on each said dose to be administered to said patients,
including the dose and scheduled time for administration, whereby said
medication administration personnel can request said control means to
specify the location of said dose so that it can be taken and administered
to said patients in accordance with said medication requirement report.
56. A system according to claim 55 wherein said control means further
includes pharmacy terminal means for inputting control commands to said
control means and for inputting new medication orders into said database
means.
57. A system according to claim 56 wherein said medication order data
includes means for designating one of said medication orders to be placed
on hold, and further wherein said control means includes means for
preventing orders which are specified as being on hold from being
specified as to be administered at said dispensing stock terminal, said
designation entered at said pharmacy terminal means.
58. A system according to claim 56 including further database means for
holding medication interaction data specifying the interaction
characteristics of said medications, and further wherein said control
means includes means for warning pharmacy personnel inputting a new
medication order if said medication specified in said new order has an
interaction characteristic which would cause it to interact with a
medication previously ordered for said patient.
59. A system according to claim 55 further wherein said medication order
data includes data specifying a message related to a particular medication
ordered to be administered, and further wherein said control means
includes means for displaying said message at said stock terminal.
60. A system according to claim 55 further wherein said patient medication
order data includes an indication of when an ordered medication is to be
discontinued and wherein said control means includes means for reading
said medication order data on a periodic basis to determine if any orders
are to be discontinued wihin an upcoming predetermined time period and for
causing a medication discontinue notice report indicating which
medications are to be discontinued within said predetermined period.
61. A system according to claim 55 further wherein said medication
requirement report specified medications previously scheduled to be
dispensed but which were not specified in response to a request at said
dispensing stock terminal so that medication and administration personnel
are notified of scheduled orders which were not administered at the
specified scheduled time.
62. A system according to claim 55 wherein said dispensing control means
includes means for determining from said medication order data whether a
said dose for said specified patient is scheduled to be administered
within a predetermined time from the time said request is entered and
causing said dispensing stock terminal to specify for administration only
each said dose scheduled to be administered within said predetermined time
period.
63. A system according to claim 55 further wherein for each said dose
ordered to be administered as-needed said scheduled times in said data
specify a predetermined quantity of dose to be administered no more often
than a predetermined number of hours, and further wherein said dispensing
control means includes timing means responsive to a said request for
preventing said as-needed ordered medication from being specified for
administration at the time of said request within said predetermined
number of hours.
64. A system according to claim 63 further wherein for said as-needed
ordered medications said data specifies a maximum number of doses to be
administered during a predetermined block of time and further wherein said
timing means includes means for preventing more than said maximum number
of doses to be specified for administration during said block of time.
65. A system according to claim 55 further wherein said medications are
dispensed to said patients in periodic rounds and further wherein said
report generating means includes means for causing said medication
requirement report to be printed periodically in accordance with the
timing of said medication rounds for said patients.
66. A system according to claim 65 further wherein said report generating
means includes means responsive to said date for preparing a medication
administration report for at least said patients for which a said dose is
ordered as specified in said order data and for causing said report to be
printed at said printer means, said medication administration report
having information on all the ordered doses scheduled to be administered
for said patients during an upcoming predetermined time period
encompassing a plurality of medication rounds, whereby said medication
administration report can be used as a permanent record of the
administration of doses to said patients.
67. A system according to claim 55 wherein said report generating means
further includes means for causing said medication requirement report for
said patients to be printed before a said dose is specified to be
dispensed.
68. A system for delivering medications to patients in a health care
institution, said institution having a pharmacy supply stock of
medications, said system comprising:
one or more dispensing cabinet means for holding a plurality of different
types of said medications in unit dose packages, and each selectively
controllable for dispensing any one of said different types of medications
one or more of said unit dose packages at a time, said medications stocked
in said cabinet means from said pharmacy supply stock;
control means connected for controlling said dispensing cabinet means, said
control means including:
(a) first database means for holding medication order data specifying
medication orders for patients in said institution in accordance with
medication prescriptions for said patients, each said order specifying the
medication dose, the scheduled times for administration of said dose and
which of said dispensing cabinet means it is to be dispensed from;
(b) second database means for holding dispensing cabinet medication data
specifying the types, quantity and location of unit dose packages held in
each of said dispensing cabinet means;
(c) dispensing control means responsive to said medication order data for
controlling each said dispensing cabinet means to cause each to
selectively dispense for said patient a said dose in accordance with said
orders, said dose being dispensed from said cabinet means in said unit
dose packages, said dispensing control means capable of causing any one of
said unit dose packages of any of said different types of medications to
be dispensed for any one of said patients;
(d) pharmacy terminal means for inputting new medication order data so that
new medication orders can be specified in said medication order data, and
for outputting notifications; and
(e) allocation means for reserving unit dose packages held in each said
cabinet means according to medication orders specified in said medication
order data, said allocation means including means for determining for each
new medication order specified whether a said dispensing cabinet means is
currently holding unreserved unit dose packages which can be reserved to
fulfill said new medication order and if an insufficient quantity is
available notifying institution personnel on said pharmacy terminal means
so that medications to fulfill the order can be delivered to said patient
from said supply stock.
69. A system according to claim 68 wherein said medication order data
includes means for designating one of said medication orders to be placed
on hold, and further wherein said dispensing control means includes means
for preventing orders which are specified as being on hold from being
dispensed from said dispensing cabinet means, said designation entered at
said pharmacy terminal means.
70. A system according to claim 68 further including further database means
for holding medication interaction data specifying the interaction
characteristics of said medications, and further wherein said control
means includes means for warning pharmacy personnel inputting new
medication orders at said terminal means if said medication specified in
said new order has a interaction characteristic which would cause it to
interact with a medication previously ordered for said patient.
71. A system according to claim 68 further wherein said medication order
data includes data specifying a message related to a particular medication
ordered to be administered, and further wherein said control means
includes means for displ | | |
