Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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MEDICAMENT DISPENSING CONTROL WORKSTATION
10
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to medicament dispensing systems. More
particularly, the invention relates to a compact yet fully functional
workstation for use in
filling and dispensing medicaments such as prescription drugs.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Pharmacists in many areas still manually fill and dispense prescriptions by
reading a prescription ticket, manually locating a supply container of a
medicament that
fills the prescription, manually filling a vial or other package with
medicaments from the
supply container and then printing and placing a prescription label onto the
vial or
package. Such manual prescription filling and dispensing methods occasionally
lead to
potentially serious errors. For example, pharmacists sometimes locate and use
the
wrong supply container to fill a prescription and thus dispense the wrong
medicament.
Similarly, pharmacists sometimes inadvertently switch the labels for two
different
prescriptions and thus mislabel dispensed medicaments. Mislabeling errors are
compounded by the fact that many pharmacists print labels for numerous
different
prescriptions at the same time and then later attempt to locate the proper
label for a
prescription from a pile of pre-printed labels.
Automatic dispensing systems, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Patent
No. 5,337,919 (hereinafter referred to as the "'919 patent") have been
developed to
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assist pharmacists in the filling and dispensing of medicaments. Although the
system
described in the '919 patent is extremely effective for both eliminating
filling and
dispensing errors and for increasing the efficiency of a pharmacy, it is
sometimes too
costly for small pharmacies or too large for small locations and limited to
dispensing
medications that can be automated.
Portable prescription control computers have been developed for use by
smaller pharmacies to organize the filling and dispensing of medicaments.
However,
these prior art portable systems either lack many components and features
needed to
prevent prescription filling and dispensing errors or are too large,
cumbersome, and
difficult to use.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves the above-described problems and provides
a distinct advance in the art of medicament dispensing systems and methods.
More
particularly, the present invention provides a medicament dispensing
workstation that
effectively eliminates errors associated with medicament filling and
dispensing and that
is compact, fully functional, and easy to use.
The workstation of the present invention broadly includes a computer
operable to access a prescription database for retrieving prescriptions
therefrom; a
printer coupled with the computer and operable to print prescription labels;
an indicia
reader such as a bar code reader coupled with the computer; a monitor coupled
with the
computer for displaying certain prescription data thereon; an input device
such as a
keyboard or keypad coupled with the computer for permitting manual entry of
data
therein; and a fingerprint reader coupled with the computer for verification
purposes.
The workstation may also include other components such as a digital camera and
speakers. The components of the workstation are all mounted in or coupled with
a
compact housing that easily fits on top of a small counter top or table.
An operator such as a pharmacist or pharmacist technician may use the
workstation either as a stand-alone device or in conjunction with an automatic
medicament storing and dispensing apparatus. In both applications, the
workstation first
retrieves or is sent prescription data corresponding to a prescription to be
filled from a
pharmacy host computer. The monitor displays certain parts of the prescription
data
such as text information and/or an image of the medicament or product that
fills the
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prescription so that the operator can locate a supply container for filling
the prescription.
Once the supply container has been located, the operator scans container
indicia on the
supplycontainerwith the indicia reader, and the computer compares the scanned
indicia
to the prescription data to determine whether the proper supply container was
retrieved.
If the wrong supply container was retrieved, the computer displays a warning
on the
monitor and prevents the printer from printing a prescription label for the
prescription.
If, however, the proper supply container was located, the computer
presents information regarding the prescription and text information and/or an
image of
the medication and then allows the operator to prompt the printer to print a
prescription
label for placement on a vial or package filled from the supply container. The
operator
then places the label on the vial or package and scans the prescription label
with the
indicia reader to verify that the proper medicament has been placed in the
vial or
package. During the verification scan, the monitor displays a graphic image of
the
prescribed medicament and information relating to the prescription so that the
operator
may compare the medicament in the vial or package to the graphic image and the
other
displayed prescription information to verify that the proper medicament has
been placed
in the vial or package.
The computer and printer are also configurable to add additional controls
to prevent mislabeling of vials and packages. Specifically, the computer and
printer are
configured to discard or otherwise prevent access to a printed prescription
label that is
not retrieved from the printer within a predetermined amount of time. The
computer and
printer also discard or otherwise prevent access to a printed prescription
label if an
operator attempts to fill another prescription with the workstation before the
prescription
label has been retrieved from the printer or the active prescription is
completed. This
prevents an operator from pre-printing numerous prescription labels before the
labels
are applied to the appropriate vials or packages and therefore eliminates
confusion as
to which label should be applied to a vial or package.
These and other important aspects of the present invention are described
more fully in the detailed description below.
00
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail
below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
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Fig. 1 is an isometric view with parts broken away of a medicament
dispensing workstation constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment
of the
present invention and depicting the workstation in its fully opened position.
Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the workstation with certain components
shown in section and other components depicted in dashed lines.
Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the workstation with parts broken away
depicting the workstation in its fully closed position.
Fig. 4 is a block diagram of certain components of the workstation.
Fig. 5 is an isometric view of the workstation shown in use with an
automatic medicament storing and dispensing apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Turning now to the drawing figures, and particularly Fig. 1, a medicament
dispensing control workstation 10 constructed in accordance with a preferred
embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The workstation is configured for
use by an
operator to assist in the filling and dispensing of prescriptions for
medicaments and other
products. The operator may be a pharmacist, a pharmacy technician, or any
other
authorized person. The workstation may be used as a stand-alone device or may
be
used in conjunction with an automatic medicament storing and dispensing
apparatus
such as the apparatus 12 illustrated in Fig. 5 or the SP 200 manufactured and
sold by
ScriptPro LLC of Mission, Kansas. Operation of the workstation for both of
these
applications is described below.
As best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, the workstation 10 broadly includes an
outer housing or enclosure 14, a computer 16, a printer 18, an indicia reader
20, a
monitor 22, one or more input devices 24, and a fingerprint reader 26. The
workstation
may also include other components such as a digital camera 27 and speakers 29.
In more detail, the housing 14 encloses and/or supports other components
of the workstation 10 and, as best illustrated in Fig. 1, includes a front
wall 28, a rear wall
30, a left side wall 32, and a right side wall 34 that together define an open-
top interior
chamber. The housing may be formed of any suitable material such as aluminum
or
plastic and is approximately the size of a conventional personal computer so
that it
easily fits on top of a small counter top or table.
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The front wall 28 of the housing 14 includes an opening communicating
with the interior chamber for receiving a sliding drawer 36 that holds the
input device 24.
A transparent window 38 (Fig. 5) is also formed in the front wall for
providing access to
the indicia reader 20 as described below. The front wall preferably includes a
horizontally hinged panel or door40, having a label slot or port 42 therein
for discharging
printed prescription labels from the printer 18 to an operator operating the
workstation.
The panel 40 can be manually shifted between opened (Fig. 2) and closed (Fig.
3)
positions to provide access to the interior chamber of the housing as
described below.
The left and right side walls 32, 34 of the housing 14 each include a pair
of spaced-apart panels 44, 46 and 48, 50 defining an open area therebetween.
The
open areas accommodate operation of mechanism for shifting the hinged panel 40
and
the monitor 22 between open and closed positions as described in more detail
below.
The computer 16 controls the other components of the workstation and
communicates with a pharmacy host computer 52 (Fig. 4) for retrieving
prescription data
therefrom. The computer may be any computing device such as a central
processing
unit (CPU) of a conventional personal computer or a custom programmed PLC or
processor. The pharmacy host computer may be any computer running a pharmacy
prescription dispensing management program such as those provided by QS/1
Pharmacy Computer System Software. The computer 16 is configured to access one
or more databases 54 such as an attribute database containing information
relating to
medicaments that are to be dispensed and a prescription database containing
prescription data and information. This attribute database preferably includes
graphic
images of medicaments as well as other identifying information. The databases
may
reside in either the computer 16 or the pharmacy computer 52 or may be stored
in
memory separate from but accessible by eitherthe computer orthe pharmacy
computer.
When the workstation 10 is used as a stand-alone device, it includes its
own separate computer 16 that communicates with the pharmacy host computer 52.
When the workstation is coupled with an automatic medicament storing and
dispensing
system 12 such as the one illustrated in Fig. 5, it may not include its own
separate
computer, but may instead be coupled with the computer running the medicament
storing and dispensing system. Such an automatic storing and dispensing system
is
described in co-pending patent application entitled Automatic Dispensing
System for
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Unit Medicament Packages, Serial No. 09/457,286, filed December 8, 1999,
hereby
incorporated into the present application by reference.
The printer 18 is coupled with and controlled by the computer and is
preferably positioned within the interior chamber of the housing 14. The
printer is
preferably a label-type printer and is described in more detail in co-pending
patent
application entitled Label Printing Assembly For Use With a Medicament
Dispensing
Control Workstation, Serial No. , filed March 29, 2000, hereby
incorporated into the present application by reference. The label printer
includes a label
peeler assembly 56 that communicates with the label slot 42 in the hinged
panel 40 to
discharge printed prescription labels therefrom.
The indicia reader 20 is coupled with the computer 16 and is also
preferably positioned in the interior chamber of the enclosure 14. The indicia
reader is
preferably a conventional bar code scanner or reader operable to read bar code
labels
or other indicia and codes from items that are passed over the transparent
window 38
in the enclosure front wall 28.
The monitor 22 is coupled with the computer 16 and is preferably mounted
to the enclosure so that it can be shifted between a lowered, forward position
illustrated
in Fig. 3 and a raised, rearward position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. When
in its lowered
position, a cover panel 58 mounted adjacent the monitor covers the open top of
the
enclosure to prevent access to the label printer and other components housed
in the
enclosure. Conversely, when the monitor is shifted to its raised position, the
monitor
and cover panel are shifted rearward away from the open top of the enclosure
to permit
access to the label printer and other components within the enclosure. The
monitor is
preferably a flat screen-type computer monitor.
The monitor 22 is hingedly attached to the enclosure 14 by a pair of
pivotally mounted L-shaped brackets 60, 62. The lower end of each bracket is
coupled
with a pneumatic cylinder 64, 65 that has one end fixed to the enclosure. The
pneumatic cylinders maintain the position of the monitor after it has been
shifted to
either its raised or lowered positions.
A pair of spring-tensioned rods 66, 68 are connected between the hinged
panel 40 and the tower end of each bracket 60, 62. When the monitor 22 is
manually
shifted to its raised position (Figs. 1 and 2), the brackets extend the rods
to open the
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hinged panel. Conversely, when the monitor is shifted to its closed position
(Fig. 3), the
brackets retract the rods to close the panel.
The workstation 10 also includes mechanism that maintains the monitor
in an upright, viewable position as it is shifted between its raised and
lowered positions.
Specifically, the mechanism includes a sprocket 70 rotatably mounted to the
tower end
of each bracket, a sprocket 72 rotatably mounted to the upper end of each
bracket, and
a chain or belt 74 trained across the sprockets. The upper sprockets are
mounted to a
shaft 76 that is fixed to the monitor casing by a slip clutch. When the
monitor is shifted
between its raised and lowered position, the sprockets and chain act as a four-
bar
linkage to maintain the upright orientation of the monitor so that it can
always be easily
viewed. The slip clutch coupled with the top sprocket allows the orientation
or angle of
the monitor to be manually adjusted.
The input device 24 is coupled with the computer 16 and is preferably
positioned within the drawer 36 that slides in and out of the enclosure 14.
The input
device is preferably a conventional keyboard and/or keypad. The fingerprint
reader 26
is also coupled with the computer and may be positioned in the drawer or
elsewhere on
or in the enclosure.
The optional digital camera 27 may be provided for teleconferencing
purposes and is preferably positioned either on top of the monitor or on one
of the side
walls of the enclosure. The optional speakers 24 are provided for sounding
certain
warning messages as described below and may be internally or externally
mounted
relative to the enclosure.
Operation
As mentioned above, the workstation 10 may be used as a stand-alone
device or may be used in conjunction with an automatic medicament storing and
dispensing apparatus 12. When used alone, a prescription filling and
dispensing
procedure is initiated when the computer 16 retrieves or is sent prescription
data
corresponding to a prescription that needs to be filled from the pharmacy host
computer
12. The computer accesses the databases 54 and displays on the monitor 22
certain
information relating to the prescription to be filled such as the type of
medicament or
product that fills the prescription, an image of the medicament or product,
the prescribed
quantity of the medicament, the doctor's name, and the patient's name.
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The operator reads the information from the monitor 22 and then retrieves
a supply container containing the medicament needed to fill the prescription.
Each
supply container has a bar code or other indicia printed thereon which
includes data
representative of the medicament or product therein. The bar code on each
supply
container or package is preferably a UPC code corresponding to the national
drug code
(NDC) or the drug identification number (DIN) of the medicament or product.
The
operator passes the bar code label or other container indicia on the supply
container
over the transparent window 38 of the indicia reader 20 so that the indicia
reader can
read the container indicia and send information relating thereto to the
computer 16. If
the bar code or other indicia on the supply container or package is scratched
or
otherwise unreadable, the operator may manually enter such information into
the
computer via the input device 24.
The computer 16 compares the indicia read from the supply container or
package to the prescription data for the prescription currently being filled
to determine
a match. If the indicia on the supply container does not match or correspond
to the
prescription data, the computer provides a visual and/or audio error message
to the
operator via the monitor 22 and/or the speakers 29 to instruct the operator
that the
wrong supply container has been retrieved. The computer also prevents the
printer from
printing a prescription label.
If, however, the operator retrieved the correct supply container, the
computer 16 prompts the operator to fill a vial or package with the medicament
from the
supply container according to the prescription data. The computer then allows
the
operator to prompt the printer 18 to print a prescription label corresponding
to the
prescription and instructs the operator to place the prescription label on the
vial or
package to be delivered to the patient.
To verify that the proper medicament has been placed in the vial or
package and that the proper label has been placed on the vial or package, the
operator
must perform a verification scan. Specifically, the operator is instructed to
scan the
prescription label placed on the vial or package by passing the vial or
package over the
transparent window 38 of the indicia reader 20. In response, the computer 16
displays
on the monitor 22 a graphic image of the medicament that corresponds to the
prescription label and other information relating to the prescription such as
the patient's
name and the doctor's name. This allows the operator to compare the medicament
in
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the vial or package to the graphic image of the medicament on the computer
monitor to
ensure that the proper medicament has been placed in the vial or package.
During or after the verification scan, the operator must enter a unique PIN
number associated with the operator or must place his or her fingerprint in
the fingerprint
reader 26 so that the computer 16 may authorize the operator and record which
operator
dispensed the vial or package. This ensures that only authorized operators can
operate
the workstation and also forces operators to accept responsibility for vials
or packages
as they are dispensed to patients.
When the workstation 10 is used with an automatic medicament storing
and dispensing apparatus 12 such as the one illustrated in Fig. 5, pre-
packaged
products or vials are delivered to the operator by the apparatus in response
to
prescriptions from the pharmacy computer 52. The operator must scan a product
or vial
that has been dispensed by the apparatus 12 to determine that it matches the
prescription in the same manner that the operator scans the supply container
in the
application described above. All subsequent steps are identical.
The computer 16 and the printer 18 are also configured to prevent
mislabeling of a vial or package so that the wrong vial or package is not
dispensed to
a patient. Specifically, after a prescription label has been printed, the
computer directs
the printer to retract or otherwise make the label unavailable to the operator
if the
operator has not taken the label from the printer within a predetermined
amount of time.
This time period may be selected by the operator but is preferably
approximately 30
seconds. The computer may display on the monitor a countdown of the time
remaining
before a label is retracted to alert the operator that a label is about to be
retracted.
Similarly, if an operator attempts to fill a new prescription with the
workstation 10 before a printed prescription label for a previous prescription
has been
retrieved from the printer, the computer 16 will direct the printer 18 to
retract the previous
prescription label so that it cannot inadvertently be placed on a vial or
package used to
dispense the later-filled prescription. After an operator attempts to fill a
new prescription,
the computer may warn the operator to retrieve and apply the label for the
previous
prescription before the printer retracts the old label.
Although the invention has been described with reference to the preferred
embodiment illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is noted that
equivalents may
be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of
the
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invention as recited in the claims. For example, although the drawing figures
and
specification illustrate and describe a preferred embodiment of the
workstation, the
particular shape, size, and components used in the workstation may change
without
departing from the scope of the invention.
Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, what is
claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the
following:
