An automatic drug dispensing and picking system that automatically dispenses prescribed drugs on the basis of prescription data, the automatic drug dispensing and picking system comprising:
- a plurality of drug bottle storage racks arranged side by side in parallel at a predetermined interval, each drug bottle storage rack including multiple shelves and rows and storing a plurality of drug bottles, each drug bottle containing drugs therein and including a cap attached thereto;
- a traveling rail arranged between, and along a width direction of, the drug bottle storage racks arranged side by side;
- a crane device configured to travel the traveling rail and pick, on the basis of the prescription data, a drug bottle containing the prescribed drugs from a corresponding one of the drug bottle storage racks;
- a drug bottle control device configured to receive, from the crane device, the drug bottle that the crane device has picked from the corresponding drug bottle storage rack, and discharge, from the received drug bottle, the drugs contained therein to an adjacent tray;
- a cap removing device configured to remove a cap attached to the drug bottle that the drug bottle control device has received from the crane device;
- and
- a drug picking device configured to pick, from among the drugs discharged to the tray by the drug bottle control device, the number of drugs necessary for prescription on the basis of the prescription data, and put the picked drugs into a prescription bottle conveyed by an adjacent conveyance belt,
- wherein each drug bottle is stored in the corresponding drug bottle storage rack with each drug bottle laid horizontally in a direction in which the cap attached thereto faces the traveling rail,
- the crane device includes a picking arm attached thereto and configured to be driven to rotate in a horizontal direction, and causes the picking arm to grasp the cap of the drug bottle to pick the drug bottle from the corresponding one of the drug bottle storage racks arranged on both sides of the crane device, and then pass the drug bottle to the drug bottle control device, while maintaining the state of the drug bottle laid horizontally,
- the drug bottle control device includes a drug bottle holding section configured to grasp and hold, from an outside of the drug bottle, the drug bottle received from the crane device, a sliding section capable of sliding the drug bottle holding section toward and away from the tray, a drug bottle turning section configured to turn the drug bottle holding section vertically at a predetermined angle, and a drug bottle raising and lowering section configured to raise and lower the drug bottle holding section within a predetermined height range,
- in discharging the drugs contained in the drug bottle to the tray,
- the sliding section slides, toward the tray, the drug bottle holding section grasping the drug bottle received from the crane device,
- the drug bottle turning section vertically turns the drug bottle holding section such that the cap attached to the drug bottle faces upward,
- the cap removing device removes the cap attached to the drug bottle to expose an opening portion of the drug bottle,
- the drug bottle turning section discharges the drugs contained in the drug bottle to the tray by turning the drug bottle holding section vertically at the predetermined angle, and
- the drug bottle turning section vertically turns the drug bottle holding section such that the opening portion of the drug bottle faces upward,
- in containing, among the drugs discharged to the tray, drugs unnecessary for the prescription again in the drug bottle,
- the drug bottle raising and lowering section lowers the sliding section until the opening portion of the drug bottle is in a position near a height of the tray,
- the drug picking device puts the drugs unnecessary for the prescription from the tray into the opening portion of the drug bottle,
- the drug bottle raising and lowering section raises the sliding section until the drug bottle is in an initial height position,
- the cap removing device attaches the cap to the drug bottle again,
- the drug bottle turning section turns the drug bottle holding section vertically in the direction in which the cap attached to the drug bottle faces the traveling rail, and
- the sliding section slides the drug bottle holding section toward the traveling rail, and
- in storing the drug bottle in the corresponding drug bottle storage rack again,
- the drug bottle control device detaches the drug bottle holding section from the drug bottle and passes the drug bottle to the crane device, and
- the crane device stores, upon receiving the drug bottle from the drug bottle control device, the drug bottle in the corresponding one of the drug bottle storage racks arranged on both sides of the crane device by causing the picking arm to grasp the cap of the drug bottle while maintaining the state of the drug bottle laid horizontally.