Method, apparatus, and computer program product for dispensing products

A method of operating a dispensing system comprising a workstation, a display, and a user interface, the method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of orders for a plurality of different product types;
• grouping the plurality of orders into a plurality of queues, each queue corresponding to a particular product type of the order, wherein each queue only includes a single product type;
• receiving an indication, via the user interface, that the workstation is clear of any products;
• identifying a queue of orders of the plurality of queues for a first product type as maintained in a memory;
• identifying that the queue of orders for the first product type is batch-fill eligible;
• providing for presentation of an identification of a batch of the first product type to be retrieved in response to the indication that the workstation is clear, wherein the queue of orders for a first product type is exclusively of the first product type;
• receiving an identification of a batch of products of the first product type received at the workstation;
• receiving confirmation that each product in the batch of products is of the first product type;
• receiving an approval of the batch of products from a registered pharmacist in response to the pharmacist confirming that each product of the batch of products is the first product type;
• determining a next order from the queue of orders;
• providing, on the display, the next order from the queue of orders for the first product type;
• receiving an identification of a product of the first product type dispensed from the batch of products of the first product type, wherein pharmacist approval is not requested or required of the dispensed product in response to the approval of the batch of products being of the first product type;
• causing a label to be printed for the next order in the queue of orders for the first product type;
• and
• providing an indication that the next order has been filled correctly.

A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising:

• program code instructions for receiving a plurality of orders for a plurality of different product types;
• program code instructions for grouping the plurality of orders into a plurality of queues, each queue corresponding to a particular product type of the order wherein each queue only includes a single product type;
• program code instructions for receiving an indication, via the user interface, that the workstation is clear of any products;
• program code instructions for identifying a queue of orders of the plurality of queues for a first product type as maintained in a memory, wherein the queue of orders for a first product type is exclusively of the first product type;
• program code instructions to identify that the queue of orders for the first product type is batch-fill eligible;
• program code instructions for providing for presentation of an identification of a batch of the first product type to be retrieved in response to the indication that the workstation is clear;
• program code instructions for receiving an identification of a batch of products of the first product type received at the workstation;
• program code instructions for receiving confirmation that each product in a batch of products is of a first product type;
• program code instructions for receiving an approval of the batch of products from a registered pharmacist in response to the pharmacist confirming that each product of the batch of products is the first product type;
• program code instructions for determining a next order from the queue of orders;
• program code instructions for providing, on the display, the next order from the queue of orders for the first product type;
• program code instructions for receiving an identification of a product of the first product type dispensed from the batch of products of the first product type, wherein pharmacist approval is not requested or required for the dispensed product in response to the approval of the batch of products being of the first product type;
• program code instructions for causing a label to be printed for the next order in the queue of orders for the first product type;
• and
• program code instructions for providing an indication that the next order has been filled correctly.