Systems and methods for manual countables
AssigneeExpress Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
InventorJonathan W. Joplin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for manually filling a prescription order. A manual fill device may be incorporated into a manual fill center of a pharmacy operated by one or more pharmacists and/or pharmacist technicians to manually fill certain prescription containers. The manual fill device may include a control unit which may operate at the direction of the order processing device. The manual fill device may also include a distribution section automating distribution of containers for manual fulfillment, and a manual section in which a pharmacist may utilize available pharmaceuticals to manually fill orders.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a distribution section including a robot and a scanner, the robot being configured to select and pick a container from the distribution section and move the container to the scanner, and the scanner being configured to scan the container to identify one of a plurality of various pharmaceuticals to be deposited in the container;
- a manual section disposed adjacent the distribution section, the manual section including a plurality of handling areas and a plurality of shelving areas for storing the plurality of various pharmaceuticals;
- and
- a control unit,
- wherein each of the plurality of shelving areas stores at least one of the plurality of various pharmaceuticals,
- wherein the control unit is configured to determine (i) at least one of the plurality of shelving areas that is storing the one of the plurality of various pharmaceuticals based on the identification by the scanner;
- and (ii) a selected handling area of the plurality of handling areas associated with the at least one of the plurality of shelving areas and
- wherein the robot is further configured to direct the container from the distribution section to the selected handling area.
A method comprising:
- selecting a container from a holding area;
- scanning the container by a scanner;
- determining a pharmaceutical of a plurality of various pharmaceuticals associated with the container based on the scan, for filling the container with the pharmaceutical;
- determining (i) a shelving area among a plurality of shelving areas that is storing the pharmaceutical, and (ii) each of the plurality of shelving areas storing at least one of the plurality of various pharmaceuticals;
- selecting a handling area from a plurality of handling areas associated with the shelving area;
- and
- routing the container to the handling area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.