Automated system and method of recording contents of single medicines vended from a plurality of vending machines in an electronic record that stores records for a plurality of patients associated with respective vending machines

An automated method of recording contents of previously dispensed single medicines being vended from a plurality of vending machines in electronic records that store records for a plurality of patients who are associated with respective vending machines, each vending machine being associated with only one patient, the electronic records including the following fields (i) patient identifier, (ii) schedule of dose times, (iii) contents of single medicines to be vended at the appropriate dose time in the dose schedule, and (iv) vended medications indicator, the method comprising:

• (a) receiving at a medication administration computer from the vending machines electronic messages generated at the vending machine that include at least the following information whenever a vending event occurs at one of the vending machines:
• (i) a unique identifier of the patient, and
• (ii) a scheduled dose time;
• (b) detecting at the medication administration computer for each received electronic message whether an electronic record exists that includes a patient identifier that matches the unique identifier of the patient and the scheduled dose time;
• and
• (c) recording by the medication administration computer in the vended medications indicator field that the single medicines to be vended at the appropriate dose time in the dose schedule were properly vended when it is detected in step (b) that an electronic record exists for a patient identifier that matches the unique identifier of the patient and the scheduled dose time,
• wherein all of the single medicines vended from a particular vending machine are for the same patient.

An apparatus for recording contents of previously dispensed single medicines being vended from a plurality of vending machines in electronic records that store records for a plurality of patients who are associated with respective vending machines, each vending machine being associated with only one patient, the electronic records including the following fields (i) patient identifier, (ii) schedule of dose times, (iii) contents of single medicines to be vended at the appropriate dose time in the dose schedule, and (iv) vended medications indicator, the apparatus comprising a medication administration computer configured to:

• (i) receive from the vending machines electronic messages generated at the vending machine that include at least the following information whenever a vending event occurs at one of the vending machines:
• (A) a unique identifier of the patient, and
• (B) a scheduled dose time;
• (ii) detect for each received electronic message whether an electronic record exists that includes a patient identifier that matches the unique identifier of the patient and the scheduled dose time;
• and
• (iii) record in the vended medications indicator field that the single medicines to be vended at the appropriate dose time in the dose schedule were properly vended when it is detected in step (ii) that an electronic record exists for a patient identifier that matches the unique identifier of the patient and the scheduled dose time,
• wherein all of the single medicines vended from a particular vending machine are for the same patient.