System and method for high-volume filling of pharmaceutical prescriptions
AssigneeParata Systems, LLC
InventorsMichael W. Jehn, Michael McCord, John Preston
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vial accumulator for use in a high volume pharmacy facility includes: a feed plate having an aperture; a vial staging unit mounted to the feed plate, the vial staging unit comprising at least one receiving compartment; a gate movably mounted to the feed plate, the gate movable relative to the feed plate between a blocking position, wherein the gate prevents a vial from exiting one of the receiving compartments, and a dispensing position, in which the gate allows passage of a vial in one of the receiving compartments through the aperture in the feed plate; and a controller operatively associated with the vial staging unit and the gate.
Claims12
A method of dispensing first and second filled pharmaceutical vials into first and second receptacles in a high volume pharmacy, comprising the steps of:
- (a) filling a first vial with a medicament with an automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine;
- (b) delivering the first filled pharmaceutical vial from the automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine to a vial accumulator configured to hold multiple pharmaceutical vials;
- (c) filling a second vial with a medicament with the automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine;
- (d) delivering the second filled pharmaceutical vial from the automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine to the vial accumulator;
- (e) conveying the first receptacle to a receiving position adjacent to the vial accumulator;
- (f) delivering the first filled pharmaceutical vial from the vial accumulator to the first receptacle;
- (g) conveying the second receptacle to a receiving position adjacent the vial accumulator;
- and
- (h) delivering the second filled pharmaceutical vial from the vial accumulator to the second receptacle.
A method of dispensing a first filled pharmaceutical vial into a receptacle in a high volume pharmacy, comprising the steps of:
- (a) filling a vial with a medicament with a first automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine;
- (b) delivering the first filled pharmaceutical vial from the first automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine to a vial accumulator configured to hold multiple pharmaceutical vials;
- (c) conveying the receptacle to a receiving position adjacent the vial accumulator;
- (d) delivering the first filled pharmaceutical vial from the vial accumulator to the receptacle;
- and
- (e) conveying the receptacle to a second automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine and delivering a second filled pharmaceutical vial from the second pharmaceutical dispensing machine to the receptacle.
A method of dispensing a filled pharmaceutical vial into a receptacle in a high volume pharmacy, comprising the steps of:
- (a) filling a vial with a medicament with an automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine;
- (b) delivering the filled pharmaceutical vial from the automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine to a vial accumulator configured to hold multiple pharmaceutical vials;
- (c) conveying the receptacle to a receiving position adjacent the vial accumulator;
- (d) delivering the filled pharmaceutical vial from the vial accumulator to the receptacle;
- and
- (e) conveying the receptacle away from the automated pharmacy machine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.