US 12,632,820 B2Granted

Advanced prediction of shipping attributes of a package in a dispensing pharmacy

AssigneeMcKesson Corporation

InventorsScott Martin, Juston Oakes, Hommy Lopez

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Abstract

Technologies are provided for advanced prediction of shipping attributes of a package in a dispensing pharmacy. In some embodiments, a computing system can receive prescription data identifying one or more amounts of respective medications, and can generate, using the prescription data, an estimate of weight of a package containing the one or more amounts of the respective medications. The computing system can then cause, at a time before automated packing of the respective medications into the package, a second computing system to provide shipping data for the package. The shipping data includes first data defining a shipping label. The second computing system can be remotely located relative to the computing system. The computing system can receive the shipping data at a second time before the automated packing of the respective medications into the package, and also can store the shipping data in a storage device.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A computing system, comprising:

at least one processor;
and
at least one memory device having processor-executable instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the at least one processor, cause the computing system to:
receive prescription data identifying one or more amounts of respective medications;
determine, using the prescription data, an estimated weight of a package containing the one or more amounts of the respective medications;
cause, at a time before automated packing of the respective medications into the package, a second computing system to provide shipping data for the package, wherein the shipping data comprises first data defining a shipping label, and wherein the second computing system is remotely located relative to the computing system;
receive, by a pharmacy server of the computing system, the shipping data from the second computing system at a second time before the automated packing of the respective medications into the package, wherein the pharmacy server comprises a storage device;
store, via the pharmacy server, the shipping data in the storage device;
in response to storage of the shipping data, cause, via the pharmacy server, execution of the automated packing of the respective medications into the package, wherein the automated packing is executed at least in part via conveyance equipment controlled via the pharmacy server;
and
in response to at least one user interaction with a peripheral device integrated into or otherwise coupled to the pharmacy server, cause, by the pharmacy server, a shipping label for the package to be output by a printing device and applied to the package, wherein the printing device outputs the shipping label based on the shipping data stored in the storage device of the pharmacy server, wherein the at least one user interaction with the peripheral device causes the pharmacy server to read the shipping data in the storage device, wherein the at least one user interaction is indicated to the pharmacy server after the automated packing of the respective medications into the package is complete, and wherein the package with the shipping label applied thereto is released to the conveyance equipment for subsequent shipping.

8 more elements

A method, comprising:

receiving, by a dispensing pharmacy system, prescription data identifying one or more amounts of respective medications;
determining, by the dispensing pharmacy system, using the prescription data, an estimated weight of a package containing the one or more amounts of the respective medications;
causing, by the dispensing pharmacy system, at a time before automated packing of the respective medications into the package, a second computing system to provide shipping data for the package, wherein the shipping data comprises first data defining a shipping label, and wherein the second computing system is remotely located relative to the dispensing pharmacy system;
receiving, by a pharmacy server of the dispensing pharmacy system, the shipping data from the second computing system at a second time before the automated packing of the respective medications into the package, wherein the pharmacy server comprises a storage device;
storing, via the pharmacy server, the shipping data in the storage device;
in response to storage of the shipping data, causing, via the pharmacy server, execution of the automated packing of the respective medications into the package, wherein the automated packing is executed at least in part via conveyance equipment controlled via the pharmacy server;
and
in response to at least one user interaction with a peripheral device integrated into or otherwise coupled to the pharmacy server, causing, by the pharmacy server, a shipping label for the package to be output by a printing device and applied to the package, wherein the printing device outputs the shipping label based on the shipping data stored in the storage device of the pharmacy server, wherein the at least one user interaction with the peripheral device causes the pharmacy server to read the shipping data in the storage device, wherein the at least one user interaction is indicated to the pharmacy server after the automated packing of the respective medications into the package is complete, and wherein the package with the shipping label applied thereto is released to the conveyance equipment for subsequent shipping.

5 more elements

At least one computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause a computing system to:

receive prescription data identifying one or more amounts of respective medications;
determine, using the prescription data, an estimated weight of a package containing the one or more amounts of the respective medications;
cause, at a time before automated packing of the respective medications into the package, a second computing system to provide shipping data for the package, wherein the shipping data comprises first data defining a shipping label, and wherein the second computing system is remotely located relative to the computing system;
receive, by a pharmacy server of the computing system, the shipping data from the second computing system at a second time before the automated packing of the respective medications into the package, wherein the pharmacy server comprises a storage device;
store, via the pharmacy server, the shipping data in the storage device;
in response to storage of the shipping data, cause, via the pharmacy server, execution of the automated packing of the respective medications into the package, wherein the automated packing is executed at least in part via conveyance equipment controlled via the pharmacy server;
and
in response to at least one user interaction with a peripheral device integrated into or otherwise coupled to the pharmacy server, cause, by the pharmacy server, a shipping label for the package to be output by a printing device and applied to the package, wherein the printing device outputs the shipping label based on the shipping data stored in the storage device of the pharmacy server, wherein the at least one user interaction with the peripheral device causes the pharmacy server to read the shipping data in the storage device, wherein the at least one user interaction is indicated to the pharmacy server after the automated packing of the respective medications into the package is complete, and wherein the package with the shipping label applied thereto is released to the conveyance equipment for subsequent shipping.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.