Automated drug discrimination during dispensing

A method of verifying an individual prescription identifying at least one of a formulation and a dosage of pills during a dispensing process for the individual prescription, wherein measurements are taken with at least two sensors adjacent to a dispensing area that is connected to a pill collection area, the method comprising:

• dispensing individual ones of the pills in an individual prescription into and through the dispensing area during the dispensing process;
• collecting in the pill collection area the pills dispensed through the dispensing area for the individual prescription, wherein the pills collected during the dispensing process form an aggregate to be dispensed in the individual prescription;
• taking a plurality of measurements of the aggregate with the at least two sensors at multiple times during the dispensing process for the individual prescription;
• and
• comparing the plurality of measurements to stored pharmaceutical models to verify that a plurality of characteristics of the aggregate substantially matches the stored pharmaceutical models of pills identified in the individual prescription for at least one of the formulation and the dosage of the pill in the aggregate.

A system for verifying an individual prescription identifying at least one of a formulation and a dosage of pharmaceutical pills during a dispensing process for the individual prescription, the system comprising:

• a pill dispensing apparatus for dispensing individual ones of the pills in an individual prescription into and through a dispensing area during the dispensing process;
• a pill collection area for collecting the pills dispensed through the dispensing area for the individual prescription, the dispensing area connected between the dispensing apparatus and the collection area, wherein the pills collected in the collection area during the dispensing process form an aggregate to be dispensed in the individual prescription;
• at least two sensors adjacent to the dispensing area for taking a plurality of measurements the pills at multiple times during the dispensing process for the individual prescription, wherein at least one of the at least two sensors is configured to take a measurement of each of the pills as each is moving through the dispensing area;
• and
• a discrimination system for comparing the plurality of measurements to stored pharmaceutical models to verify that a plurality of characteristics of each of the pills substantially matches the stored pharmaceutical models of pills identified in the individual prescription for at least one of the formulation and the dosage of the pill.

A method of verifying an individual prescription identifying at least one of a formulation and a dosage of pharmaceutical pills during a dispensing process for the individual prescription, wherein measurements are taken with at least two sensors adjacent to a dispensing area that is connected to a pill collection area, the method comprising:

• dispensing individual ones of the pills in an individual prescription into and through the dispensing area during the dispensing process;
• collecting in the pill collection area the pills dispensed through the dispensing area for the individual prescription, wherein the pills collected during the dispensing process form an aggregate to be dispensed in the individual prescription;
• taking a plurality of measurements of the pills with the at least two sensors at multiple times during the dispensing process for the individual prescription, wherein at least one of the at least two sensors is configured to take a measurement of each of the pills as each is moving through the dispensing area;
• and
• comparing the plurality of measurements to stored pharmaceutical models to verify that a plurality of characteristics of each of the pills substantially matches the stored pharmaceutical models of pills identified in the individual prescription for at least one of the formulation and the dosage of the pill.