Pharmacy based method and algorithm for handling of radioactive pharmaceuticals and generating of reports therefor

A process for acquiring and distributing radioactive pharmaceuticals by a pharmacy and simultaneously collecting necessary data in connection with the acquisition and delivery of the radioactive pharmaceuticals, said method comprising:

• a) receiving an order for a radioactive pharmaceutical;
• b) processing that order by acquiring the radioactive pharmaceutical and electronically recording data about the order and the processing of the radioactive pharmaceutical;
• c) performing quality control procedures with regard to the radioactive pharmaceutical and any implements used in connection therewith and which may have been contaminated by radioactivity;
• d) recording data about the quality control procedures with respect to the radioactive pharmaceutical and implements used in connection therewith;
• e) automatically segregating the data recorded according to requirements for reporting information on the pharmaceuticals and the implements used in connection therewith;
• and
• f) printing reports in accordance with governmental requirements with the segregated data such that the data for the reports is automatically gathered and presented in the report formats required by such governmental requirements, thereby minimizing the time required for personnel to generate the required reports.

Electronic data processing program based algorithm for aiding in the acquiring, supplying and deliver of radioactive pharmaceuticals to a plurality of patient facilities, said algorithm comprising:

• a) a group of transaction generating activities for generating instructions to an operator about patient facilities and the dates certain radioactive pharmaceuticals are to be acquired and delivered to a patient facility;
• b) provisions for introducing into a first data bank data about radioactive pharmaceutical products to be supplied to a patient facility and introducing into a second bank data about the radioactive pharmaceuticals to be supplied and introducing into a third data bank data about the amount of radioactivity in the radioactive pharmaceuticals and introducing into a fourth data bank data about the dates of delivery to the facilities to which such radioactive pharmaceuticals can be delivered;
• c) steps in said algorithm for automatically assigning to the data introduced a separate one of first codes about each of the patient facilities who are to receive a radioactive pharmaceutical, a separate one of second codes about each of the radioactive pharmaceutical products, a separate one of third codes about the amount of radioactivity in each of the radioactive pharmaceuticals which are to be delivered and a separate one of fourth codes about dates in which radioactive pharmaceuticals are to be delivered;
• and
• d) additional steps in said algorithm for automatically accumulating and presenting information about the patient facilities, information about the radioactive pharmaceutical products, information about the amounts of radioactivity and information about the dates of deliveries to determine the proper facility and the proper product to which the radioactive pharmaceuticals are to be delivered by locating the first, second, third, and fourth codes, and generating a display thereof.

An electronic data processing algorithm for electronically performing a plurality of activities associated with the preparation and delivery of radioactive pharmaceuticals, and maintaining records of radioactivity associated therewith, said method comprising:

• a) scheduling the delivery of a radioactive pharmaceutical in accordance with an order of an authorized user;
• b) electronically determining in advance but in reasonably close relation to the required data and time of delivery of the required radioactive pharmaceutical for that particular authorized user;
• c) preparing a dose of the ordered radioactive pharmaceutical for that authorized user taking into consideration the decay of the radioactivity in that radioactive pharmaceutical and the date and time of delivery;
• d) actually delivering the radioactive pharmaceutical to the selected user;
• and
• e) maintaining data relating to the use and disposition of all radioactivity imparted to the radioactive pharmaceutical and instrumentalities used in connection therewith and organizing that data into individual data banks for accessing and correlating elements of that data for reports.

An electronic data processing algorithm for electronically performing a plurality of method activities associated with the preparation and delivery of radioactive pharmaceuticals to a plurality of users of such radioactive pharmaceuticals, said algorithm comprising:

• a) electronically recording orders for a plurality of users who are to receive radioactive pharmaceuticals for ultimate administration to patients;
• b) scheduling the delivery of each radioactive pharmaceutical to each of a plurality of users with electronic intervention in accordance with anticipated administration dates and potential radiation decay rates;
• c) electronically displaying based on previously input data the available radioactive pharmaceuticals of the type to be delivered;
• d) preparing in reasonably close relation to the given time periods, the required radioactive pharmaceuticals for the actual delivery of those required radioactive pharmaceuticals;
• e) electronically displaying on the screen of a monitor based on previously input data a schedule of users who are to be delivered radioactive pharmaceuticals in a given time period;
• f) actually delivering the radioactive pharmaceutical to the users in the given time periods for each of those users;
• and
• g) disposing of the instrumentalities used in the preparation of the radioactive pharmaceutical to the patient and electronically tracking information related thereto.