US 2012/0239422 A1Published application

Adaptive Pharmaceutical Product Management Methods and System

AssigneeChudy Group, LLC

InventorsDuane S. Chudy, James J. Wiczer

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Abstract

Methods and systems for adaptive storage and management of pharmaceutical product containers at a pharmacy are described. Pharmaceutical product containers are managed so that the containers for more-frequently-used pharmaceutical products are stored among plural storage locations more-efficiently accessible to a pharmacy workstation. Containers for less-frequently-used pharmaceutical products are managed so that the containers for such products are stored among the storage locations which are less-accessible to the pharmacy workstation. As the frequency of pharmaceutical product usage changes, the inventory of pharmaceutical product containers is managed adaptively so that the containers used most frequently are stored at locations more-easily accessible to the pharmacy workstation, thereby facilitating fulfillment of prescriptions by pharmacy personnel. Further efficiencies may be achieved through use of an optical positioning system providing directed placing and picking of pharmaceutical product containers. Management of pharmaceutical product containers repeatedly taken from and returned to inventory may be provided.

Claims26

Dependent claims

An adaptive pharmaceutical product storage system for storage of pharmaceutical product containers within a pharmacy, the system comprising:

a pharmacy workstation at which a human pharmacy user performs manual tasks associated with fulfillment of prescription orders by the pharmacy;
at least one pharmaceutical product storage device positioned with respect to the workstation;
a plurality of pharmaceutical product storage locations associated with the at least one storage device, each storage location defining a space for storing a pharmaceutical product container and having a unique address, each storage location further having a ranking based on relative ease-of-accessibility to the workstation;
a visible indicator proximate each of the storage locations which guides the user to an indicated storage location for placing and picking a container at the indicated storage location;
a controller operative to control each of the indicators and having a database including the unique address and ease-of-accessibility ranking of each storage location, the storage location of each container and a usage frequency ranking of each pharmaceutical product, the controller being operative to:
control the visible indicator of the storage location for the pharmaceutical product required for prescription fulfillment to guide movement of the user to the indicated storage location for picking of the container;
update the database to indicate use of the pharmaceutical product;
determine a usage frequency ranking of the pharmaceutical product;
determine an updated storage location for the container if pharmaceutical product remains in the container or for a further container of the pharmaceutical product based on the updated usage frequency ranking such that the updated storage location has an ease-of-accessibility ranking commensurate with the updated usage frequency ranking;
and
operate the visible indicator of the updated storage location to guide movement of the user to the indicated updated storage location for placing the container at the indicated updated storage location,
whereby the containers are stored at storage locations having an ease-of-accessibility ranking commensurate with the usage frequency ranking of the pharmaceutical product and more frequently used pharmaceutical products are more easily accessible to the user working from the workstation.

9 more elements

An adaptive pharmaceutical product storage system for storage of pharmaceutical product containers within a pharmacy, the pharmaceutical product storage system comprising:

a pharmacy workstation including a work surface at which a human pharmacy user performs manual tasks associated with fulfillment of prescription orders by the pharmacy;
at least one pharmaceutical product storage device arranged with respect to the workstation;
a plurality of pharmaceutical product storage locations associated with the at least one storage device, each storage location defining a space for storing a pharmaceutical product container and having a unique address, each storage location further having a ranking based on relative ease-of-accessibility to the workstation;
a visible indicator proximate each of the storage locations which guides the user to an indicated storage location for placing and picking a container at the indicated storage location;
a controller operative to control each of the indicators and having a database including the unique address and ease-of-accessibility ranking of each storage location, the storage location of each container and a usage frequency ranking of each pharmaceutical product, the controller being operative to:
determine a usage frequency ranking of the pharmaceutical products based on relative use of the pharmaceutical products by the pharmacy to fulfill prescriptions within a moving window time period;
assign a storage location when a partially-full container is returned to storage and when a full container is placed into storage based on the usage frequency ranking such that the assigned storage location has an ease-of-accessibility ranking commensurate with the determined usage frequency ranking and more frequently used pharmaceutical products are more easily accessible to the user working from the workstation;
operate the visible indicator of the storage location to guide movement of the user thereto for placing the container at the indicated storage location;
and
operate the visible indicator of the storage location to guide movement of the user thereto for picking the container at the indicated storage location.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/442,254Filed 9 Apr 2012
Priority: 4 Aug 2008
Published: 20 Sep 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

G06Q 10/08
Administration; Management: logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G06Q 10/087
Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management: inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling,…
G06Q 10/08724
Using inventory planning: by shelf level inventory management, e.g. planograms
G06Q 10/08772
By inventory control or reporting using inventory tracking or counting: inventory counting methods

Family

Application12/185,510Continuation · filed 4 Aug 2008
Application13/442,254Continuation
US 2010/0030667 A1Published application
US 8,165,929 B2Related patent
US 9,129,245 B2Related patent
US 2012/0239422 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.