Methods for filling prescriptions to fulfill a customer order

A method for filling prescriptions in a customer order by processing a plurality of products in an automated machine, each of the products containing a pharmaceutical and marked with a first machine-readable marking containing information relating to the pharmaceutical, each of the products marked with a second machine-readable marking containing information relating to an expiration date of the pharmaceutical in each of the products, and each of the products free of markings relating to the prescriptions prior to loading into the automated machine, the method comprising:

• loading the products to be used to fill the customer order into an automated machine;
• using the automated machine to read the first machine-readable marking and the second machine-readable marking on each of the products loaded into the automated machine;
• in response to reading the second machine-readable marking on each of the products, determining whether the pharmaceutical is projected to be dispensed according to the respective one of the prescriptions by an end date occurring before the expiration date;
• and
• if the expiration date occurs after the end date, rejecting the product to prevent labeling by the automated machine.

A method for filling prescriptions in a customer order by processing a plurality of products in an automated machine, each of the products containing a pharmaceutical and having either a first form factor or a second form factor, each of the products marked with machine-readable information including information identifying either the first form factor or the second form factor for each of the products, and each of the products free of markings relating to the prescriptions prior to loading into the automated machine, the method comprising:

• loading the products to be used to fill the customer order into the automated machine;
• using the automated machine to read the barcode on each of the products loaded into the machine;
• determining whether each of the products has the first form factor or the second form factor from the information in the barcode read from each of the products;
• and
• in response to the determination of the first form factor or the second form factor for each of the products, labeling at least some of the products with information relating to a respective one of the prescriptions.