Networkable medical labeling apparatus and method

A system for generating a label comprising label content based on information stored by a plurality of different databases, the system comprising:

• an interface that receives an order ID that uniquely identifies an order for a drug to be administered to a patient;
• a communication system that:
• (i) transmits the order ID over a communication network to a remotely-located terminal that has access to a first database storing a record corresponding to the order ID, and (ii) receives, over the communication network, order data comprising information obtained from the record in the first database based on the order ID, wherein the order data is related to the order for the drug to be administered to the patient;
• a memory device that is locally connected to the interface and locally stores a second database comprising rules defining requirements of a drug labeling standard, wherein the requirements are to be satisfied by the label to render the label compliant with the drug labeling standard, and wherein the memory device stores insufficient information to locally interpret the order ID;
• and
• a label generator that applies at least one of the rules using a portion of the received order data and a portion of information locally stored in the second database to control a label printer that prints the label in compliance with the drug labeling standard.