Medication management systems and methods for health and health related facilities

A method for initiating and tracking dispensation and administration of medications to individual patients, the method comprising:

• receiving at least a portion of a first patient specific medication order at an order management system accessible through one or more networks;
• generating, via one or more processors associated with one or more servers, at least a first electronic record associated with the first medication for the first patient, and based at least in part on the at least a portion of the first patient specific medication order, wherein the first electronic record is accessible through the one or more networks, and includes information regarding:
• (i) dispensation actions of the first medication, and (ii) administration actions of the first medication to the first patient;
• storing the at least the first electronic record associated with the first medication for the first patient at the order management system;
• transmitting instructions from the order management system, the instructions configured to cause a first medication dispensing system configured with one or more processors to:
• dispense, by a first automated medication packaging and dispensing machine (first ADM), the first medication in one or more first packets in accordance with the at least the first electronic record associated with the first patient and the first patient specific medication order;
• and
• update the at least the first electronic record to indicate dispensing of the one or more first packets;
• and
• updating the at least the first electronic record upon administration of the one or more first packets to the first patient, the updating indicating administration of the first medication contained in the one or more first packets to the first patient.

A first medication dispensing system configured with one or more processors, and in communication with an order management system through the one or more networks, the first medication dispensing system further configured to:

• receive a first request to dispense a first medication associated with a first electronic record;
• release the first medication associated with the first request enabled by a first automated medication packaging and dispensing machine (first ADM) that includes a plurality of canisters retained in the first ADM during operation and containing and being coded for a particular medication, at least one canister coded for the first medication being initiated by the first request to release at least one of the first medication contained therein;
• package the released at least one of the first medication for the first patient into at least a first package after release of the first medication associated with the first request by the first ADM;
• dispense, after packaging, at least the first package for the first patient by the first ADM;
• update the first electronic record associated with the first patient to indicate that the packaged and dispensed first medication in accordance with the first request has been dispensed;
• update the first electronic record associated with the first patient to indicate that the packaged and dispensed first medication for the first patient, packaged and dispensed in accordance with the first request, has been administered to the first patient;
• and
• store the updated first electronic record.