Methods and devices for dispensing pharmaceutical and medical supply items

A method for dispensing medical supply or pharmaceutical items, the method comprising:

• providing a dispensing unit comprising a processor and a cabinet having a plurality of drawers which are lockable within the cabinet by a locking mechanism, wherein the drawers include a plurality of bins for holding the pharmaceutical or medical supply items, with at least some of the bins having lids equipped with a sensor that communicates with the processor to indicate when the lid is lifted, and wherein the processor includes a record of the items held within each drawer and which items may be accessed by specific users or user types;
• entering user identification information into the processor to identify a user that is requesting access to one of the pharmaceutical or medical supply items held in the dispensing unit;
• determining with the processor which drawer or drawers may be unlocked for access by the user by comparing the user identification information with the record of which items may be accessed by specific users;
• sending a signal from the processor to unlock at least one of the drawers to which the user may have access;
• looking in the bins of the unlocked drawer to locate a desired pharmaceutical or medical supply item;
• lifting the lid of bin having the desired pharmaceutical or medical supply item;
• removing the desired pharmaceutical or medical supply item from the bin, wherein lifting of the lid sends a signal to the processor to confirm removal of the desired pharmaceutical or medical supply item.

A method for dispensing pharmaceutical or medical supply items from a dispensing unit comprising a cabinet having a processor and a plurality of retractable drawers, with at least some of the drawers having a plurality of receptacles for holding items and with at least some of the drawers having lockable lids for at least some of the receptacles, the method comprising:

• entering user identification information into the processor to identify a user that is requesting access to the pharmaceutical or medical supply items held in the dispensing unit;
• entering pharmaceutical or medical supply item identification information into the processor, the pharmaceutical or medical supply item identification information identifying specific pharmaceutical or medical supply items that the user requests to remove from the dispensing unit;
• comparing the user identification information with an access list having information as to which of the requested pharmaceutical or medical supply items that the user may be given access based on the previously entered user identification information to determine one or more of the drawers to which the user may be given access;
• unlocking one of the drawers having one of the requested pharmaceutical or medical supply items if the access list indicates that the user may have access to the drawer having the requested pharmaceutical or medical supply item;
• retracting the unlocked drawer;
• unlocking the lid of the receptacle having the requested item if the retracted drawer contains at least some lockable lids to allow access to the requested item while preventing access to other receptacles having lockable lids;
• and
• removing the requested pharmaceutical or medical supply item from the receptacle having the unlocked lid.