Automed Technologies, Inc.

Diebold, Inc.

Medselect, Inc.

Medselect Systems, Inc.

Automated Technologies, Inc.

R Michael McGrady

James A Michael

David T Frederick

R Barrie Slaymaker, Jr

Eric Richard Colburn

Robert G Gillio

Max A Fedor

Daniel W Neu

Eser Sukan

Greg Kroah-Hartman

David M Dean

Maria P Robinson

Sean M McCune

Kevin H Newton

William D Yost

W Michael Wright

Kevin Mowry

Kevin J Manion

Richard T Vangenewitt

Linda Dean

A method of tracking dispensed medical items for use by patients associated with a health care institution. The method includes storing in a data store in connection with a computer, data representative of patients and medical items prescribed for the patients. A record is included in the data store of prescribed medical items for patients that have been dispensed. The dispensed medical items are tracked to the point of giving the item to the patients using portable terminals that are carried to the bedside of the patients. The activity of giving the appropriate medical item to each respective patient is recorded in the portable terminal as the medical items are given to the patients. The data stored in the portable terminal is communicated to the data store to provide a record that the medical items dispensed for a patient were actually administered.

Method of dispensing and tracking the giving of medical items to patients

A medication order processing system () includes a plurality of nursing stations (). Physician orders prescribing medications for patients are faxed from the nursing stations to a computer which is included in an interchange fax station () located at the pharmacy. The interchange fax station is operative to prioritize the orders and to present them to pharmacists working at pharmacist work stations (). Pharmacist work stations are enabled to review, electronically annotate, and input orders reviewed at the pharmacy work station into a pharmacy order system of the facility. Input to the pharmacy order system results in the medication being administered to the patient. Data related to each patient to which a medication order pertains is captured from screen outputs from the pharmacy order system. The captured data is analyzed to produce data that is stored in a database of the medication order system in correlated relation with image data corresponding to images of medication orders.

System and method for reception, analysis, and annotation of prescription data

The system for monitoring and dispensing medical items which are dispensed for administration to patients includes a data terminal () which is connected through a network () to at least one remote computer () having a processor and a data store. The system also includes a reading device () which is connected to the network. A user of the data terminal or the reading device is enabled to select a patient for whom medical items will be used, and responsive to a request to dispense items the requested items are dispensed from dispensing devices () connected to the data terminal. A report generating device () generates reports () which include machine readable indicia corresponding to patients and/or medical items. Users may select patients and dispense medications by reading the indicia from the reports using the reading device. Certain storage locations are also labeled with machine readable indicia which may be read to indicate the taking of items therefrom as well as to indicate inventory status information. One such dispensing device in the system is a refrigerator () which is retrofit with a refrigerator lock module () which selectively enable access to medical items stored in an interior area thereof.

System for tracking and dispensing medical items from environmentally controlled storage area

An exemplary medication order processing system () includes a plurality of nursing stations (). Physician orders prescribing medications for patients are faxed from the nursing stations to a computer which is included in an interchange fax station () located at the pharmacy. Physician orders for medications are selectively sent to either a priority or normal fax number based on the urgency associated with delivering the medication to the patient. The interchange fax station is operative to prioritize the orders and to present them to pharmacists working at pharmacist work stations (). Pharmacist work stations are enabled to review, electronically annotate, and input orders reviewed at the pharmacy work station into a pharmacy order system of the facility. Input to the pharmacy order system results in the medication being administered to the patient. Pharmacists are also enabled to handle discrepancies and to present issues to the originators of the orders so as to resolve questions before the input of the medication order into the pharmacy order system.

A system for monitoring and dispensing medical items includes a plurality of hook registers (). Each of the hook registers includes sensors () sensing the removal or addition of a medical item to the storage location on the hook register. Each hook register has a microprocessor () connected to the sensor which stores a count of the items added or removed from the location. The microprocessor also includes location identifying information specifically associated with the particular hook register. The microprocessor is periodically polled by a controller () which reads and stores the count and location identifying information from each of the hook registers. The controller information is periodically read by a data terminal () which is connected through a local area network () to a remote computer () having a processor and data store. A user of the data terminal is enabled to specify a patient for whom medical items will be used when the items are removed from the hook registers or other storage locations. In addition, the system also monitors inventories of items and levels of usage by users. The system also monitors and controls the dispense of other medical items from box registers () as well as controls the dispense of items from secure storage locations such as electronic lock drawers () and medicine dispensers ().

Method for tracking and dispensing medical items

A medical item inventory system includes a plurality of different types of stored medical items. The system includes medical item dispenser devices which can be selectively operated to dispense requested medical items to authorized users. The system can monitor the medical item inventory to automatically determine a low supply of a particular medical item type. In response to a determination of a low supply of a particular medical item type, the system automatically electronically places a purchase order to a supplier of the particular medical item type. The purchase order includes the particular medical item type, a requested quantity, and a requested delivery date. The requested quantity and delivery date can both be calculated by the system based on a rate of use of the particular medical item type.

Medical item inventory monitoring system with automatic electronic reordering

The system for controlling and tracking medical items () includes a plurality of medical item storage cabinets (). Each cabinet includes a plurality of doors (-). The doors control access to shelves () and support modules (). Shelves and support modules include user interfaces (). Authorized users desiring to take medical items from storage locations in cabinets for use in treating patients are enabled to provide inputs through a display terminal () adjacent to cabinets and/or interfaces to indicate the taking of medical items. Storage cabinets include visual indicators so that users may be guided to find a selected medical item for which information is input at an associated display terminal. Alternatively, authorized users gain access to the interior of the cabinet and indicate through appropriate inputs through interfaces on the shelves the types and quantities of items being taken.

Medical item storage cabinet and method

A system for tracking and dispensing medical items () includes one or more computers and associated data stores including information concerning authorized users, patients, medical items that have been prescribed for patients, medical items available, storage locations for medical items and events associated with receiving, dispensing and providing medical items to patients. The system also provides for tracking medications from time of receipt by a pharmacy, through storage and compounding therein, to the storage locations from which the medical items are taken to be administered, to dispensing to medical personnel for administration and finally to patients. Further, returning, restocking and other activities affecting the disposition of medications are also tracked to assure that reliable information is recorded concerning the disposition of medical items.

Method of tracking and dispensing medical items

A medical item inventory system includes a plurality of different types of stored medical items. The system can track a quantity of a medicinal substance type removed from its storage location, including the quantity used and the quantity returned to storage. The system can monitor the medical item inventory in real time to automatically determine a low supply of a particular medical item type. In response to a determination of a low supply of a particular medical item type, the system automatically electronically places a purchase order to a supplier of the particular medical item type. The purchase order includes the particular medical item type, a requested quantity, and a requested delivery date. The requested quantity and delivery date can both be calculated by the system based on a rate of use of the particular medical item type.

Method of monitoring medical item inventory

The system for controlling and tracking medical items () includes one or more computers and associated data stores including information concerning authorized users, patients, medical items that have been prescribed for patients, medical items available, storage locations for medical items and events associated with receiving, dispensing, taking and returning medical items for patients. Authorized users taking medical items from storage locations are enabled to provide inputs through a display terminal () to indicate the taking of medical items for patients. Medical items are enabled to be taken from a plurality of storage cabinets (). Storage cabinets are operative so that users may be guided to find a selected medical item for which corresponding information is input at an associated display terminal. Alternatively, users are enabled to gain access to the interior of the cabinet and indicate through appropriate inputs, the types and quantities of items that are being taken.

A method of tracking and dispensing the dispense of medical items for use by patients associated with a health care institution includes storing in a data store in connection with a computer data representative of patients and medical items prescribed for the patients. Authorized users such as a nurse, are enabled to dispense prescribed items for patients through medical item dispensers. A record is included in the data store that the medical items have been dispensed. In an exemplary system () medical items that have been dispensed are tracked to the point of giving the item to the patients using portable terminals () that are carried to the bedside of the patients. The activity of giving the appropriate medical item to each respective patient is recorded in the portable terminal as medical items are given to a plurality of patients. The data stored in the portable terminal concerning the giving of medical items to patients is communicated through the system and stored in the data store to provide a record that the medical items which were dispensed for a patient were actually administered. In an alternative form of the system () patients are enabled to dispense medications on an outpatient basis through a self service medical item dispenser (). In a method of operating such a system a benefit plan associated with the patient is determined from rules stored in connection with data representative of the benefit plan. Payment for dispensed medications is provided by the benefits provider associated with the patient's benefits plan and a co-payment is made by the patient from a credit or debit card account.

Method of tracking and despensing medical items to patients through self service delivery system

A method of tracking and dispensing the dispense of medical items for use by patients associated with a health care institution, includes storing in a data store in connection with a computer, data representative of patients and medical items prescribed for the patients. Authorized users such as nurses, are enabled to dispense prescribed items for patients through medical item dispensers. A record is included in the data store that the medical items have been dispensed. In an exemplary system () medical items that have been dispensed are tracked to the point of giving the item to the patients using portable terminals () that are carried to the bedside of the patients. The activity of giving the appropriate medical item to each respective patient is recorded in the portable terminal as medical items are given to a plurality of patients. The data stored in the portable terminal concerning the giving of medical items to patients is communicated through the system and stored in the data store to provide a record that the medical items which were dispensed for a patient, were actually administered.

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Baden, PA, United States of America

R Michael McGrady