Method of tracking and dispensing medical items
View Patent ↗A system for tracking and dispensing medical items ( 830 ) 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.
1. A method comprising:
a) taking a first quantity of a first type of medical item from a first storage location within a pharmacy;
b) providing at least one input through at least one input device indicative of taking the first quantity of the first type of medical item from the first storage location in the pharmacy for use in a compounding activity;
c) including in at least one data store through operation of at least one processor, data indicative of the first type of medical item as an outstanding medical item that was taken for use in a compounding activity but has not had a resulting compound stored into the pharmacy;
d) subsequent to steps (a), (b), and (c), creating an amount of a compound using the first quantity of the first type of medical item taken in step (a), wherein creating the compound includes one of using all of the first quantity in creating the amount of the compound or wasting a second quantity of the first type of medical item;
e) subsequent to step (d), choosing via at least one display screen the first type of medical item from data store data indicative of outstanding medical items that were taken for use in a compounding activity but have not had a resulting compound stored into the pharmacy;
f) linking through operation of the at least one processor, the compound created in step (d) to the first type of medical item chosen in step (e);
g) including in the at least one data store through operation of the at least one processor responsive to the linking in step (f), data indicative of storing the amount of the created compound in the pharmacy; and
h) comparing through operation of the at least one processor, the first quantity taken in step (a), any second quantity that was wasted in the compounding in step (d), and the amount of the created compound indicated as stored in the pharmacy.
2. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising:
i) providing at least one output indicative of at least one difference between the first quantity taken in step (a) and the amount indicated as stored in step (g).
3. The method according to claim 1 wherein step (d) includes wasting the second quantity of the first quantity taken in step (a), and further comprising:
(i) providing at least one input through at least one input device indicative of the second quantity wasted in the compounding.
4. The method according to claim 3 and further comprising:
(j) providing at least one output indicative of at least one difference between the first quantity taken in step (a) and the sum of both the amount of created compound and the second quantity wasted.
5. The method according to claim 4 wherein step (i) includes
producing at least one output indicative of an unaccounted for portion of the first type of medical item taken in step (a).
6. The method according to claim 1 wherein in step (d) the second quantity, which comprises a portion of the first quantity of the first type of medical item taken in step (a), is wasted in creating the compound, wherein step (h) comprises
comparing the first quantity, the wasted second quantity, and an amount of the compound indicated as stored in the pharmacy in step (g).
7. The method according to claim 6 and further comprising:
i) providing at least one input through at least one input device responsive to the comparison in step (h) indicating a discrepancy;
j) including in at least one data store responsive to the at least one input provided in step (i), data representative of the discrepancy indicated in step (i).
8. A method comprising:
(a) borrowing a quantity of a first type of medical item from a facility;
(b) recording in at least one data store through operation of at least one processor, a borrow event including data corresponding to the borrowing in step (a);
(c) placing the borrowed quantity of the first type of medical item in a storage location within a pharmacy;
(d) displaying a borrow events list via at least one display screen, wherein the list includes at least one borrow event corresponding to at least one borrowed medical item residing in the pharmacy wherein the list includes the borrow event recorded in step (b);
(e) selecting from the list a recorded borrow event corresponding to the first type of medical item borrowed in step (a);
(f) responsive to the selecting creating a return borrow event linked with the borrow event selected;
(g) removing a quantity of the first type of medical item from at least one location in the pharmacy;
(h) returning the quantity removed in step (g) to the facility from which the quantity in step (a) was borrowed;
(i) associating in the at least one data store through operation of the at least one processor, the return borrow event created in step (f) with the quantity returned in step (h).
9. The method according to claim 8 and further comprising:
(j) responsive to the selecting in step (e) and prior to step (g), indicating the at least one pharmacy location containing the quantity of the first type of medical item corresponding to the particular borrow event selected.
10. The method according to claim 8 and further comprising:
generating through operation of the at least one processor an electronic representation of a government-approved drug monitoring form including data corresponding to the quantity and type of medical item borrowed in step (a).
11. A method comprising:
(a) loaning a quantity of a first type of medical item from a pharmacy to a facility;
(b) recording in at least one data store through operation of at least one processor, a loan event including data corresponding to the loaning in step (a);
(c) receiving a returned quantity of the first type of medical item from the facility to which the quantity in step (a) was loaned;
(d) displaying a loan events list via at least one display screen; wherein the list includes at least one loan event corresponding to at least one medical item loaned from the pharmacy, wherein the list includes the loan event recorded in step (b);
(e) selecting from the list a recorded loan event corresponding to the first type of medical item received in step (c);
(f) responsive to the selecting, creating a return loan event linked with the loan event selected;
(g) associating in the at least one data store through operation of the at least one processor, the return loan event with the quantity of the first type of medical item received in step (c);
(h) placing the quantity of the first type of medical item received in step (c) in at least one storage location in the pharmacy;
(i) recording in the at least one data store through operation of the at least one processor, data corresponding the at least one storage location to the quantity of the first type of medical item placed therein in step (h).
12. The method according to claim 11 and further comprising:
j) generating through operation of the at least one processor an electronic representation of a government-approved drug monitoring form including data corresponding to the quantity and type of medical item loaned in step (a).
13. The method according to claim 12 wherein in step (j) at least one field in the electronic representation of the form is populated automatically through operation of the at least one processor.