Method and apparatus for pharmaceutical management and tracking
A product inventory management cabinet including a cabinet chassis configured to contain an inventory of product units having RFID tags, a reader configured to wirelessly detect the RFID tags, and a data processing system connected to communicate with the reader and to maintain a product inventory list and a consumed product list according to the detected RFID tags. There is also a method for product inventory management, including detecting a plurality of RFID tags in a cabinet, each RFID tag associated with a product unit and creating a current inventory list comprising identifiers corresponding to the detected plurality of RFID tags.
1 . A product inventory management cabinet, comprising:
a cabinet chassis configured to contain an inventory of product units having RFID tags;
a reader configured to wirelessly detect the RFID tags; and
a data processing system connected to communicate with the reader and to maintain a product inventory list and a consumed product list according to the detected RFID tags.
2 . The product inventory management cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the product inventory list comprises identifiers corresponding to detected RFID tags.
3 . The product inventory management cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the consumed product list comprises identifiers corresponding to RFID tags previously on the product inventory list that are not detected by the reader.
4 . The product inventory management cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the cabinet includes a door that is at least partially transparent.
5 . The product inventory management cabinet of claim 1 , further comprising a network interface connected to the data processing system to enable the data processing system to communicate with a server system over a network.
6 . The product inventory management cabinet of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor device connected to communicate with the data processing system.
7 . The product inventory management cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the data processing system is configured to transmit the product inventory list to a server system.
8 . The product inventory management cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the data processing system is configured to receive cabinet control instructions from a server system.
9 . The product inventory management cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the consumed product list comprises identifiers corresponding to RFID tags previously on the product inventory list that are not detected by the reader for at least 24 hours.
10 . The product inventory management cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the product units are pharmaceuticals.
11 . A method for product inventory management, comprising:
detecting a plurality of RFID tags in a cabinet, each RFID tag associated with a product unit;
creating a current inventory list comprising identifiers corresponding to the detected plurality of RFID tags.
12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising creating a consumed product list comprising identifiers corresponding to RFID tags previously on the product inventory list that are not detected as one of the plurality of RFID tags.
13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving a notification, from the cabinet, that product units have been added or removed from the cabinet inventory.
14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising communicating with a server system over a network.
15 . The method of claim 11 , creating a consumed product list comprising identifiers corresponding to RFID tags previously on the product inventory list that are not detected as one of the plurality of RFID tags for a predetermined amount of time.
16 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising sending cabinet status data to a server system.
17 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving cabinet control instructions from a server system.
18 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving sensor data from at least one sensor device.
19 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising sending the product inventory list to a server system.
20 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising sending the consumed product list to a server system.
21 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the product units are pharmaceuticals.