Methods, systems and computer program products for creating and modifying labels used by pharmaceutical dispensing systems

1. A pharmaceutical dispensing apparatus, comprising:

a touch screen;

a processor;

memory coupled to the processor; and

a computer program residing in the memory that is executable by the processor for guiding a user through a process of creating and modifying a label via the touch screen,

wherein the computer program displays a graphical user interface (GUI) on the touch screen, a label template within the GUI, a display area within the GUI adjacent to the label template that contains a list of selectable data fields that can be used to build a label within the label template, and a toolbox area within the GUI adjacent to the label template that contains a plurality of touch-activated GUI controls adjacent to the template, wherein the GUI controls allow a user to perform one or more of the following functions: change data field size, change data field orientation, and change font type and size of alphanumeric characters displayed within a data field,

wherein the toolbox area further includes a touch-activated GUI control that allows a user to zoom the display of a data field in the template, and

wherein the label template is adapted to receive a plurality of data fields by a user from the display area adjacent to the label template, wherein each data field is adapted to receive and display respective data, wherein at least one data field can be dragged in any direction and to any location within the label template by a user's finger or stylus in direct contact with the at least one data field;

a label printer that prints labels created and modified via the computer program; and

a labeling station that applies printed labels to pharmaceutical vials, wherein the labeling station is positioned to receive a printed label from the label printer.

2. The pharmaceutical dispensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one data field displayed within the label template automatically receives and displays information from data storage in response to display of the at least one data field within the label template.

3. The pharmaceutical dispensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computer program includes a label wizard for guiding a user through the process of creating and modifying a label within the label template, wherein the label wizard sequentially displays a plurality of GUIs within the touch screen that guide the user through a process of adding data fields to the label template and entering data within the data fields.

4. The pharmaceutical dispensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the display area within the GUI further includes a series of label selection tabs positioned above the label template display area that can be utilized to create the following type of labels: manual prescription order label, calibration prescription order labels, cell labels, and dispensing bin labels.

5. The pharmaceutical dispensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computer program further displays a touch-activated GUI control adjacent to the template that allows a user to zoom the display of the template within the GUI.

6. The pharmaceutical dispensing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the GUI control that allows a user to zoom the display of the template comprises a slider control positioned adjacent to the label template that is movable by a user's finger or stylus in contact with the touch screen.

7. The pharmaceutical dispensing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the list of selectable data fields comprises one or more of the following: drug name data field, patient name data field, pill quantity data field, barcode data field, drug expiration date data field, prescription order number data field, and drug code data field.

8. A pharmaceutical dispensing apparatus, comprising:

a touch screen;

a processor;

memory coupled to the processor; and

a computer program residing in the memory that is executable by the processor, wherein the computer program includes a label wizard for guiding a user through a process of creating and modifying a prescription label via the touch screen, wherein the computer program displays a graphical user interface (GUI) on the touch screen, a label template within the GUI, a display area within the GUI adjacent to the label template that contains a list of selectable data fields that can be used to build a label within the label template, and a toolbox area within the GUI adjacent to the label template that contains a plurality of touch-activated GUI controls adjacent to the template, wherein the GUI controls allow a user to perform one or more of the following functions: change data field size, change data field orientation, and change font type and size of alphanumeric characters displayed within a data field,

wherein the toolbox area further includes a touch-activated GUI control that allows a user to zoom the display of a data field in the template,

wherein the label template is adapted to receive a plurality of data fields by a user from the display area adjacent to the label template, wherein each data field is adapted to receive and display respective data, wherein at least one data field can be dragged in any direction and to any location within the label template by a user's finger or stylus in direct contact with the at least one data field, and

wherein the label wizard sequentially displays a plurality of GUIs within the touch screen that guide the user through a process of adding data fields to the label template and entering data within the data fields;

a label printer that prints prescription labels created and modified via the computer program; and

a labeling station that applies printed labels to pharmaceutical vials, wherein the labeling station is positioned to receive a printed label from the label printer.

9. The pharmaceutical dispensing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein at least one data field displayed within the label template automatically receives and displays information from data storage in response to display of the at least one data field within the label template.

10. The pharmaceutical dispensing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the display area within the GUI further includes a series of label selection tabs positioned above the label template display area that can be utilized to create the following type of labels: manual prescription order label, calibration prescription order labels, cell labels, and dispensing bin labels.

11. The pharmaceutical dispensing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the computer program further displays a touch-activated GUI control adjacent to the template that allows a user to zoom the display of the template within the GUI.

12. The pharmaceutical dispensing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the GUI control that allows a user to zoom the display of the template comprises a slider control positioned adjacent to the label template that is movable by a user's finger or stylus in contact with the touch screen.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a touch screen;

a processor;

memory coupled to the processor; and

a computer program residing in the memory that is executable by the processor for guiding a user through a process of creating and modifying a prescription label via the touch screen, wherein the computer program displays a graphical user interface (GUI) on the touch screen, a label template within the GUI, a display area within the GUI adjacent to the label template that contains a list of selectable data fields that can be used to build a label within the label template, and a toolbox area within the GUI adjacent to the label template that contains a plurality of touch-activated GUI controls adjacent to the template, wherein the GUI controls allow a user to perform one or more of the following functions: change data field size, change data field orientation, and change font type and size of alphanumeric characters displayed within a data field,

wherein the toolbox area further includes a touch-activated GUI control that allows a user to zoom the display of a data field in the template, and

wherein the label template is adapted to receive a plurality of data fields inputted by a user therein, wherein each data field is adapted to receive and display respective prescription data, wherein at least one data field can be dragged in any direction and to any location within the label template by a user's finger or stylus in direct contact with the at least one data field;

a label printer that prints prescription labels created and modified via the computer program; and

a labeling station that applies printed labels to pharmaceutical vials, wherein the labeling station is positioned to receive a printed label from the label printer.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein at least one data field displayed within the label template automatically receives and displays prescription information from data storage in response to display of the at least one data field within the label template.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the computer program includes a label wizard for guiding a user through the process of creating and modifying a label within the label template, wherein the label wizard sequentially displays a plurality of GUIs within the touch screen that guide the user through a process of adding data fields to the label template and entering prescription data within the data fields.

16. The pharmaceutical dispensing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the computer program further displays a touch-activated GUI control adjacent to the template that allows a user to zoom the display of the template within the GUI.

17. The pharmaceutical dispensing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the display area within the GUI further includes a series of label selection tabs positioned above the label template display area that can be utilized to create the following type of labels: manual prescription order label, calibration prescription order labels, cell labels, and dispensing bin labels.