Automated dispensing system for pharmaceuticals and other medical items
View Patent ↗A system for dispensing a plurality of customized doses of pharmaceuticals includes: a housing; a customer interaction station; a customized packaging station configured to selectively package individual doses of medication into customized packaging, the medications being selected responsive to input from the customer input station; and a controller connected to the customer interaction station and the customized packaging station, the controller configured to control the customized packaging based on customer input from the customer interaction station.
1. A method of dispensing regulated substances from a system for dispensing same, comprising:
receiving, via a customer interaction station, customer-specific data input that identifies a customer;
receiving, via the customer interaction station, photographic or biometric input that identifies a customer;
receiving, via the customer interaction station, a request for a regulated substance;
comparing the identity of the customer corresponding to the customer-specific data to the customer identified by the photographic or biometric input;
determining whether the identified customer is approved to receive the requested regulated substance;
dispensing the regulated substance to the customer responsive to a positive determination and a positive comparison from a dispensing station; and
automatically verifying the identity of the regulated substance prior to dispensing of the regulated substance from the dispensing station.
2. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the comparing step is performed by the controller.
3. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the comparing step is performed manually.