APPARATUSES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR DISPENSING MEDICATION

1 . A method comprising:

receiving a first medication order comprising a first medication type;

determining a container size for the first medication order;

causing an automated storage device comprising a plurality of medication types to present the first medication type in an accessible position; and

causing a container of the determined container size to be dispensed to a position proximate the accessible position of the first medication type.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first medication order comprises an order for one or more articles, wherein at least one article is a medication unit dose of the first medication type, wherein the container size is determined based on the cumulative size of the one or more articles.

3 . The method of claim 2 , determining the size based on the cumulative size of the one or more articles comprises determining a smallest container size available to hold the one or more articles.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein determining a container size further comprises determining a plurality of container sizes for the first medication order in response to the one or more articles of the first medication order having a cumulative size larger than a single available container size.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving an indication of a transfer of a medication unit of the first medication type to the container; and

advancing the container away from the automated storage device in response to receiving the indication of a transfer.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the indication of a transfer of the medication unit of the first medication type comprises receiving a barcode scan indicative of the first medication type.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the indication of a transfer of the medication unit of the first medication type further comprises receiving a barcode scan indicative of the container and associating the medication unit with the container.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the position of the first medication type is visually distinguished from other positions of the automated storage device.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the visual distinction comprises illumination of a position light.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the visual distinction further comprises an indication of a quantity of the first medication type in the first medication order.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the container of the determined container size to be dispensed comprises causing the container to be dispensed to a conveyor, wherein the conveyor is configured to advance the container to the position proximate the automated storage device.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a second medication order comprising a second medication type;

determining a container size for the second medication order;

causing the automated storage device to present the second medication type is presented in an accessible position; and

causing of the container for the second medication order to be dispensed to a position proximate the accessible position of the second medication type.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving an indication of a transfer of the second medication type to the container for the second medication order; and

advancing the container for the second medication order away from the automated storage device.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the automated medication storage device comprises a medication carousel, and wherein causing the automated storage device to present a first medication type in an accessible position comprises advancing the medication carousel until a shelf containing the first medication type is presented in the accessible position.

15 . A system comprising:

an automated storage device comprising a plurality of medication types, each medication type arranged in a bulk container at a location within the automated storage device;

a container dispenser configured to dispense containers of a plurality of sizes; and

a controller configured to:

receive a first medication order comprising a first medication type;

advance the automated storage device to a position in which a container containing the first medication type is presented in an accessible position; and

cause a container to be dispensed from the container dispenser of a first size corresponding to the first medication order.

16 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising a conveyor configured to advance the container of a first size to the automated storage device proximate the accessible position of the first medication type.

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a cumulative size of articles in the first medication order; and

determine the first container size in response to the cumulative size of articles in the first medication order.

18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive an indication of a transfer of a medication unit of the first medication type to the container dispensed from the container dispenser; and

cause the container to be advanced away from the automated storage device in response to receiving the indication of a transfer of the medication unit.

19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the indication of a transfer of a medication unit of the first medication type comprises a scanned barcode of the medication unit.

20 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the automated storage device comprises a medication storage carousel, and wherein advancing the automated storage device to a position in which a container containing the first medication type is presented in an accessible position comprises advancing a plurality of carousel shelves until a carousel shelf containing the container containing the first medication type is presented in an accessible position.