IV compounding systems and methods

1. A system for pharmaceutical compounding, comprising:

a processor;

an electronic display; and

memory holding instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:

present on the electronic display a first user interface screen showing a number of workflow types for compounding a pharmaceutical with a robotic compounder, the workflows differentiated at least in part by a kind of vehicle in which a completed compounded pharmaceutical is to be delivered, the first user interface screen enabling selection of one of the compounding workflow types;

receive from a user a selection of one of the workflow types;

present on the electronic display a second user interface screen reached after receipt of the selection of a respective one of the compounding workflow types on the first user interface screen, the second user interface screen showing a number of options applicable to compounding a pharmaceutical on the selected device type into the delivery vehicle of the selected workflow type;

receive from the user selections of one or more of the options, wherein the one or more of the options specify a technique that is performed by a robotic compounder for documenting a dosage verification of the particular pharmaceutical used in a compounding task; and

automatically construct a workflow for compounding a pharmaceutical with the robotic compounder into the delivery vehicle of the selected workflow type, in accordance with the selected options, wherein the constructed workflow is shown on the second user interface screen, and is depicted with at least one placeholder for the insertion of at least one ingredient needed for the workflow.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to:

present on the electronic display a number of compounding device types; and

receive from the user a selection of one of the compounding device types;

and wherein the workflow is tailored to the selected device type.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to:

receive from the user a specification of a particular pharmaceutical to be compounded according to the constructed workflow;

automatically construct a compounding protocol from the constructed workflow by inserting information about the particular pharmaceutical into the constructed workflow; and

store the compounding protocol in a protocol database.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a compounding assistance device, wherein the instructions further cause the system to transmit the compounding protocol to the compounding assistance device, and wherein the compounding assistance device leads a user of the compounding assistance device through a compounding task according to the compounding protocol, using a series of prompts displayed on a screen of the compounding assistance device.

5. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a compounding robot, wherein the instructions further cause the system to transmit the compounding protocol to the compounding robot, and wherein the compounding robot compounds the particular pharmaceutical into the delivery vehicle of the selected workflow type in accordance with the compounding protocol.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to:

accept from the user a specification of an instructional message to be inserted into the workflow; and

insert the instructional message into the workflow.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to:

provide an estimated time required for the robotic compounder to perform a particular sequencing task associated with the workflow.

8. A method of specifying a protocol for pharmaceutical compounding, the method comprising:

presenting on an electronic display a first user interface screen showing number of workflow types for compounding a pharmaceutical with a robotic compounder, the workflows differentiated at least in part by a kind of vehicle in which a completed compounded pharmaceutical is to be delivered, the first user interface screen enabling selection of one of the compounding workflow types;

receiving, from a user, a selection of one of the workflow types;

presenting on the electronic display a second user interface screen reached after receipt of the selection of a respective one of the compounding workflow types on the first user interface screen, the second user interface screen showing a number of options applicable to compounding a pharmaceutical into the delivery vehicle of the selected workflow type;

receiving, from the user, selections of one or more of the options, wherein the one or more of the options specify a technique that is performed by the robotic compounder for documenting a dosage verification of the particular pharmaceutical used in a compounding task; and

automatically constructing a workflow for compounding a pharmaceutical with the robotic compounder into the delivery vehicle of the selected workflow type, in accordance with the selected options, wherein the constructed workflow is shown on the second user interface screen, and is depicted with at least one placeholder for the insertion of at least one ingredient needed for the workflow.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the constructed workflow includes placeholders for information to be determined by a specific pharmaceutical to be compounded according to the constructed workflow, the method further comprising:

receiving, from the user, a specification of a particular pharmaceutical to be compounded according to the constructed workflow;

automatically constructing a compounding protocol from the constructed workflow by inserting information about the particular pharmaceutical into the constructed workflow; and

storing the compounding protocol in a protocol database.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

presenting on the electronic display a number of compounding device types; and

receiving, from the user, a selection of one of the compounding device types;

wherein the workflow is constructed for compounding on the selected device type.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving an order for preparation of the particular pharmaceutical; and

transmitting the compounding protocol via an electronic network to a compounding device of the selected device type.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the compounding device is a compounding assistance device, the method further comprising leading a user of the compounding assistance device through a compounding task to compound the particular pharmaceutical into the delivery vehicle of the selected workflow type by displaying a series of prompts on a display of the compounding assistance device.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising requiring that the result of at least a portion of the compounding task be approved by a second person other than the user.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

transmitting data from the compounding assistance device to the second person at a remote location; and

receiving approval from the second person from the remote location.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the compounding device is a compounding robot, the method further comprising robotically compounding the specified pharmaceutical into the delivery vehicle of the selected workflow type, according to the compounding protocol.

16. The method of claim 8 , wherein only options for the technique for documenting the dosage verification are presented that are compatible with the delivery vehicle of the selected workflow type and with any intermediate containers used on the compounding task.

17. The method of claim 8 , further comprising preparing a library of workflows according to a predefined rule set, wherein the rule set specifies which combinations of delivery vehicle, device type, and options are permitted.

18. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving an indication that the constructed workflow is to include steps for including two different pharmaceuticals into the delivery vehicle of the selected workflow type; and

including steps in the constructed workflow for compounding the two different pharmaceuticals into the delivery vehicle of the selected workflow type.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the constructed workflow includes placeholders for information to be determined by the two pharmaceuticals to be compounded according to the constructed workflow, the method further comprising:

receiving, from the user, specifications of two particular pharmaceuticals to be compounded according to the constructed workflow;

automatically constructing a compounding protocol from the constructed workflow by inserting information about the two particular pharmaceuticals into the constructed workflow; and

storing the compounding protocol in a protocol database.

20. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

adding a premade pharmaceutical formulation to a formulary with an indication that the premade pharmaceutical formulation is premade;

constructing a virtual protocol relating to the pharmaceutical in the premade pharmaceutical formulation;

receiving an order for preparation of the pharmaceutical in the premade pharmaceutical formulation; and

presenting the virtual protocol to the user as an option for filling an order for the particular pharmaceutical.

21. The method of claim 8 , wherein automatically constructing the workflow comprises including in the workflow a requirement that a result of at least part of a compounding task performed according to the workflow be verified and approved by a second person other than the user.

22. The method of claim 8 , further comprising receiving, from the user, a specification of an instructional message to be inserted into the workflow, wherein automatically constructing the workflow comprises inserting the instructional message into the workflow.

23. The method of claim 8 , further comprising providing an estimated time required for the robotic compounder to perform a particular sequencing task associated with the workflow.