Automated system and method of recording contents of medication packages vended from a plurality of vending machines in an electronic record that stores records for a plurality of patients associated with respective vending machines

1. A medication adherence system that records in electronic records contents of vended medication packages which contain medications that were previously dispensed, the electronic records storing records for a plurality of patients, the system comprising:

(a) a plurality of vending medication devices, each vending medication device being associated with only one patient, each vending medication device configured to generate an electronic message whenever a vending event occurs at the vending medication device, the electronic message including at least:

(i) a unique identifier of the patient, and

(ii) a scheduled dose time; and

(b) a medication administration computer remotely located from the plurality of vending medication devices that maintains an electronic record for a plurality of patients, each electronic record having an associated patient identifier, the medication administration computer configured to:

(i) receive from the vending medication devices the electronic messages generated at the vending medication devices whenever a vending event occurs at one of the vending medication devices,

(ii) detect for each received electronic message whether an electronic record exists in the medication administration computer for a patient identifier that matches the unique identifier of the patient and the scheduled dose time in the electronic message, and

(iii) record in a vended medications indicator field of the electronic record that the dispensed medications were vended when it is detected that an electronic record exists in the medication administration computer for a patient identifier that matches the unique identifier of the patient and the scheduled dose time, and wherein all of the medication packages vended from a particular vending machine are for the same patient.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each vending medication device includes:

(i) a plurality of vending locations, each vending location holding a medication package to be vended, and

(ii) a vending machine controller configured to vend the medication packages from a predefined vending location without receiving any instructions regarding the predefined vending location from any external source at the time of the vending event.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the plurality of vending locations are in vending slots or columns.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic messages generated at the vending medication devices do not include patient names or vended medications.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the unique identifier of the patient is the patient identifier.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the vending machine has an assigned unique number, and the unique identifier of the patient is the assigned unique number of the vending machine, the medication administration computer being further configured to:

(iv) translate the assigned unique number of the vending machine to the patient identifier using a database table that stores assigned unique numbers of the vending machines to patient identifiers.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic records are records in an electronic medication administration record (eMAR).

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the medications are vended in multi-unit dose packages (MUDPs), and the electronic records include for each patient the contents of each MUDP to be vended at an appropriate dose time in a dose schedule, and wherein a single vending event causes the electronic record to record that a plurality of medications that make up the contents of the MUDP were vended.

9. An automated method of recording contents of previously dispensed medication packages being vended from a plurality of vending machines in electronic records that store records for a plurality of patients who are associated with respective vending machines, each vending machine being associated with only one patient, the electronic records including the following fields (i) patient identifier, (ii) schedule of dose times, (iii) contents of medication packages to be vended at the appropriate dose time in the dose schedule, and (iv) vended medications indicator, the method comprising:

(a) receiving at a medication administration computer from the vending machines electronic messages generated at the vending machine that include at least the following information whenever a vending event occurs at one of the vending machines:

(i) a unique identifier of the patient, and

(ii) a scheduled dose time;

(b) detecting at the medication administration computer for each received electronic message whether an electronic record exists that includes a patient identifier that matches the unique identifier of the patient and the scheduled dose time; and

(c) recording by the medication administration computer in the vended medications indicator field that the medications to be vended at the appropriate dose time in the dose schedule were properly vended when it is detected in step (b) that an electronic record exists for a patient identifier that matches the unique identifier of the patient and the scheduled dose time,

wherein all of the medication packages vended from a particular vending machine are for the same patient.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the unique identifier of the patient is the patient identifier.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the vending machine has an assigned unique number, and the unique identifier of the patient is the assigned unique number of the vending machine, the method further comprising:

(d) translating by the medication administration computer the assigned unique number of the vending machine to the patient identifier using a database table that stores assigned unique numbers of the vending machines to patient identifiers.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the electronic records are records in an eMAR.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the medications are vended in multi-unit dose packages (MUDPs), and wherein the contents of each MUDP are the contents stored in field (iii) of the electronic record, a single vending event thereby causing the electronic record to record that a plurality of medications were vended.

14. An apparatus for recording contents of previously dispensed medication packages being vended from a plurality of vending machines in electronic records that store records for a plurality of patients who are associated with respective vending machines, each vending machine being associated with only one patient, the electronic records including the following fields (i) patient identifier, (ii) schedule of dose times, (iii) contents of medication packages to be vended at the appropriate dose time in the dose schedule, and (iv) vended medications indicator, the apparatus comprising a medication administration computer configured to:

(i) receive from the vending machines electronic messages generated at the vending machine that include at least the following information whenever a vending event occurs at one of the vending machines:

(A) a unique identifier of the patient, and

(B) a scheduled dose time;

(ii) detect for each received electronic message whether an electronic record exists that includes a patient identifier that matches the unique identifier of the patient and the scheduled dose time; and

(iii) record in the vended medications indicator field that the medications to be vended at the appropriate dose time in the dose schedule were properly vended when it is detected in step (ii) that an electronic record exists for a patient identifier that matches the unique identifier of the patient and the scheduled dose time,

wherein all of the medication packages vended from a particular vending machine are for the same patient.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the unique identifier of the patient is the patient identifier.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the vending machine has an assigned unique number, and the unique identifier of the patient is the assigned unique number of the vending machine, the medication administration computer being further configured to:

(iv) translate the assigned unique number of the vending machine to the patient identifier using a database table that stores assigned unique numbers of the vending machines to patient identifiers.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the electronic records are records in an eMAR.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the medications are vended in multi-unit dose packages (MUDPs), and wherein the contents of each MUDP are the contents stored in field (iii) of the electronic record, a single vending event thereby causing the electronic record to record that a plurality of medications were vended.