System and method for high-volume filling of pharmaceutical prescriptions
A vial accumulator for use in a high volume pharmacy facility includes: a feed plate having an aperture; a vial staging unit mounted to the feed plate, the vial staging unit comprising at least one receiving compartment; a gate movably mounted to the feed plate, the gate movable relative to the feed plate between a blocking position, wherein the gate prevents a vial from exiting one of the receiving compartments, and a dispensing position, in which the gate allows passage of a vial in one of the receiving compartments through the aperture in the feed plate; and a controller operatively associated with the vial staging unit and the gate.
1. A method of dispensing first and second filled pharmaceutical vials into first and second receptacles in a high volume pharmacy, comprising the steps of:
(a) filling a first vial with a medicament with an automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine;
(b) delivering the first filled pharmaceutical vial from the automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine to a vial accumulator configured to hold multiple pharmaceutical vials;
(c) filling a second vial with a medicament with the automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine;
(d) delivering the second filled pharmaceutical vial from the automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine to the vial accumulator;
(e) conveying the first receptacle to a receiving position adjacent to the vial accumulator;
(f) delivering the first filled pharmaceutical vial from the vial accumulator to the first receptacle;
(g) conveying the second receptacle to a receiving position adjacent the vial accumulator; and
(h) delivering the second filled pharmaceutical vial from the vial accumulator to the second receptacle.
2. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein steps (a) and (b) are repeated for a third filled pharmaceutical vial, and wherein step (f) comprises delivering both of the first and third filled pharmaceutical vials to the first receptacle.
3. The method defined in claim 2 , wherein the first and third filled pharmaceutical vials are prescriptions within a single patient order.
4. The method defined in claim 2 , wherein the vial accumulator comprises a plurality of receiving compartments, and wherein the first and third filled pharmaceutical vials are delivered to a first one of the plurality of receiving compartments.
5. The method defined in claim 2 , wherein the vial accumulator comprises a plurality of receiving compartments, and wherein the first filled pharmaceutical vial and a third filled pharmaceutical vial are delivered to, respectively, a first one of the plurality of receiving compartments and a second one of the receiving compartments.
6. The method defined in claim 5 , wherein the first filled pharmaceutical vial is a prescription within a first patient order, and the third filled pharmaceutical vial is a prescription within a second patient order.
7. The method defined in claim 5 , wherein the first filled pharmaceutical vial is a prescription to be delivered to a first location, and the third filled pharmaceutical vial is a prescription to be delivered to a second location.
8. The method defined in claim 1 , further comprising the step of filling a third vial with the automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine prior to or during step (h).
9. A method of dispensing a first filled pharmaceutical vial into a receptacle in a high volume pharmacy, comprising the steps of:
(a) filling a vial with a medicament with a first automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine;
(b) delivering the first filled pharmaceutical vial from the first automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine to a vial accumulator configured to hold multiple pharmaceutical vials;
(c) conveying the receptacle to a receiving position adjacent the vial accumulator;
(d) delivering the first filled pharmaceutical vial from the vial accumulator to the receptacle; and
(e) conveying the receptacle to a second automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine and delivering a second filled pharmaceutical vial from the second pharmaceutical dispensing machine to the receptacle.
10. The method defined in claim 9 , wherein the first filled pharmaceutical vial and the second filled pharmaceutical vial are prescriptions within a single patient order.
11. The method defined in claim 9 , wherein the first filled pharmaceutical vial and the second filled pharmaceutical vial are prescriptions to be delivered to a single location.
12. A method of dispensing a filled pharmaceutical vial into a receptacle in a high volume pharmacy, comprising the steps of:
(a) filling a vial with a medicament with an automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine;
(b) delivering the filled pharmaceutical vial from the automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine to a vial accumulator configured to hold multiple pharmaceutical vials;
(c) conveying the receptacle to a receiving position adjacent the vial accumulator;
(d) delivering the filled pharmaceutical vial from the vial accumulator to the receptacle; and
(e) conveying the receptacle away from the automated pharmacy machine.