WO2016007318A1 - Systems and methods for managing associations between patients and respective storage units - Google Patents

Systems and methods for managing associations between patients and respective storage units Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2016007318A1
WO2016007318A1 PCT/US2015/038233 US2015038233W WO2016007318A1 WO 2016007318 A1 WO2016007318 A1 WO 2016007318A1 US 2015038233 W US2015038233 W US 2015038233W WO 2016007318 A1 WO2016007318 A1 WO 2016007318A1
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Prior art keywords
medications
storage unit
patient
medication
medication storage
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PCT/US2015/038233
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French (fr)
Inventor
Graham Ross
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Intermetro Industries Corporation
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Publication date
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Publication of WO2016007318A1 publication Critical patent/WO2016007318A1/en

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/08—Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
    • G06Q10/087—Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G16—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SPECIFIC APPLICATION FIELDS
    • G16H—HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA
    • G16H20/00—ICT specially adapted for therapies or health-improving plans, e.g. for handling prescriptions, for steering therapy or for monitoring patient compliance
    • G16H20/10—ICT specially adapted for therapies or health-improving plans, e.g. for handling prescriptions, for steering therapy or for monitoring patient compliance relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G16—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SPECIFIC APPLICATION FIELDS
    • G16H—HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA
    • G16H40/00—ICT specially adapted for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities; ICT specially adapted for the management or operation of medical equipment or devices
    • G16H40/20—ICT specially adapted for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities; ICT specially adapted for the management or operation of medical equipment or devices for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Definitions

  • the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for managing the storage and distribution of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies in a healthcare facility, including patient-specific medications and medical supplies.
  • a central distribution location e.g., a central pharmacy
  • medication management systems may be classified as centralized medication management systems or decentralized medication management systems.
  • a centralized medication management system medications may be provided from the central pharmacy directly to a healthcare professional (e.g., a nurse) that will be administering the medications to respective patients.
  • a healthcare professional e.g., a nurse
  • multiple medication dispensing sites are located remotely from a centralized distribution location, such as a facility's pharmacy.
  • the remote dispensing sites such as a nurses' station in a hospital ward, serve as base stations from which healthcare professionals can readily access medications or other medical supplies to be administered to the patients under their care.
  • a decentralized medication management system may implement a decentralized medication dispensing system (MDS).
  • An MDS can comprise a cabinet having a plurality of storage compartments, such as drawers, shelves, or bins, for example.
  • the storage compartments are stocked with individual medications and/or medication doses or other medical supplies.
  • the contents of the base stations are thoroughly inventoried and the distribution of medications and medical supplies is carefully controlled.
  • Access to the MDS (and to the individual storage compartments in the MDS) is limited and can be gained only by healthcare professionals with the appropriate credentials.
  • a user interface controls access to and records the inventory, and distribution of the medications and medical supplies from the MDS can be computer controlled.
  • the MDS may correspond to an automated dispensing machine (ADM) that stores medications in secure transportable compartments.
  • ADM automated dispensing machine
  • the compartments may be loaded (i.e., stocked with medications) in the pharmacy and then transported to the ADM.
  • a nurse removes medications from the compartment at the ADM and transports the medications (e.g., in a pocket) to the patient and administers the medication.
  • Systems and methods according to the principles of the present disclosure relate to managing associations between patients and patient-specific storage units in mobile workstations.
  • Patients may be assigned to respective storage units within a mobile workstation.
  • one or more medications prescribed to a patient may not fit within the patient's assigned storage unit in the mobile workstation.
  • Systems and methods according to the present disclosure determine whether medication(s) prescribed to a patient will fit within the patient's assigned storage unit in the mobile workstation. If not, a healthcare professional may be notified, and/or the patient may be re-assigned to another larger storage unit that can accommodate the patient's prescribed medication. [0010] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, the claims and the drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
  • FIG. 1 is an example automated dispensing machine
  • FIG. 2 is an example mobile point of care workstation;
  • FIG. 3 is an example medication management system including a medication system;
  • FIG. 4 is an example medication distribution system
  • FIG. 5 is an example database including data identifying patients, the patients' assigned storage units, and the types of the assigned storage units, respectively;
  • FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 are examples of different types of storage units
  • FIG. 9 is an example database including data identifying dimensions of different types of storage units
  • FIG. 10 is an example database including data identifying dimensions of different types of medications
  • FIGS. 1 1 , 12, and 13 are examples of different types of packaging of medications.
  • FIGS. 14 and 15 are flowcharts depicting example methods of managing assignments of storage units in a mobile workstation to specific patients. [0022] In the drawings, reference numbers may be reused to identify similar and/or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
  • a healthcare professional e.g., a nurse generally provides care to multiple patients, including the administration of medications to patients.
  • the healthcare professional may retrieve prescribed medications for one or more patients from a medication base station, such as an ADM, and place the medications in a medication transport apparatus that can be moved from patient to patient to administer the prescribed medication(s) to the patients.
  • a medication transport apparatus may be configured to receive one or more patient-specific medication- containing devices or units (i.e., medication-containing devices for storing patient- specific medications).
  • a medication transport apparatus can encompass a drawer, portable container, bin, compartment and/or a mobile point-of-care (POC) workstation incorporating such storage units.
  • POC mobile point-of-care
  • a mobile POC workstation can generally include one or more drawers or other suitable compartments for storing medication and medical supplies. Multiple storage units may be contained in the drawers, and each patient may be assigned to one the storage units. When medications are prescribed for a patient, the healthcare professional may retrieve that patient's prescribed medications from the medication base station and place the patient's prescribed medications in the patient's assigned storage unit in the mobile workstation. [0025] According to the present disclosure, systems and methods are described for determining and notifying the healthcare professional of whether medication(s) prescribed for a patient fit within the patient's assigned storage unit in the mobile POC workstation, for example.
  • a combination of a plurality of medication(s) prescribed to the patient e.g., all prescribed medications to be administered to a patient at a given time
  • another storage unit that is not currently being used e.g., located on the mobile POC workstation or elsewhere
  • that can fit all of the prescribed medications can be re-assigned to the patient.
  • two or more storage units of the mobile workstation that are not currently used can be identified, and the healthcare professional can be instructed to replace those two storage units with one larger storage unit in which all of the prescribed medication(s) will fit at the same time.
  • the systems and methods of the present disclosure identify a type of storage unit that can fit all of the patient's prescribed medications.
  • the healthcare professional can be notified of the type of storage unit that should be assigned to the patient.
  • the systems and methods identify one of that type of storage unit (that can fit all of the patient's prescribed medications) in the mobile workstation and may assign that storage unit to the patient.
  • FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example medication base station 100 and an example mobile POC workstation 200, respectively.
  • FIG. 3 shows an example medication system 300 operating within a medication management system 304.
  • the medication management system 304 is described as a decentralized medication management system, the medication system 300 may also be implemented in a centralized medication management system or hybrid medication management system. Accordingly, as described, the example medication management system 304 includes the medication base station 100 and the mobile workstation 200.
  • medications are provided from a central pharmacy 308 to one or more medication base stations 100.
  • a central inventory database 312 stores inventory data about the medications, such as stock quantities of each medication available in the healthcare facility, locations of the medications (e.g., stock quantities of each medication in the central pharmacy 308 and/or in respective medication base stations 100, etc.).
  • a healthcare professional accesses either the mobile workstation 200 or the medication base station 100 according to facility protocols (e.g., by utilizing a user access control module 316 on one of the mobile workstation 200 or the medication base station 100).
  • the healthcare professional then obtains information related to one or more medications prescribed for a particular patient.
  • the information about patient specific medication is placed in a queue that can be accessed by the control module 316, as appropriate.
  • the medication base station 100 and the mobile workstation 200 may negotiate a communication link. After the communication link is secured, the medication base station 100 receives or reads the information in the queue containing the information about patient-specific medication and prescription information for a given patient.
  • the medication base station 100 then enables access by the healthcare professional to one or more respective storage units (e.g., storage units within drawers 320) in the medication base station 100 containing the particular medications for that patient.
  • the medication base station 100 may unlock one or more storage units in the medication base station 100 containing the medication prescribed for a patient.
  • the mobile workstation 200 also enables access by the healthcare professional to a storage unit in the mobile workstation 200 that is assigned to that same patient.
  • the mobile workstation 200 may unlock a drawer 324 and a single storage unit within the drawer 324, the storage unit being assigned to the patient.
  • the healthcare professional retrieves the medications from the drawers 320 of the medication base station 100 and may record the retrieval activity according to facility protocols. The healthcare professional then places those medications in the patient-specific storage unit on the mobile workstation 200 and may record that activity according to facility protocols.
  • the healthcare professional can thereafter administer a patient's medications to the patient at the patient's bedside 328.
  • the healthcare professional transports the mobile workstation 200 to the patient's bedside 328.
  • the healthcare professional can access the mobile workstation 200 according to facility protocols utilizing the control module 316 on the mobile workstation 200.
  • the healthcare professional selects the patient for administration of that patient's medications.
  • the control module 316 then enables access by the healthcare professional to the patient-specific storage unit in the mobile workstation 200 containing the medications for that patient.
  • the healthcare professional then removes the medications from the patient-specific storage unit and administers the medications to the patient according to facility protocols (e.g., according to the well-known "five rights" protocol). This may include using the control module 316 to record that the medications have been administered. Once the medications are administered to the first patient, the healthcare professional can then proceed to successive patients whose medications are contained in the mobile workstation 200, if any.
  • Either or both of the medication base station 100 and the mobile workstation 200 may be configured to communicate with peripheral devices, such as bar code readers, PDAs, biometric security devices (e.g., a fingerprint scanner), scanners, card readers, keyboards, RFID systems, and the like.
  • peripheral devices such as bar code readers, PDAs, biometric security devices (e.g., a fingerprint scanner), scanners, card readers, keyboards, RFID systems, and the like.
  • the medication base station 100 and/or the mobile workstation 200 (e.g., via respective control modules 316) may implement the operating protocols of the healthcare facility for managing the distribution of medications from a pharmacy to a patient.
  • storage units within the mobile workstation 200 are assigned to specific patients under the care of the healthcare professional. Under some circumstances, one or more medications prescribed for a patient are unable to fit in the storage unit in the mobile workstation 200 that is assigned to the patient. When a medication for a patient does not fit in that patient's storage unit, the healthcare professional may place that medication in another location in the mobile workstation 200 or in, for example, a pocket.
  • systems and methods are described for determining whether medication prescribed for a patient will fit in that patient's storage unit.
  • the healthcare professional will be notified when the medication prescribed for a patient will not fit in the patient's storage unit.
  • the healthcare professional may be prompted, for example, to assign the patient to a different storage unit that is large enough to hold all of the patient's medication(s) and/or to replace one or more storage units within the mobile workstation 200 with a storage unit that is large enough to hold all of the patient's medication(s).
  • Other options are also possible and are discussed further below.
  • FIG. 4 is a functional block of an example medication distribution system 400.
  • the medication distribution system 400 may be implemented, for example, in the medication base station 100, in the mobile workstation 200, or independently. In various implementations, some functionality (and the associated components) of the medication distribution system 400 may be implemented within the medication base station 100 while other functionality (and the associated components) of the medication distribution system 400 may be implemented within a mobile workstation.
  • the medication distribution system 400 includes a control module 404, a communication interface 408, a user interface 412 (e.g., a graphical user interface), a storage unit assignment database 416, a storage unit dimension database 420, and a medication dimension database 424. While separate databases are shown, the information in the storage unit assignment database 416, the storage unit dimension database 420, and the medication dimension database 424 may be included in one database.
  • the user interface 412 allows a user (e.g., a healthcare professional) to interact with the medication distribution system 400.
  • the user interface 412 may interface one or more user input/output devices, such as a display, a keyboard, a mouse, etc.
  • the display may be a touch screen display.
  • the communication interface 408 facilitates wireless and/or wired communication with other devices.
  • the control module 404 controls and coordinates communication and processing of information between the databases, the communication interface 408, and the user interface 412.
  • the storage unit assignment database 416 includes a database of storage units within the mobile workstation 200 assigned to patients serviced by the mobile workstation 200, respectively.
  • each patient may have a unique patient identifier
  • each storage unit implemented in the mobile workstation 200 may have a unique storage unit identifier.
  • An example illustration of the storage unit assignment database 416 is provided in FIG. 5.
  • the unique storage unit identifier of a storage unit identifies a specific location of that storage unit within the mobile workstation 200, such as which drawer or cabinet the storage unit is in and a specific location of the storage unit within that drawer or cabinet.
  • a storage unit that is not already assigned to another patient may be assigned to a patient when care for that patient begins.
  • the storage unit that is assigned to the patient may be later changed as desired, for example, when a medication prescribed for the patient cannot fit within the assigned storage unit.
  • a storage unit within the mobile workstation 200 may be assigned to a patient when that patient's prescribed medication is to be loaded into the mobile workstation 200.
  • a storage unit in the mobile workstation 200 may be assigned to the patient that has dimensions sufficient to fit all of the medication(s) prescribed for the patient.
  • the storage unit assignment database 416 may also include an identifier of the type of each storage unit assigned to a patient.
  • a plurality of different types of storage units having different dimensions are available for use in the mobile workstation 200. In various implementations, only these types of storage units can be used within the mobile workstation 200. In other words, the different types of storage units may be limited to a fixed set of types of storage units.
  • FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 include example illustrations of three different types of storage units. While examples of only three different types of storage units are shown, more than three different types of storage units may be available.
  • the storage unit dimension database 420 includes a database of dimensions of each different type of available storage unit. The dimensions may include, for example, length, width, height, and volume. The dimensions of a storage unit assigned to a patient can be obtained using the storage unit dimension database 420. An example illustration of the storage unit dimension database 420 is provided in FIG. 9.
  • the medication dimension database 424 includes a database of dimensions of available medications, respectively.
  • the dimensions include, for example, length, width, height, and volume of medications that can be prescribed.
  • An example illustration of the medication dimension database 424 is provided in FIG. 10.
  • Examples of different types of packaging of medications are provided in FIGS. 1 1 , 12, and 13.
  • the examples of FIGs. 1 1 , 12, and 13 are illustrated using different scales for illustration purposes only.
  • the single pill pack in FIG. 13 may be smaller than the vials of FIG. 1 1 , and the vials of FIG. 1 1 may be shorter than the syringe of FIG. 12.
  • medications may also come in other different types of packaging, such as multiple pill packages and other types of packaging.
  • the control module 404 determines whether medication(s) prescribed for a patient will fit within the storage unit assigned to the patient in the mobile workstation 200 by comparing dimensions of the patient's assigned storage unit with dimensions of the prescribed medication(s), as discussed further below. When the medication(s) prescribed for the patient will not fit within the patient's assigned storage unit, the control module 404 indicates that the medication(s) will not fit to the healthcare professional. For example, the control module 404 may generate a notification on the display indicating that the medication(s) will not fit within the patient's assigned storage unit.
  • the control module 404 may perform one or more remedial actions when the medication(s) will not fit in the patient's assigned storage unit.
  • the control module 404 may open a user interface for the healthcare professional to identify (e.g., input a description) a location where the healthcare professional will store one or more medications that will not fit in the patient's assigned storage unit during transport to the patient.
  • the control module 404 may identify one of the storage units of the mobile workstation 200 where all of the patient's prescribed medications will fit, reassign the patient to that one of the storage units in the storage unit assignment database 416, and notify the healthcare professional of the re-assignment.
  • the control module 404 may identify multiple (e.g., adjacent) storage units of the mobile workstation 200 that are not presently being used (e.g., are not assigned to a patient or are not being used to transport medication for a patient at that time) that will fit all of the patient's prescribed medications. The control module 404 may then notify the healthcare professional of the locations of those multiple storage units and instruct the health care professional to replace those storage units with a single larger storage unit that can house all of the patient's prescribed medications. The control module 404 may update the storage unit assignment database 416 to reflect the removal of the multiple storage units, the addition of the single larger storage unit, and the assignment of that larger storage unit to the patient.
  • FIG. 14 includes a flowchart depicting an example method that may be performed by the control module 404.
  • the method begins at 604 where the control module 404 receives a medication order for a patient that is under the care of a healthcare professional using the mobile workstation 200.
  • the medication order includes one or more medications prescribed for the patient.
  • the control module 404 determines the dimensions of the storage unit of the mobile workstation 200 that is assigned to the patient.
  • the control module 404 may determine which storage unit of the mobile workstation 200 is assigned to the patient and the type of that storage unit using the storage unit assignment database 416.
  • the control module 404 may determine the dimensions of the storage unit assigned to the patient based on the type of that storage unit using the storage unit dimension database 420.
  • the control module 404 determines the dimensions of the l-th medication prescribed for the patient.
  • the control module 404 determines the dimensions of medications using the medication dimension database 424.
  • the control module 404 determines whether each of the medications will fit within the storage unit assigned to the patient and whether the entire medication order will fit within the storage unit assigned to the patient. The control module 404 determines whether the l-th one of the medications will fit in the storage unit assigned to the patient at 620.
  • the control module 404 may select a largest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the l-th one of the medications, select a largest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the storage unit assigned to the patient, and determine whether the largest dimension of the l-th one of the medications is less than largest dimension of the storage unit assigned to the patient.
  • the control module 404 may also select a second largest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the l-th one of the medications, select a second largest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the storage unit assigned to the patient, and determine whether the second largest dimension of the l-th one of the medications is less than second largest dimension of the storage unit assigned to the patient.
  • the control module 404 may also select a smallest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the l-th one of the medications, select a smallest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the storage unit assigned to the patient, and determine whether the smallest dimension of the l-th one of the medications is less than smallest dimension of the storage unit assigned to the patient. If each of the largest-smallest dimensions of the medication is less than the corresponding one of the largest-smallest dimensions of the storage unit, the l-th one of the medications will fit by itself in the storage unit.
  • control module 404 may store an indicator that the l-th one of the medications will not fit in the storage unit assigned to the patient at 624, and control continues with 628. If 620 is true, the l-th one of the medications will fit in the storage unit assigned to the patient, and control continues with 628.
  • the control module 404 may determine whether the variable I is less than a total number of medications of the patient's medication order. If 628 is false, the control module 404 increments I at 632, and control returns to 616 to determine whether a next (i.e., the new l-th) one of the prescribed medications will fit in the patient's assigned storage unit. If 628 is false, all of the patient's prescribed medications have been compared with the dimensions of the patient's assigned storage unit, and control continues with 636.
  • the control module 404 determines whether all of the patient's prescribed medications will fit in the patient's assigned storage unit at the same time. For example, the control module 404 may determine a total volume of all of the patient's prescribed medications by summing the individual volumes of the prescribed medications and determine whether the total volume of all of the patient's prescribed medications is less than the volume of the patient's assigned storage unit. The control module 404 may also determine whether one or more indicators have been stored indicating that one or more of the patient's prescribed medications will not individually fit in the patient's assigned storage unit.
  • control continues with 640.
  • the control module 404 may enable the healthcare professional access to the patient's assigned storage unit in the mobile workstation 200 and the compartments of the medication base station 100 where the prescribed medications are stored, as described above.
  • control continues with 644.
  • the control module 404 notifies the healthcare professional that one or more of the patient's prescribed medications will not fit in the patient's assigned storage unit in the mobile workstation 200.
  • the control module 404 may generate a notification on the display indicating that one or more of the patient's prescribed medications will not fit in the patient's assigned storage unit.
  • the control module 404 may also perform one or more remedial actions at 644. As an example, the control module 404 may open a user interface for the healthcare professional to identify a specific location where the healthcare professional will store the one or more medications that will not fit in the patient's assigned storage unit during transport to the patient.
  • control module 404 may identify one of the storage units of the mobile workstation 200 where all of the patient's prescribed medications will fit, reassign the patient to that one of the storage units in the storage unit assignment database 416, and notify the healthcare professional of the reassignment. The control module 404 may then proceed to enable the healthcare professional access to the patient's new assigned storage unit and the compartments of the medication base station 100 where the prescribed medications are stored, as described above.
  • the control module 404 may identify two or more storage units of the mobile workstation 200 that are not presently being used (e.g., assigned to a patient or being used to transport medication for a patient at that time) in which all of the patient's prescribed medications will fit at the same time. The control module 404 may then notify the healthcare professional of the locations of those multiple storage units and instruct the healthcare professional to replace those storage units with a single larger storage unit that can accommodate all of the patient's prescribed medications. [0064] The control module 404 notifies the healthcare professional of a larger storage unit with which to replace the two or more identified storage units.
  • the control module 404 updates the storage unit assignment database 416 to reflect the removal of the identified two or more storage units, the addition of the single larger storage unit, and the assignment of that larger storage unit to the patient. The control module 404 may then proceed to enable the healthcare professional access to the patient's new assigned storage unit and the compartments of the medication base station 100 where the prescribed medications are stored, as described above.
  • FIG. 15 includes a flowchart depicting an example method that may be performed by the control module 404.
  • the method begins at 704 where the control module 404 receives a medication order for a patient that is under the care of a healthcare professional using the mobile workstation 200.
  • the medication order includes one or more medications prescribed for the patient.
  • the control module 404 determines the dimensions of a J-th one of the different types of storage units at 712.
  • the control module 404 may determine the dimensions of the J-th type of storage unit using the storage unit dimension database 420.
  • the control module 404 determines the dimensions of the l-th one of the medications prescribed for the patient at 716.
  • the control module 404 determines the dimensions of medications using the medication dimension database 424.
  • the control module 404 determines whether each of the medications will fit within the J-th type of storage unit and whether the entire medication order will fit within the J-th type of storage unit. The control module 404 determines whether the l-th one of the medications will fit in the J-th type of storage unit at 720.
  • the control module 404 may select a largest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the l-th one of the medications, select a largest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the J-th type of storage unit, and determine whether the largest dimension of the l-th one of the medications is less than largest dimension of the J-th type of storage unit.
  • the control module 404 may also select a second largest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the l-th one of the medications, select a second largest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the J-th type of storage unit, and determine whether the second largest dimension of the l-th one of the medications is less than second largest dimension of the J-th type of storage unit.
  • the control module 404 may also select a smallest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the I- th one of the medications, select a smallest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the J-th type of storage unit, and determine whether the smallest dimension of the l-th one of the medications is less than smallest dimension of the J- th type of storage unit. If each of the largest-smallest dimensions of the medication is less than the corresponding one of the largest-smallest dimensions of the J-th type of storage unit, the l-th one of the medications will fit by itself in the J-th type of storage unit.
  • control module 404 may store an indicator that the patient's medication order will not fit in the J-th type of storage unit at 724, and control continues with 744, which is discussed further below. If 620 is true, the l-th one of the medications will fit in the J-th type of storage unit, and control continues with 728.
  • the control module 404 may determine whether the variable I is less than a total number of medications of the patient's medication order. If 728 is false, the control module 404 increments I at 732, and control returns to 716 to determine whether a next (i.e., the new l-th) one of the prescribed medications will fit in the J-th type of storage unit. If 728 is false, all of the patient's prescribed medications have been compared with the dimensions of the J-th type of storage unit, and control continues with 736.
  • the control module 404 determines whether all of the patient's prescribed medications will fit in the J-th type of storage unit at the same time. For example, the control module 404 may determine a total volume of all of the patient's prescribed medications by summing the individual volumes of the prescribed medications and determine whether the total volume of all of the patient's prescribed medications is less than the volume of the J-th type of storage unit.
  • control module 404 stores an indicator that the J-th type of storage unit can be used and will fit the patient's medication order at 740, and control continues with 744.
  • control module 404 stores the indicator that the patient's medication order will not fit in the J-th type of storage unit at 724, and control continues with 744.
  • the control module 404 may notify the healthcare professional of all of the types of storage units that will fit the patient's medication order.
  • the healthcare professional may select one of those types of storage units and prompt assignment of the selected type of storage unit to the patient.
  • the control module 404 may select one of the types of storage units that will fit the patient's medication order. For example, the control module 404 may select the one of the types of storage units that has a smallest volume. This may maximize remaining available storage space in the mobile workstation 200. The control module 404 may limit this selection to one of the types of storage units that will fit the patient's medication order and that is already present in the mobile workstation 200. If the selection is not limited to types of storage units that are already present in the mobile workstation 200, the control module 404 may also determine which two or more storage units to remove from the mobile workstation 200 to be replaced by the selected type of storage unit.
  • the control module 404 updates the storage unit assignment database 416 to reflect the assignment of the selected type of storage unit and the unique storage unit identifier to the patient at 756.
  • the control module 404 may enable the healthcare professional access to the patient's assigned storage unit in the mobile workstation 200 and the compartments of the medication base station 100 where the prescribed medications are stored, as described above.
  • the foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the invention, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.
  • Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.

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Abstract

Systems and methods for managing associations between patients and respective medication storage units are disclosed. A first table includes a plurality of sets of physical dimensions for a plurality of different types of medication storage units, respectively. A second table includes a plurality of sets of physical dimensions for a plurality of different medications, respectively. A control module receives a medication order for a patient including N medications prescribed to the patient, where N is an integer greater than zero. The control module: determines the physical dimensions of a medication storage unit that is associated with the patient; determines the physical dimensions of each of the N medications; compares the physical dimensions of each of the N medications with the physical dimensions of the medication storage unit; and, based on the comparisons, notifies a user when at least one of the N medications cannot fit within the medication storage unit.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN
PATIENTS AND RESPECTIVE STORAGE UNITS
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/021 ,453, filed on July 7, 2014. The entire disclosure of the application referenced above is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for managing the storage and distribution of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies in a healthcare facility, including patient-specific medications and medical supplies.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The background description provided here is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
[0004] In a healthcare facility, pharmaceuticals (e.g., medications) and other medical supplies are distributed from a central distribution location (e.g., a central pharmacy) using a medication management system. Medication management systems may be classified as centralized medication management systems or decentralized medication management systems. For example, in a centralized medication management system, medications may be provided from the central pharmacy directly to a healthcare professional (e.g., a nurse) that will be administering the medications to respective patients. [0005] Conversely, in a decentralized medication management system, multiple medication dispensing sites are located remotely from a centralized distribution location, such as a facility's pharmacy. The remote dispensing sites, such as a nurses' station in a hospital ward, serve as base stations from which healthcare professionals can readily access medications or other medical supplies to be administered to the patients under their care.
[0006] A decentralized medication management system may implement a decentralized medication dispensing system (MDS). An MDS can comprise a cabinet having a plurality of storage compartments, such as drawers, shelves, or bins, for example. The storage compartments are stocked with individual medications and/or medication doses or other medical supplies. The contents of the base stations are thoroughly inventoried and the distribution of medications and medical supplies is carefully controlled. Access to the MDS (and to the individual storage compartments in the MDS) is limited and can be gained only by healthcare professionals with the appropriate credentials. A user interface controls access to and records the inventory, and distribution of the medications and medical supplies from the MDS can be computer controlled.
[0007] In some implementations, the MDS may correspond to an automated dispensing machine (ADM) that stores medications in secure transportable compartments. The compartments may be loaded (i.e., stocked with medications) in the pharmacy and then transported to the ADM. A nurse removes medications from the compartment at the ADM and transports the medications (e.g., in a pocket) to the patient and administers the medication. SUMMARY
[0008] Systems and methods according to the principles of the present disclosure relate to managing associations between patients and patient-specific storage units in mobile workstations. Patients may be assigned to respective storage units within a mobile workstation. Under some circumstances, one or more medications prescribed to a patient may not fit within the patient's assigned storage unit in the mobile workstation.
[0009] Systems and methods according to the present disclosure determine whether medication(s) prescribed to a patient will fit within the patient's assigned storage unit in the mobile workstation. If not, a healthcare professional may be notified, and/or the patient may be re-assigned to another larger storage unit that can accommodate the patient's prescribed medication. [0010] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, the claims and the drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0012] FIG. 1 is an example automated dispensing machine;
[0013] FIG. 2 is an example mobile point of care workstation; [0014] FIG. 3 is an example medication management system including a medication system;
[0015] FIG. 4 is an example medication distribution system;
[0016] FIG. 5 is an example database including data identifying patients, the patients' assigned storage units, and the types of the assigned storage units, respectively;
[0017] FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 are examples of different types of storage units;
[0018] FIG. 9 is an example database including data identifying dimensions of different types of storage units;
[0019] FIG. 10 is an example database including data identifying dimensions of different types of medications;
[0020] FIGS. 1 1 , 12, and 13 are examples of different types of packaging of medications; and
[0021] FIGS. 14 and 15 are flowcharts depicting example methods of managing assignments of storage units in a mobile workstation to specific patients. [0022] In the drawings, reference numbers may be reused to identify similar and/or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] A healthcare professional (e.g., a nurse) generally provides care to multiple patients, including the administration of medications to patients. The healthcare professional may retrieve prescribed medications for one or more patients from a medication base station, such as an ADM, and place the medications in a medication transport apparatus that can be moved from patient to patient to administer the prescribed medication(s) to the patients. In particular, a medication transport apparatus may be configured to receive one or more patient-specific medication- containing devices or units (i.e., medication-containing devices for storing patient- specific medications). A medication transport apparatus can encompass a drawer, portable container, bin, compartment and/or a mobile point-of-care (POC) workstation incorporating such storage units.
[0024] For example, a mobile POC workstation can generally include one or more drawers or other suitable compartments for storing medication and medical supplies. Multiple storage units may be contained in the drawers, and each patient may be assigned to one the storage units. When medications are prescribed for a patient, the healthcare professional may retrieve that patient's prescribed medications from the medication base station and place the patient's prescribed medications in the patient's assigned storage unit in the mobile workstation. [0025] According to the present disclosure, systems and methods are described for determining and notifying the healthcare professional of whether medication(s) prescribed for a patient fit within the patient's assigned storage unit in the mobile POC workstation, for example. This can include determining whether individual medication(s) prescribed to the patient can fit in the patient's assigned storage unit and whether a combination of a plurality of medication(s) prescribed to the patient (e.g., all prescribed medications to be administered to a patient at a given time) can fit in the patient's assigned storage unit. If one or more of the prescribed medication(s) does not individually fit in the patient's assigned storage unit and/or the several prescribed medication(s) do not all fit in the patient's assigned storage unit at the same time, the healthcare professional may be prompted to identify a location where items that do not fit will be stored during transport to the patient. [0026] Alternatively, according to the systems and methods of the present disclosure, another storage unit that is not currently being used (e.g., located on the mobile POC workstation or elsewhere) and that can fit all of the prescribed medications can be re-assigned to the patient. In various implementations, two or more storage units of the mobile workstation that are not currently used can be identified, and the healthcare professional can be instructed to replace those two storage units with one larger storage unit in which all of the prescribed medication(s) will fit at the same time.
[0027] If a storage unit is not already assigned to the patient, the systems and methods of the present disclosure identify a type of storage unit that can fit all of the patient's prescribed medications. The healthcare professional can be notified of the type of storage unit that should be assigned to the patient. In some cases, the systems and methods identify one of that type of storage unit (that can fit all of the patient's prescribed medications) in the mobile workstation and may assign that storage unit to the patient.
[0028] FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example medication base station 100 and an example mobile POC workstation 200, respectively. FIG. 3 shows an example medication system 300 operating within a medication management system 304. Referring now to FIGS. 1 -3, while the medication management system 304 is described as a decentralized medication management system, the medication system 300 may also be implemented in a centralized medication management system or hybrid medication management system. Accordingly, as described, the example medication management system 304 includes the medication base station 100 and the mobile workstation 200. [0029] In an example implementation, medications are provided from a central pharmacy 308 to one or more medication base stations 100. A central inventory database 312 stores inventory data about the medications, such as stock quantities of each medication available in the healthcare facility, locations of the medications (e.g., stock quantities of each medication in the central pharmacy 308 and/or in respective medication base stations 100, etc.).
[0030] At the medication base station 100, a healthcare professional (e.g., a nurse) accesses either the mobile workstation 200 or the medication base station 100 according to facility protocols (e.g., by utilizing a user access control module 316 on one of the mobile workstation 200 or the medication base station 100). The healthcare professional then obtains information related to one or more medications prescribed for a particular patient. The information about patient specific medication is placed in a queue that can be accessed by the control module 316, as appropriate.
[0031] In one example implementation, as the healthcare professional approaches the medication base station 100 with the mobile workstation 200, the medication base station 100 and the mobile workstation 200 may negotiate a communication link. After the communication link is secured, the medication base station 100 receives or reads the information in the queue containing the information about patient-specific medication and prescription information for a given patient.
[0032] The medication base station 100 then enables access by the healthcare professional to one or more respective storage units (e.g., storage units within drawers 320) in the medication base station 100 containing the particular medications for that patient. For example, the medication base station 100 may unlock one or more storage units in the medication base station 100 containing the medication prescribed for a patient. The mobile workstation 200 also enables access by the healthcare professional to a storage unit in the mobile workstation 200 that is assigned to that same patient. For example, the mobile workstation 200 may unlock a drawer 324 and a single storage unit within the drawer 324, the storage unit being assigned to the patient.
[0033] The healthcare professional retrieves the medications from the drawers 320 of the medication base station 100 and may record the retrieval activity according to facility protocols. The healthcare professional then places those medications in the patient-specific storage unit on the mobile workstation 200 and may record that activity according to facility protocols.
[0034] These steps are repeated for each of the medications for the patient that are retrieved from the medication base station 100 and placed in the patient storage unit on the mobile workstation 200. Then the steps may also be repeated for one or more other patients under the care of the healthcare professional. [0035] The healthcare professional can thereafter administer a patient's medications to the patient at the patient's bedside 328. For example, the healthcare professional transports the mobile workstation 200 to the patient's bedside 328. At that time, the healthcare professional can access the mobile workstation 200 according to facility protocols utilizing the control module 316 on the mobile workstation 200. The healthcare professional then selects the patient for administration of that patient's medications.
[0036] The control module 316 then enables access by the healthcare professional to the patient-specific storage unit in the mobile workstation 200 containing the medications for that patient. The healthcare professional then removes the medications from the patient-specific storage unit and administers the medications to the patient according to facility protocols (e.g., according to the well-known "five rights" protocol). This may include using the control module 316 to record that the medications have been administered. Once the medications are administered to the first patient, the healthcare professional can then proceed to successive patients whose medications are contained in the mobile workstation 200, if any.
[0037] Either or both of the medication base station 100 and the mobile workstation 200 may be configured to communicate with peripheral devices, such as bar code readers, PDAs, biometric security devices (e.g., a fingerprint scanner), scanners, card readers, keyboards, RFID systems, and the like. The medication base station 100 and/or the mobile workstation 200 (e.g., via respective control modules 316) may implement the operating protocols of the healthcare facility for managing the distribution of medications from a pharmacy to a patient.
[0038] As described above, storage units within the mobile workstation 200 are assigned to specific patients under the care of the healthcare professional. Under some circumstances, one or more medications prescribed for a patient are unable to fit in the storage unit in the mobile workstation 200 that is assigned to the patient. When a medication for a patient does not fit in that patient's storage unit, the healthcare professional may place that medication in another location in the mobile workstation 200 or in, for example, a pocket.
[0039] According to the present disclosure, systems and methods are described for determining whether medication prescribed for a patient will fit in that patient's storage unit. The healthcare professional will be notified when the medication prescribed for a patient will not fit in the patient's storage unit. When a patient's medication will not fit in the patient's storage unit, the healthcare professional may be prompted, for example, to assign the patient to a different storage unit that is large enough to hold all of the patient's medication(s) and/or to replace one or more storage units within the mobile workstation 200 with a storage unit that is large enough to hold all of the patient's medication(s). Other options are also possible and are discussed further below.
[0040] FIG. 4 is a functional block of an example medication distribution system 400. The medication distribution system 400 may be implemented, for example, in the medication base station 100, in the mobile workstation 200, or independently. In various implementations, some functionality (and the associated components) of the medication distribution system 400 may be implemented within the medication base station 100 while other functionality (and the associated components) of the medication distribution system 400 may be implemented within a mobile workstation. The medication distribution system 400 includes a control module 404, a communication interface 408, a user interface 412 (e.g., a graphical user interface), a storage unit assignment database 416, a storage unit dimension database 420, and a medication dimension database 424. While separate databases are shown, the information in the storage unit assignment database 416, the storage unit dimension database 420, and the medication dimension database 424 may be included in one database.
[0041] The user interface 412 allows a user (e.g., a healthcare professional) to interact with the medication distribution system 400. The user interface 412 may interface one or more user input/output devices, such as a display, a keyboard, a mouse, etc. In various implementations, the display may be a touch screen display. The communication interface 408 facilitates wireless and/or wired communication with other devices. The control module 404 controls and coordinates communication and processing of information between the databases, the communication interface 408, and the user interface 412.
[0042] The storage unit assignment database 416 includes a database of storage units within the mobile workstation 200 assigned to patients serviced by the mobile workstation 200, respectively. For example, each patient may have a unique patient identifier, and each storage unit implemented in the mobile workstation 200 may have a unique storage unit identifier. An example illustration of the storage unit assignment database 416 is provided in FIG. 5. The unique storage unit identifier of a storage unit identifies a specific location of that storage unit within the mobile workstation 200, such as which drawer or cabinet the storage unit is in and a specific location of the storage unit within that drawer or cabinet.
[0043] A storage unit that is not already assigned to another patient may be assigned to a patient when care for that patient begins. The storage unit that is assigned to the patient may be later changed as desired, for example, when a medication prescribed for the patient cannot fit within the assigned storage unit.
[0044] Alternatively, a storage unit within the mobile workstation 200 may be assigned to a patient when that patient's prescribed medication is to be loaded into the mobile workstation 200. A storage unit in the mobile workstation 200 may be assigned to the patient that has dimensions sufficient to fit all of the medication(s) prescribed for the patient.
[0045] The storage unit assignment database 416 may also include an identifier of the type of each storage unit assigned to a patient. A plurality of different types of storage units having different dimensions are available for use in the mobile workstation 200. In various implementations, only these types of storage units can be used within the mobile workstation 200. In other words, the different types of storage units may be limited to a fixed set of types of storage units. FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 include example illustrations of three different types of storage units. While examples of only three different types of storage units are shown, more than three different types of storage units may be available. [0046] The storage unit dimension database 420 includes a database of dimensions of each different type of available storage unit. The dimensions may include, for example, length, width, height, and volume. The dimensions of a storage unit assigned to a patient can be obtained using the storage unit dimension database 420. An example illustration of the storage unit dimension database 420 is provided in FIG. 9.
[0047] The medication dimension database 424 includes a database of dimensions of available medications, respectively. The dimensions include, for example, length, width, height, and volume of medications that can be prescribed. An example illustration of the medication dimension database 424 is provided in FIG. 10. Examples of different types of packaging of medications are provided in FIGS. 1 1 , 12, and 13. The examples of FIGs. 1 1 , 12, and 13 are illustrated using different scales for illustration purposes only. The single pill pack in FIG. 13 may be smaller than the vials of FIG. 1 1 , and the vials of FIG. 1 1 may be shorter than the syringe of FIG. 12. While several examples of different types of packaging are provided, medications may also come in other different types of packaging, such as multiple pill packages and other types of packaging. [0048] The control module 404 determines whether medication(s) prescribed for a patient will fit within the storage unit assigned to the patient in the mobile workstation 200 by comparing dimensions of the patient's assigned storage unit with dimensions of the prescribed medication(s), as discussed further below. When the medication(s) prescribed for the patient will not fit within the patient's assigned storage unit, the control module 404 indicates that the medication(s) will not fit to the healthcare professional. For example, the control module 404 may generate a notification on the display indicating that the medication(s) will not fit within the patient's assigned storage unit.
[0049] The control module 404 may perform one or more remedial actions when the medication(s) will not fit in the patient's assigned storage unit. As an example, the control module 404 may open a user interface for the healthcare professional to identify (e.g., input a description) a location where the healthcare professional will store one or more medications that will not fit in the patient's assigned storage unit during transport to the patient. As another example, the control module 404 may identify one of the storage units of the mobile workstation 200 where all of the patient's prescribed medications will fit, reassign the patient to that one of the storage units in the storage unit assignment database 416, and notify the healthcare professional of the re-assignment.
[0050] When the mobile workstation 200 does not include one storage unit that will fit all of the patient's prescribed medications, the control module 404 may identify multiple (e.g., adjacent) storage units of the mobile workstation 200 that are not presently being used (e.g., are not assigned to a patient or are not being used to transport medication for a patient at that time) that will fit all of the patient's prescribed medications. The control module 404 may then notify the healthcare professional of the locations of those multiple storage units and instruct the health care professional to replace those storage units with a single larger storage unit that can house all of the patient's prescribed medications. The control module 404 may update the storage unit assignment database 416 to reflect the removal of the multiple storage units, the addition of the single larger storage unit, and the assignment of that larger storage unit to the patient.
[0051] FIG. 14 includes a flowchart depicting an example method that may be performed by the control module 404. The method begins at 604 where the control module 404 receives a medication order for a patient that is under the care of a healthcare professional using the mobile workstation 200. The medication order includes one or more medications prescribed for the patient.
[0052] At 608, the control module 404 determines the dimensions of the storage unit of the mobile workstation 200 that is assigned to the patient. The control module 404 may determine which storage unit of the mobile workstation 200 is assigned to the patient and the type of that storage unit using the storage unit assignment database 416. The control module 404 may determine the dimensions of the storage unit assigned to the patient based on the type of that storage unit using the storage unit dimension database 420. [0053] The control module 404 also determines the dimensions of each medication prescribed for the patient. For example, the control module 404 may set a variable 1=1 at 612. At 616, the control module 404 determines the dimensions of the l-th medication prescribed for the patient. The control module 404 determines the dimensions of medications using the medication dimension database 424. [0054] Based on the dimensions of the storage unit assigned to the patient and the dimensions of the medication(s) prescribed, the control module 404 determines whether each of the medications will fit within the storage unit assigned to the patient and whether the entire medication order will fit within the storage unit assigned to the patient. The control module 404 determines whether the l-th one of the medications will fit in the storage unit assigned to the patient at 620.
[0055] For example, at 620, the control module 404 may select a largest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the l-th one of the medications, select a largest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the storage unit assigned to the patient, and determine whether the largest dimension of the l-th one of the medications is less than largest dimension of the storage unit assigned to the patient. The control module 404 may also select a second largest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the l-th one of the medications, select a second largest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the storage unit assigned to the patient, and determine whether the second largest dimension of the l-th one of the medications is less than second largest dimension of the storage unit assigned to the patient. The control module 404 may also select a smallest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the l-th one of the medications, select a smallest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the storage unit assigned to the patient, and determine whether the smallest dimension of the l-th one of the medications is less than smallest dimension of the storage unit assigned to the patient. If each of the largest-smallest dimensions of the medication is less than the corresponding one of the largest-smallest dimensions of the storage unit, the l-th one of the medications will fit by itself in the storage unit.
[0056] If 620 is false, the control module 404 may store an indicator that the l-th one of the medications will not fit in the storage unit assigned to the patient at 624, and control continues with 628. If 620 is true, the l-th one of the medications will fit in the storage unit assigned to the patient, and control continues with 628.
[0057] At 628, the control module 404 may determine whether the variable I is less than a total number of medications of the patient's medication order. If 628 is false, the control module 404 increments I at 632, and control returns to 616 to determine whether a next (i.e., the new l-th) one of the prescribed medications will fit in the patient's assigned storage unit. If 628 is false, all of the patient's prescribed medications have been compared with the dimensions of the patient's assigned storage unit, and control continues with 636.
[0058] At 636, the control module 404 determines whether all of the patient's prescribed medications will fit in the patient's assigned storage unit at the same time. For example, the control module 404 may determine a total volume of all of the patient's prescribed medications by summing the individual volumes of the prescribed medications and determine whether the total volume of all of the patient's prescribed medications is less than the volume of the patient's assigned storage unit. The control module 404 may also determine whether one or more indicators have been stored indicating that one or more of the patient's prescribed medications will not individually fit in the patient's assigned storage unit.
[0059] When all of the patient's prescribed medications will individually fit in the patient's assigned storage unit and all of the patient's prescribed medications will fit in the patient's assigned storage unit at the same time, control continues with 640. At 640, the control module 404 may enable the healthcare professional access to the patient's assigned storage unit in the mobile workstation 200 and the compartments of the medication base station 100 where the prescribed medications are stored, as described above. When one or more of the patient's prescribed medications will not individually fit in the patient's assigned storage unit and/or all of the patient's prescribed medications will not fit in the patient's assigned storage unit at the same time, control continues with 644.
[0060] At 644, the control module 404 notifies the healthcare professional that one or more of the patient's prescribed medications will not fit in the patient's assigned storage unit in the mobile workstation 200. For example, the control module 404 may generate a notification on the display indicating that one or more of the patient's prescribed medications will not fit in the patient's assigned storage unit.
[0061] The control module 404 may also perform one or more remedial actions at 644. As an example, the control module 404 may open a user interface for the healthcare professional to identify a specific location where the healthcare professional will store the one or more medications that will not fit in the patient's assigned storage unit during transport to the patient.
[0062] As another example, the control module 404 may identify one of the storage units of the mobile workstation 200 where all of the patient's prescribed medications will fit, reassign the patient to that one of the storage units in the storage unit assignment database 416, and notify the healthcare professional of the reassignment. The control module 404 may then proceed to enable the healthcare professional access to the patient's new assigned storage unit and the compartments of the medication base station 100 where the prescribed medications are stored, as described above. [0063] When the mobile workstation 200 does not include one storage unit that will fit all of the patient's prescribed medications at the same time, the control module 404 may identify two or more storage units of the mobile workstation 200 that are not presently being used (e.g., assigned to a patient or being used to transport medication for a patient at that time) in which all of the patient's prescribed medications will fit at the same time. The control module 404 may then notify the healthcare professional of the locations of those multiple storage units and instruct the healthcare professional to replace those storage units with a single larger storage unit that can accommodate all of the patient's prescribed medications. [0064] The control module 404 notifies the healthcare professional of a larger storage unit with which to replace the two or more identified storage units. The control module 404 updates the storage unit assignment database 416 to reflect the removal of the identified two or more storage units, the addition of the single larger storage unit, and the assignment of that larger storage unit to the patient. The control module 404 may then proceed to enable the healthcare professional access to the patient's new assigned storage unit and the compartments of the medication base station 100 where the prescribed medications are stored, as described above.
[0065] FIG. 15 includes a flowchart depicting an example method that may be performed by the control module 404. The method begins at 704 where the control module 404 receives a medication order for a patient that is under the care of a healthcare professional using the mobile workstation 200. The medication order includes one or more medications prescribed for the patient.
[0066] At 708, the control module 404 may set a variable 1=1 and a variable J=1 . The control module 404 determines the dimensions of a J-th one of the different types of storage units at 712. The control module 404 may determine the dimensions of the J-th type of storage unit using the storage unit dimension database 420. The control module 404 determines the dimensions of the l-th one of the medications prescribed for the patient at 716. The control module 404 determines the dimensions of medications using the medication dimension database 424.
[0067] Based on the dimensions of the J-th type of storage unit and the dimensions of the medication(s) prescribed, the control module 404 determines whether each of the medications will fit within the J-th type of storage unit and whether the entire medication order will fit within the J-th type of storage unit. The control module 404 determines whether the l-th one of the medications will fit in the J-th type of storage unit at 720. [0068] For example, at 720, the control module 404 may select a largest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the l-th one of the medications, select a largest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the J-th type of storage unit, and determine whether the largest dimension of the l-th one of the medications is less than largest dimension of the J-th type of storage unit. The control module 404 may also select a second largest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the l-th one of the medications, select a second largest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the J-th type of storage unit, and determine whether the second largest dimension of the l-th one of the medications is less than second largest dimension of the J-th type of storage unit. The control module 404 may also select a smallest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the I- th one of the medications, select a smallest one of the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the J-th type of storage unit, and determine whether the smallest dimension of the l-th one of the medications is less than smallest dimension of the J- th type of storage unit. If each of the largest-smallest dimensions of the medication is less than the corresponding one of the largest-smallest dimensions of the J-th type of storage unit, the l-th one of the medications will fit by itself in the J-th type of storage unit.
[0069] If 720 is false, the control module 404 may store an indicator that the patient's medication order will not fit in the J-th type of storage unit at 724, and control continues with 744, which is discussed further below. If 620 is true, the l-th one of the medications will fit in the J-th type of storage unit, and control continues with 728.
[0070] At 728, the control module 404 may determine whether the variable I is less than a total number of medications of the patient's medication order. If 728 is false, the control module 404 increments I at 732, and control returns to 716 to determine whether a next (i.e., the new l-th) one of the prescribed medications will fit in the J-th type of storage unit. If 728 is false, all of the patient's prescribed medications have been compared with the dimensions of the J-th type of storage unit, and control continues with 736.
[0071] At 736, the control module 404 determines whether all of the patient's prescribed medications will fit in the J-th type of storage unit at the same time. For example, the control module 404 may determine a total volume of all of the patient's prescribed medications by summing the individual volumes of the prescribed medications and determine whether the total volume of all of the patient's prescribed medications is less than the volume of the J-th type of storage unit.
[0072] When 736 is true, the control module 404 stores an indicator that the J-th type of storage unit can be used and will fit the patient's medication order at 740, and control continues with 744. When 736 is true, the control module 404 stores the indicator that the patient's medication order will not fit in the J-th type of storage unit at 724, and control continues with 744.
[0073] At 744, the control module 404 determines whether the variable J is less than a total number of the number of different types of storage units that are available. If 744 is true, all of the types of storage units have not yet assessed, so the control module 404 increments the variable J and sets the variable 1=1 at 748, and control returns to 712. The control module 404 will then determine whether the patient's medication order will fit in the (new) J-th type of storage unit. If 744 is false, all of the different types of storage units have been assessed, and control continues with 752.
[0074] The control module 404 may notify the healthcare professional of all of the types of storage units that will fit the patient's medication order. The healthcare professional may select one of those types of storage units and prompt assignment of the selected type of storage unit to the patient.
[0075] In various implementations, at 752, the control module 404 may select one of the types of storage units that will fit the patient's medication order. For example, the control module 404 may select the one of the types of storage units that has a smallest volume. This may maximize remaining available storage space in the mobile workstation 200. The control module 404 may limit this selection to one of the types of storage units that will fit the patient's medication order and that is already present in the mobile workstation 200. If the selection is not limited to types of storage units that are already present in the mobile workstation 200, the control module 404 may also determine which two or more storage units to remove from the mobile workstation 200 to be replaced by the selected type of storage unit.
[0076] The control module 404 updates the storage unit assignment database 416 to reflect the assignment of the selected type of storage unit and the unique storage unit identifier to the patient at 756. At 760, the control module 404 may enable the healthcare professional access to the patient's assigned storage unit in the mobile workstation 200 and the compartments of the medication base station 100 where the prescribed medications are stored, as described above. [0077] The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the invention, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.
[0078] Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:
1 . A system for managing associations between patients and respective medication storage units, comprising:
a database comprising:
a first table including a plurality of sets of physical dimensions for a plurality of different types of medication storage units, respectively;
a second table including a plurality of sets of physical dimensions for a plurality of different medications, respectively; and
a control module that:
receives a medication order for a patient, the medication order including N medications prescribed to the patient, wherein N is an integer greater than zero;
identifies the physical dimensions of a first medication storage unit of a first type from the first table, the first medication storage unit being associated with the patient;
identifies the physical dimensions of each of the N medications included in the medication order from the second table;
compares the physical dimensions of each of the N medications with the physical dimensions of the first medication storage unit; and
based on the comparisons, notifies a user when the physical dimensions of at least one of the N medications are such that the at least one of the N medications cannot fit within the first medication storage unit.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein, when at least one of the N medications cannot fit within the first medication storage unit, the control module prompts the user to input a location where the at least one of the N medications will be stored during transport of the at least one of the N medications to the patient.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the control module further:
determines whether all of the N medications can fit within the first medication storage unit simultaneously; and notifies the user when all of the N medications cannot fit within the first medication storage unit simultaneously.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein, when at least one of the N medications cannot fit within the first medication storage unit, the control module further:
identifies the physical dimensions of a second medication storage unit of a second type;
compares the physical dimensions of each of the N medications with the physical dimensions of the second medication storage unit; and
based on the comparisons, determines whether all of the N medications can fit within the second medication storage unit simultaneously.
5. The system of claim 4 further comprising a third table including a plurality of associations between patients and respective medication storage units,
wherein, when all of the N medications can fit within the second medication storage unit simultaneously, the control module further updates the third table to associate the patient with the second medication storage unit.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the control module:
compares a largest one of a first length, a first width and a first height of one of the N medications with a largest one of a second length, a second width, and a second height of the first medication storage unit;
compares a second largest one of the first length, the first width and the first height of the one of the N medications with a second largest one of the second length, the second width, and the second height of the first medication storage unit; compares a smallest one of the first length, the first width and the first height of the one of the N medications with a smallest one of the second length, the second width, and the second height of the first medication storage unit; and
based on the comparisons, notifies the user that the one of the N medications cannot fit within the first medication storage unit when at least one of:
the largest one of the first length, the first width and the first height is greater than the largest one of the second length, the second width, and the second height; the second largest one of the first length, the first width and the first height is greater than the second largest one of the second length, the second width, and the second height; and
the smallest one of the first length, the first width and the first height is greater than the smallest one of the second length, the second width, and the second height.
7. A system for managing associations between patients and respective medication storage units, comprising:
a mobile workstation that is adapted to house a plurality of medication storage units;
a first table including a plurality of sets of physical dimensions for a plurality of different types of medication storage units, respectively;
a second table including a plurality of sets of physical dimensions for a plurality of different medications, respectively; and
a control module that:
receives a medication order for a patient, the medication order including N medications prescribed to the patient, wherein N is an integer greater than zero;
based on the physical dimensions of the N medications and the physical dimensions of the types of medication storage units, identifies a group of one or more of the types of medication storage units within which the medication order can fit;
selects one of the types of medication storage units from the group; identifies a single medication storage unit located within the mobile workstation having the selected one of the types; and
associates the identified single medical storage unit located in the mobile workstation with the patient in a third table.
8. A method of managing associations between patients and respective medication storage units, comprising:
receiving a medication order for a patient, the medication order including N medications prescribed to the patient, wherein N is an integer greater than zero; identifying, using a first table stored in a database, physical dimensions of a first medication storage unit of a first type, the first medication storage unit being associated with the patient, and the first table including a plurality of sets of physical dimensions for a plurality of different types of medication storage units;
identifies, using a second table stored in the database, physical dimensions of each of the N medications included in the medication order, the second table including a plurality of sets of physical dimensions for a plurality of different medications, respectively;
comparing the physical dimensions of each of the N medications with the physical dimensions of the first medication storage unit; and
based on the comparisons, notifying a user when the physical dimensions of at least one of the N medications are such that the at least one of the N medications cannot fit within the first medication storage unit.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising, when at least one of the N medications cannot fit within the first medication storage unit, prompting the user to input a location where the at least one of the N medications will be stored during transport of the at least one of the N medications to the patient.
10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
determining whether all of the N medications can fit within the first medication storage unit simultaneously; and
notifying the user when all of the N medications cannot fit within the first medication storage unit simultaneously.
1 1 . The method of claim 8 further comprising, when at least one of the N medications cannot fit within the first medication storage unit:
identifying the physical dimensions of a second medication storage unit of a second type;
comparing the physical dimensions of each of the N medications with the physical dimensions of the second medication storage unit; and
based on the comparisons, determining whether all of the N medications can fit within the second medication storage unit simultaneously.
12. The method of claim 1 1 further comprising, when all of the N medications can fit within the second medication storage unit simultaneously, updating a third table stored in the database to associate the patient with the second medication storage unit, the third table including a plurality of associations between patients and respective medication storage units.
13. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
comparing a largest one of a first length, a first width and a first height of one of the N medications with a largest one of a second length, a second width, and a second height of the first medication storage unit;
comparing a second largest one of the first length, the first width and the first height of the one of the N medications with a second largest one of the second length, the second width, and the second height of the first medication storage unit; comparing a smallest one of the first length, the first width and the first height of the one of the N medications with a smallest one of the second length, the second width, and the second height of the first medication storage unit; and
based on the comparisons, notifying the user that the one of the N medications cannot fit within the first medication storage unit when at least one of:
the largest one of the first length, the first width and the first height is greater than the largest one of the second length, the second width, and the second height;
the second largest one of the first length, the first width and the first height is greater than the second largest one of the second length, the second width, and the second height; and
the smallest one of the first length, the first width and the first height is greater than the smallest one of the second length, the second width, and the second height.
PCT/US2015/038233 2014-07-07 2015-06-29 Systems and methods for managing associations between patients and respective storage units WO2016007318A1 (en)

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