GB2547254A

GB2547254A - Pharmacy dispensing system

Info

Publication number: GB2547254A
Application number: GB1602555.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Lee Daniel
Original assignee: Pharmacy2u Ltd
Current assignee: Pharmacy2u Ltd
Priority date: 2016-02-12
Filing date: 2016-02-12
Publication date: 2017-08-16
Also published as: GB201602555D0

Abstract

Dispensing system suitable for use with pharmaceutical products, comprising a plurality of picking stations connected by a conveyor arrangement that transports receptacles between stations. At least one station comprises an automated dispensing robot. There may be a plurality of robots, and each robot may have a plurality of picking heads. Each robot may be able to pick a plurality of items at once, which may be in a single pass, prior to dispensing them in a receptacle. The receptacle may have an identification device that is read as the receptacle approaches a robot, so that the pharmaceuticals may be queued in the robot and picked as the receptacle approaches the robots dispensing outlet. At least one robot may be located in a secure room and select prescription pharmaceuticals. At least one station may be a pick-by-light station.

Description

Pharmacy Dispensing System

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an automated pharmacy dispensing system.

Background to the Invention

There is a demand in the marketplace for pharmaceutical products to be ordered online and then dispensed, packed and sent in the mail. To date, a number of systems have been proposed that comprise conveyors and manual picking and packing, which is undertaken by people. Additionally, most of those previous systems employ a single picking, or load, station. Such systems are inefficient and can delay the time between receiving the customer order and dispatching the product. Furthermore, where several different items are required, it may require people to intervene in the packing process to add farther items that are not within the picking station. A further complication in existing systems is where restricted products, for example over-the-counter and prescription items, are required that need to be stored securely.

Summary of the Invention

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a pharmacy dispensing system comprising: a conveyor arrangement; and a plurality of picking stations; wherein the conveyor arrangement connects the plurality of picking stations such that a receptacle on the conveyor can by transported to each picking station; and wherein at least one of the plurality of picking stations comprises an automated dispensing robot unit.

Employing a plurality of picking stations along the length of a single conveyor allows for a plurality of different items from different stations to be put into a receiving receptacle during a single pass. This allows for different types of items to be inserted that can be stored in different locations. Furthermore, using a dispensing robot unit allows for the quick and efficient filling of an order, particularly one that includes prescription-only products that require secure storage. The prescription-only products can be securely stored in a storage unit and the dispensing robot employed to dispense the item(s) as and when required. The dispensing robot unit may comprise a plurality of picking, or retrieval, heads that select items from the same stock. The two or more heads may dispense from the same outlet or from different outlets.

Preferably, more than one of the plurality of picking stations is an automated dispensing robot unit. The dispensing robots may be arranged in series or in parallel and the use of a plurality assists in increasing picking and dispensing efficiency and the dispensing robots are able to move and dispense faster than human packers. Employing an automated dispensing robot unit provides security to the system in addition to the unit being able to quickly and accurately pick and dispense items. It may be desirable for the receptacle to pass from one of the automated dispensing robot units to another via the conveyor system.

Advantageously, the, or at least one, automated dispensing robot unit is capable of picking a plurality of items at once, prior to dispensing them to the receptacle. Where the dispensing robot is able to collect a plurality of items prior to dispensing those items, it increases the efficiency of the packing system. The robot may pick the required products either as a single cycle or as a multiple retrieval depending on the items to be selected. The robot may pick any number of items in a single pass and dispense them all at the same time. This allows for several prescription items to be collected and dispensed rather than the rate limiting factor being the time taken to return to a dispensing position repeatedly. On completion of each cycle the robot may send a message for the conveyor control system to run a discharge belt to allow the items to pass into the receptacle. Whilst visiting the robot picking unit, the receptacles may leave the main conveyor line and they subsequently re-join it once the order is fulfilled.

It is preferable that the, or at least one, automated dispensing robot unit is in a secure room and prescription pharmaceuticals are selected by the robotic picking device. Where prescription pharmaceuticals are required as part of the packing process, the use of an automated dispensing robot unit contained within a secure room allows for those pharmaceuticals to be kept on-site and secure.

In an advantageous arrangement, the receptacle is provided with an identification device and that identification device is read as the receptacle approaches the automated dispensing robot unit and the required pharmaceuticals are queued in the automated dispensing robot unit and picked as the receptacle approached the dispensing outlet of the automated dispensing robot unit. The receptacle may be provided with identification means, such as, a barcode or a radio frequency tag and the receptacle is identified on the approach to the dispensing robot. The order is then queued and the robot can pick the items prior to the receptacle arriving, thereby reducing any waiting time, Additionally, or alternatively, the identification may be read and the receptacle queued until a robot dispensing unit is free, at which time the receptacle is directed to the robot to receive the necessary items.

In a further arrangement, a least one picking station is a pick-by-light station. The incorporation of a pick-by-light station allows for the picking to be undertaken by people in a guided fashion by reading an identification code on the receptacle and them directing the operator to a particular item to be selected and packed. The pick-by-light station comprises items located in locations and light indicators underneath or above those locations. As the receptacle approached the station, it is either automatically identified or a user identifies it and the pick-by-light station indicates the products required by activating the respective light indicator adjacent the items. Additionally, the quantity of the required items may be indicated to the picker either on a display or by multiple activations of the light indicator. Such stations provide accurate guided picking and relatively high pick rates.

Brief Description of the Drawings

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only.

Detailed Description of Exemplary Embodiments

In an embodiment of the present invention, a pharmacy dispensing and packing system is provided, in which a plurality of stations are connected by a conveyor system.

Various products and items are located within the picking stations and in storage locations in accordance with their category and/or physical properties. Additionally, restricted pharmaceuticals are located within a secure room, in which is also located an automated dispensing robot unit that is able to select items from shelves within the secure room. At least some of the picking stations, and preferably all of them, are connected via a conveyor system such that a receptacle can be directed to the connected stations upon the conveyor.

The picking stations comprise a mix of manual picking stations, particularly for over-sized items, pick-by-light picking stations and automated picking stations.

The automated picking stations(s) comprise an approach conveyor, which incorporates scanning means to identify an approaching receptacle. The information obtained from the receptacle instructs the robot to select items for a particular order. The items are selected as the receptacle approaches a dispensing outlet and they are dispensed from the robot picking unit into the receptacle via an outlet. The robot picking unit can pick a plurality of items in a single pass and the quickest route may be calculated before starting the pass, based on the locations of the required items and/or their size and shape. The receptacle then continues on the conveyor to the next required picking station to receive further items. Where there are two or more automated picking stations, the conveyor system monitors orders at each picking station and identifies which is the best suited to receive the next receptacle. This assessment may be based upon the stock held at each automated unit and the number of orders queued at each unit, with the predicted time to fulfil the queued orders being taken into account.

In operation, customer orders are placed, which may be done via online ordering, and those orders are received and processed by a central processing unit. The orders are assigned a customer order number. When the order is ready for picking and packing, a receptacle, in the form of a tote, is associated with that customer order number by way of identification means attached to the tote for the order. The identification means may be barcodes or radio frequency identification tags. The tote is arranged on the conveyor and is transported to at least some of the picking stations in order to receive the products requires to fulfil the customer order. As the tote approaches the picking station(s), or when the tote is at the required station(s), the identification means identifies what products are required from the relevant picking station and the required products are selected and placed into the tote.

Once all of the necessary picking stations have been visited by the receptacle, it may pass to an accuracy checking station, wherein the contents of the receptacle are checked against the original customer order to ensure that the correct items and quantities have been placed into the receptacle. Such a check may be performed by a person or it may be automated.

Subsequent to the accuracy checking station, the tote is directed to a labelling and checking station, whereat a check is performed to ensure that any customer specific instructions have been applied to the order.

The items are then be transferred to a dispatch carton during a packing process. The packing process may be undertaken manually, wherein a list of the required contents is displayed on an information screen. The items can then be placed into the dispatch carton and any required labelling is applied. The carton is preferably a tamper evident carton.

The carton is then directed to a further dispatch station, at which the carton is closed, sealed and prepared for dispatch. The closing and sealing of the carton may be undertaken by way of a machine the measures the contents height and cuts the carton to the necessary size prior to applying a lid. Alternatively, the carton may be folded down to the required height. The labelling may be automated or it may be undertaken manually and the labels are, preferably, provided with a tracking code and the customer order reference.

Once the pick process is complete, where the tote is provided with an associated identification that is specific to that tote, the tote is returned to a start position and the order information associated with the identification is deleted. New customer order information can then be assigned to the tote so that it can be re-used and run through the picking system again to collect a new order.

Should there be excess empty totes, these may be directed to a storage area, which may comprise a stacking unit to reduce the footprint of the stored totes. In such an arrangement, de-stacking units may also be provided to aid with taking the totes from storage and putting them back into the system.

The picking stations are replenished during operation and the items may be arranged on shelving units prior to being directed to the relevant picking station(s).

The conveyor system may have different routes available to allow the receptacles to be directed via the most efficient route during the picking process. Where that is the case, the route for the tote can be determined in accordance with the items on the customer order and the identification means on the tote read so that it is directed accordingly.

Restricted items may be placed on a separate level from the other items with access to that separate level being restricted to authorized personnel only. This allows for the automated dispensing robot unit to be kept in a different location for increased security. In such an arrangement, a conveyor arrangement, preferably a spiral conveyor, may be employed to move the receptacles between levels.

Refrigerator and freezer picking stations may be employed. In such picking stations, it may desirable be for a human picker to identify the order and select the items from the fridge/freezer unit to be placed in the receptacle. The receptacle may be removed from the conveyor at a picking station or it may remain either on the main conveyor or on a branch thereof.

Claims

1. A pharmacy dispensing system comprising: a conveyor arrangement; and a plurality of picking stations; wherein the conveyor arrangement connects the plurality of picking stations such that a receptacle on the conveyor can by transported to each picking station; and wherein at least one of the plurality of picking stations comprises an automated dispensing robot unit.

2. A pharmacy dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein more than one of the plurality of picking stations is an automated dispensing robot unit.

3. A pharmacy dispensing system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the, or at least one, automated dispensing robot unit is capable of picking a plurality of items at once, prior to dispensing them to the receptacle.

4. A pharmacy dispensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the, or at least one, automated dispensing robot unit is in a secure room and prescription pharmaceuticals are selected by the robotic picking device.

5. A pharmacy dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the receptacle is provided with an identification device and that identification device is read as the receptacle approaches the automated dispensing robot unit and the required pharmaceuticals are queued in the automated dispensing robot unit and picked as the receptacle approached the dispensing outlet of the automated dispensing robot unit.

6. A pharmacy dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein a least one picking station is a pick-by-light station.