IES20090368A2 - Automated pill-dispensing machines - Google Patents

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of determining re-stocking requirements for an automated pill-dispensing machine 10 of the kind having a plurality of calendar pack storage compartments 14 and a robotic arm 28 for retrieving any selected pack 18 stored in the machine. The method comprises examining a database containing historic prescribing data and determining at least one drug which has been prescribed in a given non-standard quantity m more than once in a given preceding period, and calculating a number N of calendar packs of n pills each to be split to make up M part packs each containing m pills. <Figure 1>

Description

This invention relates to automated pill-dispensing machines, primarily used in the pharmaceutical industry. In the present specification the term pill” means a tablet, capsule, pill or other discrete, individually packaged dose of a drug.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of re-stocking an automated pill-dispensing machine of the kind having a plurality of calendar pack storage locations and a picking mechanism for retrieving any selected pack stored in the machine, the method comprising a) examining a database containing historic dispensing data and determining at least one drug which has been prescribed in a given nonstandard quantity m more than once in a given preceding period, (b) for said drug, calculating a number N of calendar packs of n pills each to be split to make up M (oN) part packs each containing m pills, and (c) making up M part packs from the N calendar packs, generating a unique machine readable code for said part packs, instructing a printer to print said machine readable codes for the made-up part packs, applying a machine readable code to each part pack, and loading the machine with the part packs.

Where the machine is designed to handle calendar packs in rectangular boxes, each part pack is preferably packaged in a vial which is set into a recess in a rectangular box.

The invention also provides a computer program module comprising a machinereadable medium containing instructions which when executed on a computer perform the method specified above. This module can be incorporated into existing pharmacy applications to retrospectively add the described functionality.

In the present specification the term ’’calendar pack means a standard pack of unopened pills as distributed to pharmacies and containing a pre-determined number of pills, typically Ί, 28 or 56 pills in blister packaging. The number of pills and/or the drug in the pack may differ for different types of calendar packs, but for any given type of pack the drug and number of pills will be the same across all packs.

The term part pack means a pack containing less than or more than the standard number of pills for the relevant drug. Accordingly, a part pack may be formed from a single calendar pack, or alternatively, from an amalgamation of a plurality of calendar packs. A part pack type means a part pack containing a particular number of pills of a particular drug.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective front view of a representative part of an automated pill-dispensing machine.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a part pack ready for loading in the machine.

Figure 3 shows a cardboard blank used in forming the part pack of Figure 2.

The pill-dispensing machine 10 includes a plurality of forwardly and downwardly inclined shelves 12, disposed one above the other in an outer cabinet, not shown. A plurality of storage locations (compartments) 14 are disposed side-by-side along each shelf 12, each compartment 14 being demarcated from the next by shallow dividers 16. Each compartment 14 is designed to accommodate a respective calendar pack 18, and is loaded from the rear of the machine. To stop calendar packs 14 sliding off the shelf 12, the front edge of each shelf 12 has an upstanding lip 20. In front of each compartment 14 the lip 20 has a centre opening 22 which communicates with a respective cutout 24 in the front edge of the shelf 12.

The machine 10 also includes a carriage 26 and a robotic arm 28 mounted on the carriage. The carriage 26 and arm 28 are operated under control of an associated computer-based electronic point of sale device (EPOS, not shown) to select and dispense a desired calendar pack 18. This done by raising or lowering the carriage 26 so that the arm 28 is in front of the required shelf 12, and moving the arm 28 sideways so that it is in front of the desired compartment 14. Then, a tongue 30 is extended towards the shelf 12.

The tongue 30 enters the cut-out 24 and is so shaped, e.g. it is humped, that it lifts the front edge of the pack 18 clear of the lip 20. The pack 18 then slides under gravity onto the arm 28 which transports the calendar pack to a hopper or plastic collection basket (not shown) for collection by a pharmacist. Conventionally, the machine 10 is operated as follows.

Each calendar pack 18 has a barcode, applied by the manufacturer, which indicates the particular drug and number of pills in the pack. The barcode is therefore the same across all calendar packs of a given type, The EPOS has a database which knows” at any given time which calendar pack type is stored in each compartment 14, and which compartments 14 are empty.

To load the machine with a fresh calendar pack 18 of a desired type, the pack is selected from stock and its barcode is scanned by a barcode scanner associated with the EPOS. The EPOS determines an empty compartment 14 in the machine 10 or (in the case of a machine able to accommodate multiple packs in one compartment and able to dispense packs individually from the compartment) a compartment 14 with free space which already contains the same calendar pack type and instructs the machine to open that compartment at the rear. The pharmacist places the calendar pack in the open compartment and closes it. The EPOS updates the database to indicate that the previously empty compartment now contains one or more calendar packs of the relevant type. This process is repeated for successive calendar packs.

To dispense a particular drug, a prescription is scanned by the EPOS to determine the particular drug and quantity prescribed. Alternatively, these details can be entered by hand at the EPOS, e.g. using a keyboard. The EPOS examines the database to determine a compartment containing a calendar pack of the appropriate type, i.e. that contains the prescribed drug in the required quantity, and instructs the robotic arm 28 to remove the pack in the manner described above. The EPOS also updates the database.

A problem arises where a drug is prescribed in a dose which is not a full calendar pack, for example, if a particular drug is packaged in standard quantities of 28 pills, and 30 pills are prescribed. Normally, in such a case, the pharmacist will obtain the relevant calendar pack(s) from the hopper, give the prescribed number of pills to the patient, and de-blister the remaining tablets into a separate container or vial, typically of the type indicated at 32 in Figures 1 and 2, known as a Standard Amber Pharmacy vial.

Such a vial 32 cannot be returned to the machine 10 as-is, since it will not fit properly onto a shelf 12, and is likely to foul the mechanism. Also, it has no barcode so cannot be recognised by the EPOS system.

Accordingly, the EPOS system software has a function which allows the pharmacist to define a non-standard pack (part pack) by inputting a particular drug and number of pills, and generates a unique in-store barcode for that combination. By unique we mean the barcode is unique relative to manufacture-applied barcodes and other locally generated barcodes. The software also controls a label printer to print a label bearing the barcode for application to the part pack. The part pack can now be returned to the machine 10 in the manner described for standard calendar packs. Now, when the pharmacist needs to dispense a non-standard number of pills in the future, the EPOS software will first examine the database to see if the machine 10 contains a part pack having at least the desired quantity of pills, and will instruct the machine to deliver that part pack in preference to a full calendar pack. Any pills still remaining from the original pack can be returned to the machine 10 in the same manner.

To overcome the problems arising from loading a bare vial 32 into the machine 10, the vial is placed into a recess 34 in a rectangular enclosure 36 whose outside dimensions are substantially the same as those of a standard calendar pack 18. The vial 32 is a friction fit in the recess 34. A label bearing the locally generated barcode is applied to the outside of the enclosure 36.

The enclosure 36 is preferably formed by folding from a flat piece of cardboard 38, Figure 3. The part 40 of the blank 38 corresponding to the surface containing the recess 34 may be provided with perforations to allow different sized recesses to be formed, to accommodate different sizes of vial.

The EPOS software also has a predictive function. When this function is invoked, the software examines historic prescribing data in the database to determine at least one drug which has been prescribed in a given non-standard quantity m more than once in a given preceding period, say over the last month. The software then (a) calculates a number N of calendar packs of n pills each to be split up and repackaged to make up M part packs each containing m pills, where Nxn=Mxm and MON, (b) generates a unique barcode code for that part pack type (unless such a barcode has already been generated for that part pack type in an earlier invocation of this software function), and (c) instructs a label printer to print the barcodes for application to the part packs. The pharmacist can now make up the M part packs, stick the labels on the part packs and enter them into the machine 10 in the same manner as standard calendar packs.

This same process can be carried out for any desired drug.

In each case the number M of part packs to be made up, as well as the number m pills in each part pack type, either of which may differ from drug to drug, will be based on prescription forecasting based on the historic data. The N calendar packs used as the source of the M part packs may be taken from a stockroom, or the machine 10 may be instructed to dispense them.

It will be understood that the software functions herein described can be carried out on existing EPOS/dispensing machine system with appropriate programming.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described herein which may be modified or varied without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (2)

Claims

1. A method of re-stocking an automated pill-dispensing machine of the kind having a plurality of calendar pack storage locations and a picking mechanism for retrieving any selected pack stored in the machine, the method compri sing: (a) examining a database containing historic prescribing data and determining at least one drug which has been prescribed in a given non-standard quantity m more than once in a given preceding period, (b) for said drug, calculating a number N of calendar packs of n pills each to be split to make up M (<>N) part packs each containing m pills, and (c) making up M part packs from the N calendar packs, generating a unique machine readable code for said part packs, instructing a printer to print said machine readable codes for the made-up part packs, applying a machine readable code to each part pack, and loading the machine with the part packs.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the machine is designed to handle calendar packs in rectangular boxes, and wherein each part pack is packaged in a vial which is set into a recess in a rectangular box.