Systems and methods for tracking pharmaceuticals within a facility

Abstract

A medication-dispensing unit is provided for tracking medical products having a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag uniquely associated therewith. The dispensing unit includes compartments for receiving medical products therein, and readers for reading the RFID tags associated with the medical products in the compartments. A processor is coupled to the readers for receiving and processing readings of the RFID tags in the compartment to identify the medical products in the compartments. The processor may identify a medical product removed from a compartment by determining a difference between readings of the RFID tags in the compartment taken before and after the medical product is removed from the compartment. The processor may verify that the medical product removed from the compartment is authorized to be removed or confirm that an identified patient is intended to receive the medical product being removed from the compartment.

1 . In a system for a healthcare facility for tracking and monitoring medical products received by the facility for ultimate administration to patients and including medication dispensing units for containing medical products, and for verifying receipt of medical products by dispensing units as well as monitoring removal thereof to track delivery of medical products, the system comprising 
 a terminal for receiving product information and RFID tag information of medical products received at the facility,    a management computer for receiving product information read from RFID tags of medical products from the terminal,    a plurality of medication dispensing units for receiving medical products to be dispensed to patients, and    at least one RF reader mounted within the healthcare facility for automatically reading RFID tags of medical products as the are moved within the facility.    
   
   
       2 . A system as in  claim 1  wherein the RF reader is located near a patient's room for automatically reading RFID tags of medical products as a healthcare worker moves medical products to the patient room.  
   
   
       3 . A system as in  claim 1  wherein the terminal is in a pharmacy of the facility and RF reader is located near the pharmacy.  
   
   
       4 . In a system for a healthcare facility for tracking and monitoring medical products received by the facility for ultimate administration to patient and including medication dispensing units for containing medical products, and for verifying receipt of medical products by the dispensing units as well as monitoring removal thereof to track delivery of medical products, the system comprising