Method for transferring data to a pharmaceutical compounding system

Abstract

A method for use with a data entry system for providing input data to a pharmaceutical compounding device having an associated plurality of source solutions is provided. A first label comprising first indicia defining a desired pharmaceutical compound is generated. The first indicia is then provided to the pharmaceutical compounding device as an input. The pharmaceutical compounding device then prepares a pharmaceutical compound based on the first indicia and generates a second label comprising second indicia indicative of at least the contents of pharmaceutical compound. The first indicia and second indicia are provided to a comparison device where the contents of the actual pharmaceutical compound as indicated by the second indicia are compared to the desired pharmaceutical compound as indicated by the first indicia.

1 . A method for use with a data entry system for providing input data to a pharmaceutical compounding device having an associated plurality of source solutions, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) generating a first label comprising first indicia defining an allocation of said plurality of source solutions;   b) providing said first label directly to said pharmaceutical compounding device;   c) reading said first indicia from said first label with said pharmaceutical compounding device; and   d) generating a pharmaceutical compound with said pharmaceutical compounding device based on said first indicia input into said pharmaceutical compounding device.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said first indicia further compromises information relating to a patient for which the pharmaceutical compound is intended. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said first indicia comprises a bar code. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said first indicia comprises a two dimensional bar code. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said first label is an electronic label. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein said electronic label is a Radio Frequency Identification label. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the providing step (b) comprises the steps of:
 activating said electronic label with an RF signal; and   transmitting said indicia responsive to said RF signal.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said data entry system generates said first label. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first indicia or second indicia includes information for instructing an infusion pump regarding delivery of the generated pharmaceutical compound to a patient. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first indicia includes information for instructing an operator of the pharmaceutical compounding device at which pumping stations to install respective ones of said plurality of source solutions. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising the steps of:
 scanning a bar code of said installed plurality of source solutions;   scanning a bar code of respective ones of transfer tubing coupled to said plurality of source solutions and said pump station;   comparing the scanned information of the installed plurality of source solutions and transfer tubing with an expected configuration; and   either permitting the operator to commence compounding if the comparison is valid or preventing the operator from compounding if the comparison is invalid.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein Step d) comprises the steps of:
 d1) pumping a first portion of at least one of the source solutions at a first flow rate with a first pump element until a predetermined threshold of the source solution is reached, and   d2) pumping a remaining portion of the at least one source solution at a second flow rate with the first pump element until a target volume of the source solution is reached, the second flow rate being less than the first flow rate.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of generating a second label comprising second indicia indicative of at least said pharmaceutical compound as generated by said pharmaceutical compounding device. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutical compound is a TPN compound. 
     
     
         15 . A method for use with a data entry system for providing input data to a pharmaceutical compounding device having an associated plurality of source solutions, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) generating a first label comprising first indicia defining an allocation of said plurality of source solutions conforming to a predetermined configuration;   b) providing said first indicia to said pharmaceutical compounding device as an input;   c) reading said first indicia from said first label with said pharmaceutical compounding device; and   d) generating a pharmaceutical compound based on said indicia input into said pharmaceutical compounding device by pumping at least two separate sources of a first type of source solution simultaneously into a designated receptacle.