Method, System and Apparatus for Dispensing Drugs

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus is provided for dispensing drugs quickly, conveniently, securely, and accurately and at relatively less cost than traditional pharmacy-based dispensing systems. A script for a drug prescribed to a user is generated comprising a human readable description of the drug and the user or a machine readable description of the drug and the user. The script is provided to a robotic prescription dispensary operable to recognize either the human readable description or the machine readable description, and validate and dispense the drug accordingly. The robotic prescription dispensary includes a user interface, a teleconferencing or videoconferencing means enabling communication between the user and a human validation agent, and a scanning means for capturing an image of the script. A method for managing inventory and distribution of drugs is also provided.

1 . A method for dispensing drugs comprising:
 (a) analyzing a plurality of attributes of a first drug package at a first time to obtain first analysis data;   (b) recording the first analysis data;   (c) analyzing a plurality of attributes of a second drug package believed to be the first drug package at a second time to obtain second analysis data;   (d) comparing the first and second analysis data; and   (e) authorizing dispensing of the first drug package if the second analysis data is validated by the first analysis data.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising assigning a tracking identifier to the first drug package corresponding to the recorded first analysis data, and polling the tracking identifier of the second drug package believed to be the first drug package at the second time to ascertain the second analysis data. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising monitoring an event history of the first drug package between the first time and the second time, recording data related to the event history as third analysis data, comparing the third analysis data to a permitted event history for the drug package, and authorizing dispensing of the second drug package believed to be the first drug package if the third analysis data is validated by the permitted event history. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , the event history comprising the first drug package environmental history. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , the event history comprising at least one of the first drug package movement and location history. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising dispensing the second drug package believed to be the first drug package. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising issuing a drug pedigree certificate when the drug is dispensed, the drug pedigree certificate bearing at least a part of the first analysis data. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , the first time being prior to loading the drug package into an automated dispensary. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the plurality of attributes at the first time including serialization attributes for display on the first drug package. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , the first time being at loading of the drug package into an automated dispensary. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising at least one of weighing and visually scanning the first drug package, and recording at least one of the first package weight and visual appearance as the plurality of attributes at the first time. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , the method performed at an automated drug dispensary. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , at least part of the method performed at an automated drug dispensary, and another part of the method performed at a remote location, the automated drug dispensary and the remote location being nodes on a communications network. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , in which the part of the method performed at the remote location is performed by intervention of a human agent. 
     
     
         15 . A system for dispensing drugs comprising:
 (a) an analysis module for analyzing a plurality of attributes of a first drug package at a first time to obtain first analysis data;   (b) a recording module for recording the first analysis data;   (c) an analysis module for analyzing a plurality of attributes of a second drug package believed to be the first drug package at a second time to obtain second analysis data;   (d) a first comparison module for comparing the first and second analysis data; and   (e) an authorization module for authorizing dispensing of the first drug package if the second analysis data is validated by the first analysis data.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a tracking module for assigning a tracking identifier to the first drug package corresponding to the recorded first analysis data, and a polling module for polling the tracking identifier of the second drug package believed to be the first drug package at the second time to ascertain the second analysis data. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , the analysis module for analyzing the plurality of attributes of the first drug being the same module as the analysis module for analyzing the plurality of attributes of the second drug package. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a monitoring module for monitoring an event history of the first drug package between the first time and the second time, a recording module for recording data related to the event history as third analysis data, a second comparison module for comparing the third analysis data to a permitted event history for the drug package, and an authorizing module for authorizing dispensing of the second drug package believed to be the first drug package if the third analysis data is validated by the permitted event history. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a dispensing module for dispensing the drug. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , further comprising a certificate issuing module for issuing a drug pedigree certificate when the drug is dispensed bearing at least a part of the first analysis data. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , the analysis module for analyzing the plurality of attributes of the first drug package operable to analyze the plurality of attributes of the first drug package prior to the first drug package being loaded into an automated dispensary. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , the analysis module operable to analyze the plurality of attributes of the first drug package to identify serialization attributes for display on the first drug package. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , the analysis module for analyzing the plurality of attributes of the first drug package operable to obtain the first analysis data at the first time being at loading of the drug package into an automated dispensary. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a physical property monitoring module operable to effect at least one of weighing and recording visual appearance of the first drug package at the first time. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 15  embodied as an automated drug dispensary. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 15  embodied at least in part as an automated drug dispensary and embodied at least in part as at least one of memory, processing and computer programs at a remote location, the automated drug dispensary and the remote location being nodes on a communications network. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , and further including data input means and data access means at the remote location for data access and input by a human agent located at the remote location.