Management, reporting and benchmarking of medication preparation

Abstract

A system for preparing and managing patient-specific dose orders includes an order processing server configured to receive the patient-specific dose orders, define a queue of dose orders and distribute the dose orders to at least one dose preparation station. The dose preparation station is in bi-directional communication with the order processing server and has an interface for providing an operator with a protocol associated with each received drug order and specifying a set of steps to fill the drug order. Steps to fill the drug order are captured at the station and a display, positionable independent of the station outputs the dose order queue and metrics concerning activity at the dose preparation station. Systems for preparing patient-specific doses and a method for telepharmacy in which data captured while following the protocol are provided to a remote site for review and approval by a pharmacist.

The invention is claimed as follows: 
     
         1 . A medication preparation system for preparing and managing dose orders for compounded doses that have been entered into a first system, comprising:
 an order processing server executing software on a processor thereof and connected by a network to the first system and configured to receive the dose orders for compounded doses from the first system, the order processing server including a database configured to store the dose orders and information that relates to the dose orders in a dose record, the order processing server being configured to generate a dose order queue listing all dose orders received by the order processing server;   a dose preparation station for manual preparation of a plurality of compounded doses by a human operator based on received dose orders, the dose preparation station being in bi-directional communication with the order processing server and having an interface comprising a display for providing a human operator with a protocol associated with each received dose order in a human perceivable manner and specifying a set of steps to prepare the compounded dose corresponding to the dose order;   the dose preparation station being configured to present the protocol using the display to the human operator in the human perceivable manner for use by the human operator for manual preparation of a compounded dose corresponding to the dose order and having one or more data input devices operable by the human operator to capture dose preparation information that relates to at least one step of the protocol to prepare the compounded dose to fill the dose order in accordance with the protocol and communicate the dose preparation information to the order processing server for association with the dose record, wherein the dose preparation information includes confirmation data entered by the operator to confirm that the at least one step of the protocol was successfully completed and further includes indicia associated with the compounded dose that permits the contents of the compounded dose to be confirmed, and wherein the dose preparation information must be received prior to advancing to a subsequent step of the protocol; and   a portal that is accessible remotely from the dose preparation station and in communication with the database that is configured to access the dose preparation information from the dose record of the database for presentation of the dose preparation information on a display to a remote user for inspection of the prepared compounded dose by review of the dose preparation information in order to verify whether the compounded dose has been prepared in accordance with the protocol, wherein the portal is configured to receive an approval of the release of the compounded dose if the remote user confirms that the dose has been prepared in accordance with the protocol.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of dose preparation stations. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the dose preparation station has a printer for printing dose labels of only those dose orders that are received from the order processing server. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the protocol is based at least in part on information obtained from a National Drug Code (NDC) associated with each drug that is used to fulfill the drug order. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the dose preparation station includes and interactive screen that includes prompts that can be highlighted by an operator to receive additional information relative to one particular step of the protocol and includes areas for entering an input. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more data input devices comprises a camera to capture images of a plurality of a set of drug preparation steps that are part of the protocol and are followed to prepare the compounded dose to fill the dose order, wherein each image associate with the drug preparation steps of the protocol is stored together in a data record of the database. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein at least one captured image is captured at, corresponds to, and confirms a performance of one discrete drug preparation step in which the compounded dose is not completely prepared and ready for delivery to a patient and the captured image displays a result of a discrete isolated event performed in accordance with one drug preparation step. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein each of the steps must be confirmed as completed before the operator can continue with the other steps of the protocol. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the protocol is at least partially based on the dose order. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the protocol is at least partially based on the input information. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the protocol comprises an interactive protocol determined during the manual preparation at least in part based on the dose order and the input information.