Means and methods for providing a continuous pharmaceutical operation service

Abstract

An aspect of some embodiments of the invention relates to a method of scheduling maintenance for a pharmaceutical dispensing device, comprising: receiving a request to perform said maintenance; automatically generating at least one proposed maintenance time window matching production goals of said pharmaceutical dispensing device and mechanical capability of said pharmaceutical dispensing device and said maintenance and said request; and responding to said request with said at least one proposed maintenance time window.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of scheduling maintenance for a pharmaceutical dispensing device, said pharmaceutical dispensing device in communication with at least one server, the method comprising:
 a. receiving a request to perform said maintenance on said pharmaceutical dispensing device via said server;   b. automatically generating, by said server or by said pharmaceutical dispensing device, at least one proposed maintenance window matching:
 i. production goals of said pharmaceutical dispensing device, said production goals being pharmaceuticals needed to be prepared and dispensed to subjects according to a production schedule; 
 ii. mechanical capability of said pharmaceutical dispensing device to finish preparing and dispensing said pharmaceuticals needed to be dispensed to said subjects according to said production schedule; 
 iii. an estimated time to perform said maintenance; and 
 iv. said request; 
   c. responding to said request with said at least one proposed maintenance window for said pharmaceutical dispensing device via said server.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said request comprises at least one preferred time window to perform said maintenance. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating comprises comparing said at least one preferred time window to perform said maintenance with a production schedule of said pharmaceutical dispensing device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein when said generating comprises amending said production schedule to achieve said production goals to enable the generation of said at least one proposed maintenance window at said at least one preferred time window to perform said maintenance. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said amending comprises utilizing a mechanical capability of said pharmaceutical dispensing device from about 50% to about 100%. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said amending comprises utilizing a mechanical capability of said pharmaceutical dispensing device from about 100% to about 200% by activating back up pharmaceutical modules. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said maintenance comprises a known time window required to perform said maintenance. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one proposed maintenance window is scheduled when said pharmaceutical dispensing machine is not active. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one proposed maintenance window is scheduled when said pharmaceutical dispensing machine is active and said pharmaceutical dispensing machine comprises at least one redundant hardware, adapted to perform the same task as a module requiring maintenance. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said request to perform said maintenance is generated by said pharmaceutical dispensing device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said request to perform said maintenance is generated after said pharmaceutical dispensing device had run a self-diagnostic program on one or more of its software, hardware and inventory. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said self-diagnostic program is activated upon a failure or a scheduled diagnostic. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said self-diagnostic program is activated remotely. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said self-diagnostic program is activated based on statistics of technical issues and failures of pharmaceutical dispensing devices. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said self-diagnostic program comprises performing visual confirmation of technical issues and failures. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said generating at least one proposed maintenance window comprises dividing said at least one proposed maintenance window into multiple different time windows if no one proposed maintenance window is found. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising activating a secondary pharmaceutical dispensing machine to provide pharmaceuticals during said at least one proposed maintenance window if said at least one proposed maintenance window interferes with achieving said production goals. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said method is performed at a central server. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said generating said at least one proposed maintenance window is performed at said pharmaceutical dispensing machine. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising performing a mock pharmaceutical dispensing process to test the performance of said pharmaceutical dispensing machine.