Method of tracking and despensing medical items to patients through self ...

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US007467093B1

(12) United States Patent

Newton et al.

(io) Patent No.: (45) Date of Patent:

US 7,467,093 Bl Dec. 16, 2008

(54) METHOD OF TRACKING AND DESPENSING MEDICAL ITEMS TO PATIENTS THROUGH SELF SERVICE DELIVERY SYSTEM

(75) Inventors: Kevin H. Newton, Gibsonia, PA (US);

R. Michael McGrady, Baden, PA (US);
R. Barrie Slaymaker, Jr., Pittsburgh, PA
(US)

(73) Assignee: AutoMed Technologies, Inc,

Chesterbrook, PA (US)

( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 1256 days.

(21) Appl.No.: 09/428,036

(22) Filed: Oct. 27,1999

Related U.S. Application Data

(63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 09/086,857, filed on May 29, 1998, which is a continuation-in-part ofapplication No. 08/927,593, filed on Sep. 11, 1997, now Pat. No. 5,912,818, which is a continuation-inpart of application No. 08/361,783, filed on Dec. 16, 1994, now Pat. No. 5,790,409.

(60) Provisional application No. 60/140,894, filed on Jun. 24, 1999.

(51) Int. CI.

G06F19/00 (2006.01)

(52) U.S. CI 705/3; 705/2

(58) Field of Classification Search 700/233,

700/241; 221/2; 705/2,3; 600/300 See application file for complete search history.

(56) References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

3,762,601 A * 10/1973 McLaughlin 221/2

A method of tracking and dispensing the dispense of medical items for use by patients associated with a health care institution includes storing in a data store in connection with a computer data representative of patients and medical items prescribed for the patients. Authorized users such as a nurse, are enabled to dispense prescribed items for patients through medical item dispensers. A record is included in the data store that the medical items have been dispensed. In an exemplary system (650) medical items that have been dispensed are tracked to the point of giving the item to the patients using portable terminals (662) that are carried to the bedside of the patients. The activity of giving the appropriate medical item to each respective patient is recorded in the portable terminal as medical items are given to a plurality of patients. The data stored in the portable terminal concerning the giving of medical items to patients is communicated through the system and stored in the data store to provide a record that the medical items which were dispensed for a patient were actually administered. In an alternative form of the system (700) patients are enabled to dispense medications on an outpatient basis through a self service medical item dispenser (718). In a method of operating such a system a benefit plan associated with the patient is determined from rules stored in connection with data representative of the benefit plan. Payment for dispensed medications is provided by the benefits provider associated with the patient's benefits plan and a co-payment is made by the patient from a credit or debit card account.

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

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