Abstract:
A system and a method for applying RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) technologies for patient health safety to install RFID tag and RFID reader on the medicine-storing appliance. By sensing the RFID tag on medicine, the RFID reader stores the medical records such as medicine usage and movement, and transmit to central database. In this way, the circulation of medicine could be controlled, the improper use and distribution of medicines could be avoided, the medical resource management could be improved, and it could ensure that the correct medicine to enhance the process of five rights (right time, right route, right dose, right patient and right drug) and improve the quality of patient safety.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The invention relates a system and a method for applying RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) technologies for patient health safety.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     For a long time, to improve patient safety is the goal that every medical institute tries to accomplish. Patients&#39; identification and the safety of medicine usage have been the focus by populace because of the medical error made by human such as giving incorrect doses or medicine. As the improvement of the modern technology, the development of medical information system has been closely combined with clinical decision-making support. At the same time, it is essential to provide instant and correct information to medical professionals by utilizing information system combining with relative professional domains, furthermore, to reduce medical error and improve the quality of medical care. To reduce the chances of taking wrong medicine and improve the quality of medicine utilization, several systems such as prescription transmit system, UDDS, and drug interaction system has been gradually developed in hospitals now. It is an important link in hospital management as how to manage medicines correctly and efficiently.  
         [0005]     To provide a way to manage medicines, a hospital must be equipped with impeccable institution and approach. The current medicine management systems, except hospital existing system or recording medicine information and quality by hand, most of the others are attaching optical barcode on the bottle or box to record the information and quality. For example, an optical barcode with the information of a medicine is attached to that medicine just purchased. Then, the physician prescribes the medicine by using the barcode; pharmacist gets the barcode information with optical reader and dispenses the medicine. When it comes to check the stock of a medicine item, the computer will look into the database and list out related information for further actions after inputting the barcode of that item.  
         [0006]     The disadvantage of the current managing and indexing systems of medicine is incomplete information content (most of the information is listed quantity and type). Because the information saved by barcode is limited (the capacity of one-dimension barcode is 50 bytes), medical personal can only get the basic information of that medicine item retrieved from barcode and no further information (e.g. can only get the Chinese and English name of that medicine). Since no other information is provided to verify the correctness of the information, major medical errors happened often that patients are given wrong doses, prescription or medicines. Barcode cannot be changed or reused once it is printed, therefore it happens that there are still pills in the bottle but don&#39;t know how many left. In that, there are some controlled drugs such as anesthetics and sedatives are improperly released or sold to bandit, which is the major loophole in hospital management, demolishing the reputation of the hospital, and wasting medical resources.  
         [0007]     From this point of view, the current medicine management system still exists many disadvantages and needs improvement.  
         [0008]     Based on the defects described above, it takes several years of research for the inventor of this case to contrive this system and method for medicine management.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     The present invention is to provide a way to utilize the system and method for applying RFID and PKI technologies for patient safety. By installing the RFID reader and RFID tags on the appliance where stored medicines, the goals of monitoring medicine stock, managing medicine information, quality and its distribution and preventing improper use or release of medicines could be meet.  
         [0010]     Furthermore, the present invention is to apply PKI technologies for monitoring the management of medical resources. Medical staffs and patients are giving different identification means, with the undeniable characteristics of PKI technologies during the process of identity authentication and digital signature, to monitor the diagnosis/or treatment done by medical staffs and the usage of medicine, then prevent the improper use of medicines.  
         [0011]     Still further, this invention is to improve the management of medicine resources. The system save the information of diagnosis/or treatment, usage or distribution of medicines and so on to database, which aids management staffs to monitor the information such as condition, quantity, distribution process or shortage of medicines.  
         [0012]     The invention meets the purposes described above by installing an RFID tag and an RFID reader on medicine-storing appliances. After reading RFID tags on medicines, the RFID reader saves and transmits medical records such as the usage and location of medicines to database to control the distribution of medicines. Medical staffs and patients would have different identification devices. Whenever medical staffs are going to bedside for treatments or retrieve medicines, according to the technologies of RFID and PKI, they need to go through personal identification, medicine verification, identity authentication and digital signature to confirm the prescribed medicines as well as their users and to record the undeniable nature of the process. Using the computer, the information of diagnosis/treatment process, medicine usage and their distribution would be stored to database, which aids the personnel of hospital management to control the status of medicine usage. At the same time, the usage, information, quantity, distribution process or shortage of medicines would be monitored/traced to prevent improper use and release of medicines, to improve management of medicine resources, and also cam reconfirm the right medicine are used to the right patient. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     The drawings disclose an illustrative embodiment of the present invention which serves to exemplify the various advantages and objects hereof, and are as follows:  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  illustrates the system of the invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  illustrates the allocation of the system of the invention in a hospital.  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  indicates the action flowchart of medicines at pharmacy terminal of this invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  indicates the action flowchart at physician terminal of the invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  indicates the action flowchart of retrieving medicine at nurse station terminal retrieves medicine of this invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 6  indicates the action flowchart of injecting/distributing medicine at nurse station terminal of the invention.  
         [0020]      FIG. 7  indicates the action flowchart of reclaiming empty medicine box at nurse station terminal of the invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 8  indicates the action flowchart of exchanging empty medicine box at pharmacy terminal of the invention.  
         [0022]      FIG. 9  illustrates the structure of the electronic medicine cabinet of the invention.  
         [0023]      FIG. 10  illustrates the structure of the electronic medicine chest of the invention.  
         [0024]      FIG. 11  illustrates the structure of the electronic medicine-reclaiming chest of the invention.  
         [0025]      FIG. 12  illustrates the structure of the electronic medicine box of the invention.  
         [0026]      FIG. 13  illustrates an implementation of the electronic medicine box of the invention.  
         [0027]      FIG. 14  illustrates another implementation of the electronic medicine box of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0028]     To let the examiners further understand the structure, utilization and characteristics of the invention, the inventor presents a better embodiment with figures and detailed description as follows:  
         [0029]     The invention is the devices and methods for applying RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) technologies on health safety. It manages the status of medicine distribution, stores, and records medicine used during treatment by reading the information on RFID tag, which then assists medicine management staff to monitor medicine information, quantity and circulation process.  
         [0000]     Firstly, please refer to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . These two figures illustrate the allocation of the invention. The system of invention includes:  
         [0000]    
       
         
           
              Healthcare Process Card (HPC) of HCA for medical staff  11 . The card is provided to physicians, nurse staffs, pharmacist and related medical staffs to proceed with identity authentication, system login and digital signature by a card reader  15  connected to a computer  16 .  
              a patient&#39;s identity device  14 . This device, an RFID tag storing a non-redundant number, is worn by patients for medical staff to verify patient&#39;s identity.  
              a card reader  15 . The reader is connected (linked) to a computer  16  in order to proceed with card reading described previously.  
              a computer terminal  16 . It serves as a medium between the server  17  and medical staffs to handle identity authentication, data retrieving/writing, and the recording of managing process.  
              a server  17 . The server process retrieving/writing, managing and recording of medical information by linked to the computer  16  through hospital intranet.  
              a database  18 . The database is connected to the server  17  and serves to store and to record medicine information.  
              an alert model  19 . It triggers a system alert, gives alarm and generates a record to be stored in the server  17  as a reference to management staffs.  
              an electronic medicine cabinet  20  linked to the computer  16 . The cabinet contains an RFID reader  201  and serves as storage for electronic medicine chest  21  and electronic medicine-reclaiming chest  22 . The RFID reader  201  detects the signals from the RFID tags  212  and  213  on electronic medicine chest  21  and electronic medicine-reclaiming chest  22  (Please refer to  FIG. 9  for the structure).  
              an electronic medicine chest  21  linked to the computer  16  and serving as storage for medicine box  23 . The chest contains an RFID reader  211 - to detect the signal from the RFID tag  231  on a medicine box, and an RFID tag  212 - to record the information of the medicine stored in the chest  21  (Please refer to  FIG. 10  for the structure).  
              an electronic medicine-reclaiming chest  22  linked to the computer  16  and serving to reclaim medicine box  23 . The chest contains an RFID reader  221  and an RFID tag  222  to record the information of the medicine reclaimed by the chest  22  (Please refer to  FIG. 11  for the structure).  
              a medicine box  23  serving as medicine storage. The box contains an RFID tag  231 - to label the medicine information of the medicine in a medicine box, and a triggerable RFID tag  232  attached to the opening of a medicine box. When the box is opened, it simultaneously initiates the triggerable RFID tag  232  to notify the system by giving signal. The triggering device for triggerable RFID tag  232  could be a light-detecting, thin-film, or mechanical switch (Please refer to  FIGS. 12 and 13  for the structure).  
              a medicine box  24  used for medicine storage. The structure is the same as that of the medicine box  23  (Please refer to  FIGS. 12 and 13  for the structure).  
              a portable device  25  linked to the server  17 . A portable device  25 , could be a cellular phone, a PDA or a laptop, is provided to medical staffs for reading/writing patients&#39; records, medical orders and prescriptions.  
              an RFID reader  26 . It is linked to a computer  16  and a portable device  25  for reading a patient&#39;s identity tag  14 .  
           
         
       
     
         [0044]     A method to apply RFID and PKI technologies for patient safety requires the following steps:  
         [0045]     (a) Taking medicines at pharmacy terminal: a pharmacist logs in the management system to confirm identity, then puts the medicine into a medicine box and stores in an electronic medicine cabinet. The RFID reader in the cabinet collects the renewed medicine information, and then transmits the information to management system. After the pharmacist completes digital signature, the information is written to the database on the management system.  
         [0046]     (b) Physician terminal: a physician logs in the management system to confirm identity. He/She then proceeds to prescribe for patient, to give medical order, to give digital signature and to verify that there is no error on prescription and medical order. The nurse staffs will base on the information for retrieving medicine and therapy.  
         [0047]     (c) The nurse staff retrieves medicine at nurse station terminal: a nurse staff logs in the management system to confirm identity, download prescription and medical order, and retrieve the medicine from electronic medicine chest according to the prescription.  
         [0048]     (d) The nurse staff proceeds with medicine injection at nurse station terminal: a nurse staff retrieves and compares patient&#39;s information, gives dose to the patient and verifies the status of medicine injection, and then uploads the information to the management system to be stored in database for price computing, and proceeds with digital signature.  
         [0049]     (e) The nurse staff reclaims empty medicine box at nurse station terminal: a nurse logs in the management system to authenticate identity, puts an empty medicine box into an electronic medicine chest and close it. At this moment, the RFID reader collects the changed medicine information, transmits the information to the terminal at nurse station, then the nurse gives digital signature for confirmation. The nurse of next shift verifies if all the empty medicine boxes have been reclaimed and confirms with the management system.  
         [0050]     (f) Exchanging empty boxes at pharmacy terminal: a nurse brings the electronic medicine chest to pharmacy and connects it to the computer. The pharmacist and the nurse log in the management to confirm identity. The pharmacist opens the electronic medicine cabinet for exchanging medicines and medicine boxes, and then closes the electronic medicine chest and the cabinet. At this moment, the RFID reader collects the changed medicine information, confirms the changed medicine and its quantity, and transmits the information to pharmacy terminal. After the management system proceeds with comparing of the changed data, it then requires the pharmacist to establish and confirm the relationship between medicine box and electronic medicine chest, and asks digital signature from the pharmacist and the nurse staff for confirmation.  
         [0051]     The action flowchart of taking medicine on pharmacy terminal of the invention is illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Whenever the medicine stock of the hospital is below the safety stock, the management system will give alert to pharmacy staffs to refill medicine through alert model  19  and records this alert in database  18 . The detailed procedure is:  
         [0052]     Step  31 : identity authentication. Pharmacist inserts HPC of HCA for medical staff into card reader  15 , through the computer  16  links to the server  17  for verifying the pharmacist&#39;s identity.  
         [0053]     Step  32 : log in management system.  
         [0054]     Step  33 : put the medicine into the electronic medicine box, record the relation in between. Pharmacist puts the medicines into separate medicine box  23  containing RFID tag  231  and RFID tag  232  based on different requirement, establishes the relationship between medicine and medicine box  23 , and uploads the information to database  18 .  
         [0055]     Step  34 : put the electronic medicine box into electronic medicine cabinet. Pharmacist put the medicine box  23  into an electronic medicine cabinet containing an RFID reader  201 .  
         [0056]     Step  35 : the electronic medicine cabinet collects information on electronic medicine box. When the cabinet  20  is closed, the RFID reader  201  collects the updated medicine information, confirms the altered medicine and its quantity, and then transmits the data to pharmacy terminal  16 .  
         [0057]     Step  36 : Verified by Pharmacist. The management system requests the pharmacist to verify the changed medicine information and its quantity. If the verification is not completed in a period of time, the management system will give a system alert to notify the staff and generate a record to store in server  17 ; if it is completed, then proceed with step  37 .  
         [0058]     Step  37 : Update the data of medicine stock. After completing data upload and information synchronization, the management system will request the pharmacist to proceed with confirmation. If the data uploading or information synchronization is not finished, the management system will give a system alert to notify the staff and generate a record to store in server  17 ; if it is done, then proceed with step  38 .  
         [0059]     Step  38 : Digital Signature. When the pharmacist completes the verification, the management system then asks the pharmacist for the digital signature for confirming the newly added medicine information. If the action for digital signature is not done, the management system will give a system alert to notify the staff and generate a record to store in server  17 ; if it is done, then the procedure ends.  
         [0060]     Step  39 : Log out. The pharmacist logs out of the system.  
         [0061]     The action flowchart on physician terminal of the invention is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The physician terminal stores prescription and related therapy process to the server  17  after diagnosis is done. The nurse staffs retrieve medicine based on the information. The detailed procedure is described below:  
         [0062]     Step  41 : Identity Authentication. Physician inserts HPC of HCA for medical staff  11  into card reader  15 , through the computer  16  links to the server  17  for verifying the physician&#39;s identity.  
         [0063]     Step  42 : Authorization to read/write to the System. The management system gives an order to server  17  for setting up the authorization to read/write data and then proceeds step  43 .  
         [0064]     Step  43 : Transmit medical order system page. The system transmits the medical order system page to physician terminal  15  in clinic.  
         [0065]     Step  44 : Select physician order and prescription. The page is provided for physician to input the therapy procedure, prescription and physician order based on the diagnosis.  
         [0066]     Step  45 : Transmit input page.  
         [0067]     Step  46 : Input medical order. The physician inputs the related information.  
         [0068]     Step  47 : Transmit page for digital signature.  
         [0069]     Step  48 : Digital signature. The server  17  transmits a digital signature for the physician to proceed with confirmation.  
         [0070]     The action flowchart of retrieving medicine on nurse station terminal of the invention is illustrated in  FIG. 5 . Whenever the prescription is given, the nurse proceeds to retrieve the prescribed medicine. The detailed procedure is:  
         [0071]     Step  50 : Identity Authentication. The nurse inserts HPC of HCA for medical staff  11  into card reader  15 , through the computer  16  links to the server  17  for verifying the nurse&#39;s identity.  
         [0072]     Step  51 : Log in the server  17  to proceed with the procedure of medicine retrieving.  
         [0073]     Step  52 : Download medical order and prescription. The nurse downloads the medical order and prescription from the server  17  to the nurse station terminal  16  or portable device  25 .  
         [0074]     Step  53 : Search for the prescribed medicine in the electronic medicine chest. Through comparing the downloaded information and the medicine information on the chest  21  at nurse station terminal, the system judges whether chest  21  contains prescribed medicine and enough quantity. If the chest contains prescribed medicine and enough quantity, then the system proceeds to step  54 ; otherwise, the system will give a system alert to notify the nurse and generate a record stored to the server  17 .  
         [0075]     Step  54 : The electronic medicine chest is opened.  
         [0076]     Step  55 : Retrieve the medicine.  
         [0077]     Step  56 : The electronic medicine chest is closed. After the chest  21  is closed, the RFID reader  211  will collect and confirm the information of retrieved medicine and its quantity, and then transmit the information to the terminal  16  at nurse station. If the chest  21  is not closed for a period of time, the system will execute a system alert to notify the nurse and then generate a record stored in the server  17 ; otherwise, the system proceeds to step  57 .  
         [0078]     Step  57 : Verified the retrieved medicine. The system verifies the retrieved medicine and its quantity with the information from medical order and prescription. If any mismatch happens, the system will execute the system alert to notify the nurse and generate a record to be stored in the server  17 ; otherwise, the system proceeds to step  58 .  
         [0079]     Step  58 : Digital signature. The system requests the nurse to complete digital signature. If the digital signature is done, then the system proceeds to step  59 ; otherwise, the system will give alert to notify the nurse and generate a record to be stored in the server  17 .  
         [0080]     Step  59 : Log out. The nurse logs out of the server  17 .  
         [0081]     The action flowchart of giving medicine injection on nurse station terminal of the invention is illustrated in  FIG. 6 . After retrieving the medicine, the nurse proceeds injection of the medicine immediately. This is to avoid improper releasing of medicines. The detailed procedure is:  
         [0082]     Step  601 : The nurse downloads medical order and prescription from the server  17  to portable device  25 .  
         [0083]     Step  602 : The nurse arrives at the patient&#39;s beside.  
         [0084]     Step  603 : The nurse uses the portable device  25  to read the identity tag  14  worn by patient. The portable device  25  proceeds to compare the information.  
         [0085]     Step  604 : Using portable device to compare the information between patient, medical order and medicine to be injected. The nurse uses the portable device  25  to confirm the information. There are two kinds of comparison: a) if the patient is identified as that on the medical order, and b) if the medicine on medical order is consistent with the one retrieved. If any mismatch happens, the system will give a system alert to notify the nurse and generate a record stored in the server  17 ; otherwise, proceeds to step  605 .  
         [0086]     Step  605 : The nurse injects the medicine to patient.  
         [0087]     Step  606 : Confirm the status of medicine injection. After the completing of the injecting medicine to patient, the nurse needs to make a confirmation on the portable device  25 . If the confirmation is not done for a period of time, the system will give a system alert to notify the nurse and generate a record to be stored in the server  17 ; otherwise, proceeds to step  607 .  
         [0088]     Step  607 : Connect the portable device to the system.  
         [0089]     Step  608 : Nurse staff confirms identity. The nurse inserts HPC of HCA for medical  11  into card reader  15 , through the computer  16  links to the server  17  for verifying the nurse&#39;s identity.  
         [0090]     Step  609 : The nurse logs in the server  17 .  
         [0091]     Step  610 : Upload data. The processed information described above will be uploaded to the server  17  instantly or by batch.  
         [0092]     Step  611 : Digital signature. The system requests the nurse to complete digital signature. If the digital signature is done, then the system proceeds to step  612 ; otherwise, the system will give a system alert to notify the nurse and generate a record to be stored in the server  17 .  
         [0093]     Step  612 : Write to database. The system writes the data to the database  18 .  
         [0094]     Step  613 : Price computing. The system computes the price of the injected medicines.  
         [0095]     The action flowchart of reclaiming empty medicine boxes on nurse station terminal of the invention is illustrated in  FIG. 7 . After injecting the medicine to patient, the empty medicine box  23  is put into the electronic medicine-reclaiming chest  22  at nurse station. The detailed procedure is:  
         [0096]     Step  71 : Identity authentication. The nurse inserts HPC of HCA for medical staff  11  into card reader  15 , through the computer  16  links to the server  17  for verifying the nurse&#39;s identity.  
         [0097]     Step  72 : The nurse logs in the server  17 .  
         [0098]     Step  73 : Select “Reclaim empty medicine box”. The nurse selects the empty medicine box  23  to be reclaimed.  
         [0099]     Step  74 : The electronic medicine-reclaiming chest  22  is opened.  
         [0100]     Step  75 : put the empty medicine box  23  into the chest  22 .  
         [0101]     Step  76 : The electronic medicine-reclaiming chest  22  is closed. If the chest  22  is not closed for a period of time, the system will give a system alert, notify the nurse and generate a record to be stored in the server  17 . If the chest  22  is closed normally, the RFID reader  221  on it collects the information of the medicine box  23 , verifies the newly added box and its quantity, transmits the information to the terminal  16  at nurse station and proceeds step  77 .  
         [0102]     Step  77 : Digital signature. After the terminal  16  at nurse station completes the recording of the changed information collected by RFID reader on the medicine-reclaiming chest  22 , it then requests the nurse&#39;s digital signature for confirming the related actions done with the empty medicine box  24 . If the action for digital signature is not completed for a period of time, the system will give a system alert to notify the staff and generate a record to store in server  17 ; if it is done, then proceeds to step  78 .  
         [0103]     Step  78 : The nurse logs out of the server  17 .  
         [0104]     Step  79 : The nurse staff makes sure every empty medicine box  23  has been reclaimed before turning the duty to next shift. If there is any un-reclaimed medicine box  23 , the system will give a system alert to notify the staff and generate a record to store in server  17 .  
         [0105]     The action flowchart of exchanging empty medicine boxes on pharmacy terminal of the invention is illustrated in  FIG. 8 . When there is a shortage of medicine at nurse station, the nurse staff brings the electronic medicine-reclaiming chest  22  to the pharmacy to proceed the exchange of medicine box  23  and the empty one  23 . The pharmacist in charge verifies the medicine box  23  needs to be exchanged, and links the medicine-reclaiming chest  22  to pharmacy terminal  16  to proceed the action and replenish the medicine. The detailed procedure is:  
         [0106]     Step  80 : The medicine retrieving staff brings the electronic medicine chest to pharmacy and make connection.  
         [0107]     Step  81 : Identity authentication of the Pharmacist and the medicine retrieving staff. The staffs insert HPC of HCA for medical staff  11  into card reader  15 , through the computer  16  links to the server  17  for verifying their identity.  
         [0108]     Step  82 : Log in the system.  
         [0109]     Step  83 : Retrieve the medicine from the medicine cabinet. The pharmacist opens the electronic medicine cabinet  20  and retrieves the requested medicine box  23 , then closes the cabinet  20 .  
         [0110]     Step  84 : Open the medicine chest. The pharmacy terminal  16  triggers the opening of the electronic medicine-reclaiming chest  22  brought by the nurse staff.  
         [0111]     Step  85 : Proceeds medicine exchange. The pharmacist takes the empty medicine box  24  from the opened electronic medicine-reclaiming chest  22 , and then put the requested medicine box into it.  
         [0112]     Step  86 : Close the medicine chest. The staff closes the chest  22 . If the chest  22  is not closed for a period of time, the system will give a system alert, notify the staff and generate a record to be stored in the server  17 ; otherwise, the system proceeds to step  87 .  
         [0113]     Step  87 : Information Matching on medicine box and that of the medicine just retrieved from medicine cabinet. After the medicine chest  22  is closed, the changed information of the medicine box is collected by RFID reader  221 , verifies the changed medicine and its quantity, and then transmits the data to pharmacy terminal  16 . The pharmacy terminal  16  compares the changed information and quantity of the medicine with that of medicine stock. If there is any inconsistent about the medicine information and quantity, the system will give a system alert, notify the staff and generate a record to be stored in the server  17 ; otherwise, the system proceeds to step  88 .  
         [0114]     Step  88 : Pharmacist establishes the relationship between medicine box and medicine chest. After the Information Matching as described finished, the management system requests the pharmacist to establish the relationship between medicine box  23  and electronic medicine-reclaiming chest  22 .  
         [0115]     Step  89 : Confirm the relationship. If the action described in step  88  is not completed for a period of time, the management system will give a system alert, notify the staff and generate a record to be stored in the server  17 ; otherwise, the system proceeds to step  90 .  
         [0116]     Step  90 : The digital signature from the pharmacist. After the pharmacist completes confirming the relationship established between the medicine box  23  and the electronic medicine-reclaiming chest  22 , the system requests the digital signature from the pharmacist. If the action for digital signature is not done for a period of time, the system will give a system alert to notify the staff and generate a record to store in server  17 ; if it is done, then proceeds to step  91 .  
         [0117]     Step  91 : The digital signature from the staff retrieving medicine As soon as the step  90  is completed, the system then requests the digital signature from the staff who retrieves medicine to confirm the actions done for retrieving medicine. If the action for digital signature is not done for a period of time, the system will give a system alert to notify the staff and generate a record to store in server  17 ; if it is done, then proceeds to step  92 .  
         [0118]     Step  92 : The staffs log out of the server  17 .  
         [0119]     Please also refer to  FIG. 14 . As what is described above, a triggerable RFID tag  233  could be installed at a proper position in a medicine box  23 . When a medicine is put into the box, it contacts with the triggerable RFID tag  233 . Taking out of the medicine would trigger the triggerable RFID tag  233 , which signals the system. The triggerable RFID tag  233  could use a photo-sensor, a thin-film switch or a mechanical switch to initiate the triggering process.  
         [0120]     With the ways described above to manage the status of the medicine, the triggerable RFID tag  232  and  233  are triggered whenever a medicine/or medicine box  23  is taking out of the medicine box  23 /or the electronic medicine chest  21 . The tags of medicines are sensed and transmit to 1 the system by reader to store the circulation information of a medicine to database through the computer  16 . In this way, the invention assists the medicine management staffs of a hospital to control/monitor the status of a medicine, the medicine information, quantity, circulation process or the shortage in hospital; furthermore, it could meet the purpose of patient safety by preventing the misuse of medicine, improperly release of medicines, and making sure the patient is treated with correct medicine.  
         [0121]     Many changes and modifications in the above described embodiment of the invention can, of course, be carried out without departing from the scope thereof. Accordingly, to promote the progress in science and the useful arts, the invention is disclosed and is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.