Pharmaceutical tray filling system and method

A system for facilitating the manual filling of a pharmaceutical tray is provided. The system includes an electronic display device configured to display information adjacent the wells of the pharmaceutical tray. The system includes a controller configured to control the electronic display device to display information representative of a first type of pharmaceutical adjacent to a first well to direct manual placement of the first type of pharmaceutical into the first well and to control the electronic display device to selectively display information representative of a second type of pharmaceutical adjacent to a second well to direct manual placement of the second type of pharmaceutical into the second well.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of pharmaceutical packaging and distribution. The present invention relates specifically to a filing of a pharmaceutical tray. Automated packaging devices are used by various health care and pharmacy operations to accurately package pharmaceuticals for use within the facility. For example, multiple pharmaceuticals for a patient may be packaged together. The packaged pharmaceuticals are then provided to the patient

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the invention relates to pharmaceutical filling system including a display screen configured to display instructions to a user of the workstation, a flat panel display screen and a tray support structure located at a peripheral edge of the flat panel display screen. The system includes a tray including a plurality of wells, and each well is configured to hold a pharmaceutical. Each well including a bottom wall formed from a light transmitting material. The tray is positioned on and supported by the tray support structure above the flat panel display screen. The system includes a controller configured to control the flat panel display screen to display information related to a first pharmaceutical at a first region of the flat panel display screen such that the displayed information is viewable from above the tray through the bottom wall of a first well of the tray to direct the user of the workstation to fill the first well with the first pharmaceutical.

Another embodiment of the invention relates to a system for facilitating the manual filling of a pharmaceutical tray including at least two wells each configured to hold a pharmaceutical. The system includes an electronic display device configured to display information adjacent to the at least two wells of the pharmaceutical tray. The system includes a controller configured to control the electronic display device to display information representative of a first type of pharmaceutical adjacent to a first well to direct manual placement of the first type of pharmaceutical into the first well and to control the electronic display device to selectively display information representative of a second type of pharmaceutical adjacent to a second well to direct manual placement of the second type of pharmaceutical into the second well.

Another embodiment of the invention relates to a method of controlling a pharmaceutical filling workstation to facilitate the manual filling of a pharmaceutical tray including a plurality of wells each configured to hold a pharmaceutical. The method includes the step of controlling a display device to display information indicative of a first pharmaceutical below a first well of the plurality of wells. The method includes the step of receiving a first input indicative of the first pharmaceutical being placed in the first well. The method includes the step of controlling the display device to display information indicative of a second pharmaceutical below a second well of the plurality of wells. The method includes the step of receiving a second input indicative of the second pharmaceutical being placed in the second well.

Another embodiment of the invention relates to a system for filling a prescription medication orders. The system includes a medication tray including at least one row of medication channels passing through the tray and a unique machine-readable tray identifier. The system includes a workstation including a first display device configured to display medication information and to display information input at the workstation. The workstation also includes a second display configured to display images at the bottom of a plurality of channels and a reader assembly configured to read the tray identifier and to read a machine-readable medication identifier from a medication container. The system includes a database including tray data representative of the tray identifier, data representative of medication items to be manually placed in the medication tray, and data representative of the respective channels within which the respective medication items are to be placed. The database includes prescription data representative of information for a plurality of medication items where such information includes data useable by the workstation to generate of images of a plurality of medication items on the first and second displays. The database includes association data which associates the medication identifier with the medication items. The workstation is configured to communicate with the database and the reader assembly, to display information on the first display representative of at least one medication item associated with a tray identifier, to display information on the first display representative of medication from a medication container and to generate an image representative of the medication item at the bottom of the channel in the tray at which the medication item is to be placed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring generally to the figures, various embodiments of a pharmaceutical filling system configured to facilitate filing (e.g., manual filing) of a multi-compartment pharmaceutical tray and related method are shown. Generally, the tray includes multiple compartments or wells each configured to hold one or more medication/pharmaceutical items and/or one or more medical items, and the tray typically is filled with more than one different type of pharmaceutical item at a time. The system includes a display device configured to display information representative of each type of pharmaceutical adjacent to the wells/channels of the tray in a manner that directs the filling of the well with the appropriate pharmaceutical.

In some embodiments, the system includes a filling workstation having a tray support device. The tray support device includes a display device surrounded by a support housing such that the display screen is positioned below the tray during filling. During the tray filling processing, the display device displays information (e.g., images, alphanumeric information, etc.) in various positions on the display device such that the information displayed is viewable through the bottom wall of the wells of the tray. The information displayed provides an indication of the type of pharmaceutical that is to be placed within the well through which the information is viewable. During filling of the tray, the user (e.g., health care personnel, pharmacist, pharmacy technician, etc.) is able to see the displayed information displayed below each well and places the pharmaceutical that corresponds with the displayed information into the well. Following filling of the tray with the appropriate pharmaceutical in each well, the filled tray may be used to load the pharmaceuticals into an automated packaging system which then packages each of the loaded pharmaceuticals into the desired packaging (e.g., unit dose packaging, packaging along with other pharmaceuticals for a particular patient, belt packages, etc.).

Referring toFIG. 1, an automated packaging system, shown as packaging cabinet10, is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. Cabinet10includes a plurality of pharmaceutical canister dispensing compartments12. Each compartment12holds a plurality of pharmaceutical canisters14that each hold a single type of pharmaceutical. Compartments12typically are loaded with canisters14containing the pharmaceuticals that are most commonly used by the facility (e.g., hospital, pharmacy, long-term care facility, nursing home, etc.). Cabinet10also includes a dispensing drawer16that includes a plurality of cells or wells18. Wells18of dispensing drawer16are typically filled with pharmaceuticals that are used less frequently by the facility than the pharmaceuticals stored in compartment12. The positioning of each pharmaceutical within cabinet10(e.g., the positioning of each canister14and the identity of each pharmaceutical located with wells18of drawer16) is tracked and stored by the electronic control system controlling cabinet10such that the desired pharmaceutical can be dispensed and packaged as needed.

With compartments12and drawer16filled, cabinet10is used to individually package pharmaceuticals based on prescription information received by the cabinet. In one particular embodiment, cabinet10is configured to dispense the appropriate type and quantity of the different pharmaceuticals that make up a prescription for a patient and to package the pharmaceuticals in a strip-type package. In one particular embodiment, cabinet10is a FastPak EXP available from AmerisourceBergen Technology Group.

Referring toFIG. 1, a multi-chamber tray, shown as tray20, may be used to facilitate the filling of each of the wells18of dispensing drawer16. In the embodiment shown, tray20includes a plurality of numbered wells/channels22that corresponded to wells18of dispensing drawer16. As explained in more detail below, wells22of tray20are filled with the proper pharmaceutical to be placed into the corresponding wells18of drawer16. As shown inFIG. 2, with tray20filled, tray20is placed onto drawer16such that each well22of tray20is located above the corresponding well18of drawer16. In one embodiment, drawer16includes an alignment feature that aligns tray20relative to drawer16in the proper orientation to ensure that the each well22of tray20is positioned above the proper well18of drawer16. In the embodiment shown, drawer16includes a rim24that extends inward from the lateral edges of drawer16, and tray20includes a first lateral edge, shown as narrow end26, and a second lateral edge, shown as wide end30. As shown inFIG. 2, the width, W2, of narrow end26is less than the width, W1, of wide end30. Narrow end26is sized to fit between rim24of drawer16such that tray20is permitted to properly seat on drawer16only when narrow end26is located between rim24. This arrangement helps to ensure that tray20is properly oriented relative to drawer16such that each well22of tray20is positioned above the proper, corresponding well18of drawer16.

With tray20properly positioned on drawer16, levers28are actuated causing the bottom walls/panels which close wells22to slide open allowing the pharmaceutical within each well22to fall into the corresponding well18of drawer16. In one embodiment, tray20includes a single planar wall on each half of tray20that extends along the lower surface of tray20, and the wall forms the bottom wall of all of the wells22on each half of tray20. Levers28on each half of tray20are coupled to the walls such that as levers28are moved laterally within slot32, the bottom walls are moved out from under wells22allowing the pharmaceutical within each well22to fall into the corresponding well18of drawer16. Once drawer16is filled, tray20is removed from on top of drawer16, and drawer16is retracted into the body of cabinet10. Cabinet10is then ready to dispense the pharmaceuticals from drawer16as needed.

In one embodiment, as shown inFIGS. 3-6, tray20may be filled at a workstation, shown as tray filling workstation40. Filling workstation40includes a tray support structure, shown as tray support42, a first display44and a reader, shown as bar code scanner46. As shown in the diagram ofFIG. 3, filling workstation40also includes a control system, shown as controller48, configured to control the various components of filling workstation40to provide the functionality discussed herein. As shown, controller48is communicably coupled to packaging cabinet10and database45. Communication links47provide communication between the different devices shown inFIG. 3. Communication between packaging cabinet10, database45and controller48allows information regarding which pharmaceuticals are to be filled into a tray to be communicated between cabinet10, database45and controller48at filling workstation40. In addition, various information from workstation40(e.g., identification information for each filled tray20, error code information, etc.) may be communicated between cabinet10, database45and controller48. In various embodiments, database45may use the information communicated from workstation40to identify a particular tray20, to identify the particular pharmaceuticals loaded into tray20, and to identify the particular well22of the tray that includes the particular pharmaceutical. This information may be used by database45and the related control software to control cabinet10to properly package the pharmaceuticals as needed. In one embodiment, database45acts as a server and packaging cabinet10and workstation40are clients of database45. It should be understood that whileFIG. 3shows a single packaging cabinet10and a single workstation served by database45, multiple packaging cabinets10and/or multiple workstations40may be used in conjunction with database45.

Controller48may be a general purpose computer, a general purpose processor, an application specific processor (ASIC), a circuit containing one or more processing components, a group of distributed processing components, a group of distributed computers configured for processing, etc., configured to provide the functionality of workstation40discussed herein. Controller48may include or have access to one or more devices for storing data and/or computer code for completing and/or facilitating the various processes described in the present application. Such storage devices may include volatile memory, non-volatile memory, database components, object code components, script components, and/or any other type of information structure for supporting the various functions of workstation40described herein. In various embodiments, controller48is a desktop or laptop computer including software configured to provide the functionalities of workstation40discussed herein. Communication links47may be wired or wireless communication links and may use either standard or proprietary communications protocols, and controller48is configured with appropriate hardware and/or software for communicating with the devices shown inFIG. 3.

Referring toFIG. 4, tray support42includes a support housing50and a second display52. In various embodiments, second display52is a display device including a flat panel display screen, and for example, is an LCD display device or LED screen display device. As shown inFIG. 4, the flat panel of the display52lies in a substantially horizontal plane (e.g., a plane less than plus or minus 45 degrees from horizontal, less than plus or minus 45 degrees from horizontal, plus or minus 10 degrees from horizontal, etc.). As shown inFIG. 5, prior to filling, tray20is placed on to tray support42. Tray support42includes a physical structure that orients tray20over display52in a way that display52is viewable from above tray20. In the specific embodiment shown, support housing50includes an upstanding peripheral rim54that extends upward and away from a support surface56. In this embodiment, support surface56is a substantially horizontal support surface extending inwardly from an inner surface of peripheral rim54. In the tray fill position shown inFIG. 5, a lower surface of tray20seats on support surface56, and the inner surface of peripheral rim54engages the outer, lateral surface of tray20to securely seat tray20on tray support42. In this arrangement, peripheral rim54surrounds the peripheral edge of display52.

In various embodiments, tray support42includes an alignment structure configured to engage tray20such that tray20is only permitted to seat tray support42in the proper positioning. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 5, peripheral rim54of tray support42includes an inset region55sized to engage narrow end26of tray20. To properly mount tray20to tray support42, narrow end26of tray20is placed within inset region55of peripheral rim54, and if the user attempts to mount tray support42in an incorrect orientation, inset region55interferes with wide end30of tray20providing a visual indication that tray20is not mounted in the correct orientation. In another embodiment, the alignment feature is a dowel pin that engages a bushing only when tray20is loaded onto tray support42in the proper position. In another embodiment, the alignment feature is an electronic tag reader that reads a tag on tray20only when tray20is loaded onto tray support42in the proper position.

Tray20also includes a identification tag, shown as tray barcode58, that uniquely identifies tray20. Barcode58will be read prior to filling tray20with pharmaceuticals at workstation40. The tray identification information read from barcode58is then associated with data indicating which pharmaceuticals are to be loaded into tray20(e.g., a tray fill order as discussed below), and thus, during loading of cabinet10the identity of tray20is read and information indicating which pharmaceuticals are loaded in each cell of tray20(and consequentially in each corresponding well of drawer16) is stored within database45associated with cabinet10to track which pharmaceuticals have been loaded into cabinet10. Database45and the related control software utilize the information indicating which pharmaceuticals are located in each cell of drawer16to control cabinet10to properly dispense the desired pharmaceutical from drawer16during packaging.

In one embodiment, barcode58may be read using an external barcode reader46. In another embodiment, tray support42may include a barcode reader directly coupled to support housing50. In this embodiment, workstation40is configured to automatically read the barcode upon mounting of tray20onto tray support42. In another embodiment, the identification tag is an RFID tag, and tray support42includes an RFID reader. In another embodiment, the identification tag is a label including a unique alphanumeric code that the user of workstation40enters (e.g., via keyboard) prior to filling tray20.

After tray20is seated onto tray support42and the ID tag of tray20is read, workstation40(e.g., under the control of controller48) is configured to assist the user of workstation40to properly place the correct pharmaceuticals into wells22of tray20. As discussed in more detail below, various information and instructions are displayed to the user via display44to guide the user through the tray filling process. For example, instructions to fill certain wells22of tray20with a particular pharmaceutical may be displayed on display44. In one embodiment, the user of workstation40retrieves a container60of the needed pharmaceutical and scans a barcode on container60with scanner46. Controller48of workstation40confirms that the proper pharmaceutical container was retrieved, and the user is instructed to fill one or more wells22of tray20with the pharmaceutical from container60. When all required wells22of tray20have been filled from container60, the user returns container60to storage and continues filling the remaining wells of tray20with the proper pharmaceuticals.

Referring toFIG. 6, workstation40is configured to assist in filing tray20by causing the display of information representative of a particular pharmaceutical (e.g., display of an image and/or display of alphanumeric information) to direct the user of workstation40to fill particular wells22of tray20with a particular pharmaceutical. In various embodiments, workstation40includes one or more display devices, shown as display screen52, configured to display the information adjacent to the particular wells22of tray20to be filled with a particular pharmaceutical. In one such embodiment, as shown inFIG. 6, display screen52is located below tray20, and the controller of workstation40is configured to display one or more images62at distinct spatial positions on screen52such that the one or more images62are located below each well22of tray20that is to a particular pharmaceutical. In one embodiment, image62is an image of the particular pharmaceutical that is to be added to the well below which the image62is displayed. In the embodiment shown, each well22includes a lower wall64that transmits light (e.g., light transmitting. transparent or translucent) such that images62displayed on screen52are viewable from above tray20. In another embodiment, a filling indication (e.g., a lighted or colored shaped, a white square, etc.) can be displayed on the flat panel display between each well22to direct the user to fill the appropriate well.

In addition to displaying pharmaceutical images, controller48of workstation40may be configured to cause the display of alphanumeric information66representative of a pharmaceutical (instead of or in addition to images62) at distinct spatial positions on screen52such that the alphanumeric information66is located below each well22of tray20that is to receive the pharmaceutical currently being filled. As explained in more detail below, once a first set of wells22are filled, images62and/or alphanumeric information66may be displayed beneath another set of wells indicating that the user is to fill those cells with a second type of pharmaceutical. This process repeats until there are no other pharmaceuticals to be loaded into tray20.

In one embodiment, image62displayed is an image of the particular pharmaceutical to be placed into the corresponding well22of tray20. Thus, the user of workstation40is able to compare the appearance of the pharmaceutical actually being placed into tray20with the image62being displayed to confirm that the proper pharmaceutical is being loaded into tray20. In another embodiment, image62may be a generic image or graphic displayed to highlight which well22of tray20is to be filled. In one embodiment, alphanumeric information66may be a drug code for the drug being filled or the name of the drug being filled. In another embodiment, alphanumeric information66may be show the number of individual pills or tablets that are to be placed in the associated well.

In various embodiments, controller48of workstation40is in communication with a database, shown as database45, and database45includes various data that is used by controller48to provide the functionality discussed herein. Database45is also in communication with cabinet10and also may include control software for controlling cabinet10. In various embodiments database45includes one or more of the following types of data: tray data representative of the tray identifier, data representative of pharmaceutical or medical items to be manually placed in the wells of the pharmaceutical tray, data representative of the respective wells within which the respective pharmaceutical or medical items are to be placed, data representative of the pharmaceutical or medical items, association data which associates the pharmaceutical or medical identifier with the pharmaceutical or medical items, alpha numeric data associated with the pharmaceutical or medical items, expiration dates associated with the pharmaceutical or medical items, manufacturer information associated with the pharmaceutical or medical items and any other information which may be required for a particular application. In various embodiments, the prescription data is representative of information for a plurality of pharmaceutical, medication or medical items where such information includes at least data useable by the workstation to generate images for the plurality of medication items on the first and second displays. In various specific embodiments, the data from database45may be used by workstation40to generate of images for a plurality of pharmaceutical items on displays44and/or52.

In various embodiments, each well22of tray20may be equipped with a sensor configured to detect when the well has been filled. In one such embodiment, bottom wall64may be a touch sensitive sensor such that each pill impact within well22is detected and counted. In another embodiment, each well22may be equipped with an infrared reflectance sensor, a capacitance sensor or proximity sensor configured to detect entry of each pill into well22.

In the embodiments discussed above, tray20and workstation40are described primarily relating to filling a tray with pharmaceuticals and/or medical items. However in other embodiments, a tray20and workstation40can generally be equipped and/or configured to facilitate placement of other items into a multi-welled tray. In such embodiments, the information (e.g., an image, alphanumeric-information, etc.) displayed adjacent or below each well of the tray is representative of the item to be placed in the well.

Referring toFIGS. 7A and 7B, operation of workstation40to fill one or more trays20is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. At step100, controller48causes display screen44to display a list of each tray fill order that requires filling. Generally, the tray fill order is data received by controller48from database45providing the information needed to properly fill tray20using workstation40. In one embodiment, the tray fill order includes data representative of the identity of each pharmaceutical (e.g., identity, pill size, etc.) to be filled into tray20and also includes data indicative of each particular of well22that is to receive a pharmaceutical (e.g., well ID numbers, well position numbers, etc.).

At step102, the user selects an empty tray20, and places the selected tray20onto tray support42of filling workstation40. At step104, a reading device (e.g., bar code scanner46) reads the unique identifier of the tray20loaded onto tray support42, and compares the read tray ID to database45. At step106, controller48confirms via the database check that the read tray ID has not already been assigned to a tray fill order. At step108, if the comparison indicates that the tray20selected by the user has already been assigned to a tray fill order, controller48triggers the display of an error message on display screen44instructing the user of filling workstation40to select another tray. In one embodiment, at step108, controller48triggers the display of the error message on display screen52located below tray20.

If the selected tray20has not already been assigned a tray fill order, an unfilled tray fill order (e.g., the next tray order in the queue to be filled) is assigned to the tray (e.g., by associating the tray fill order with the tray ID in the database), and the process moves to step110. In the various embodiments discussed herein, the tray fill order includes a list of each pharmaceutical to be filled into a particular tray20along with the assigned well22of the tray20that will contain a particular pharmaceutical after filling. At step110, controller48displays information identifying the first pharmaceutical to be filled into tray on display screen44and also displays a prompt directing the user to retrieve the container holding the first pharmaceutical from a storage location (e.g., a shelf, drawer, etc.). In one embodiment, at step110information identifying the location of the first pharmaceutical may also be displayed.

After retrieval of the first pharmaceutical, the user scans the bar code on the pharmaceutical container using bar code scanner46of workstation40. At step112, controller48compares the scanned bar code to the expected bar code for the first pharmaceutical. If the scanned bar code does not match the expected bar code, at step114, controller48displays an error message on display screen44and/or on display screen52, and the user is prompted to retrieve the proper pharmaceutical container. If the scanned bar code matches the expected bar code, controller48determines that the user has selected to the proper pharmaceutical container, and at step116, controller48displays a prompt to the user via display screen44instructing the user to enter the lot number and expiration date of the pharmaceutical (e.g., input received via keyboard associated with workstation40or via a touch screen version of display screen44). In one embodiment, the lot number and/or expiration date of the pharmaceutical entered at step116is stored in database45and is associated with each tray well that holds the pharmaceutical. In this embodiment, packaging cabinet10has access to and may utilize the lot number and/or expiration date data during packaging of pharmaceutical. In one such embodiment, cabinet10is configured to access database45during packing of pharmaceuticals from tray16and to print or otherwise adhere a label onto the pharmaceutical package or pouch that indicates the lot number and/or the expiration date.

At step118, controller48controls display52to display information (e.g., image information, alphanumeric information, etc. as discussed above) indicative of the first pharmaceutical beneath each well22of tray20that is assigned to receive the first pharmaceutical by the tray fill order. Because the bottom walls of the wells22of tray20are transparent, the user is able to see which wells22are highlighted by the display of information, and the user fills each highlighted well with the first pharmaceutical.

At step120, controller48and/or the user determines whether there is a sufficient quantity of the first pharmaceutical within the container retrieved by the user to fill each of the wells22of tray20that are to be filled with the first pharmaceutical. If it is determined that the container retrieved by the user does not contain enough of the first pharmaceutical to fill each of the wells, the process moves to the step150, discussed below. If it is determined that the container retrieved by the user does contain enough of the first pharmaceutical to fill each of the wells that should be filled with the first pharmaceutical, the user fills all of the wells22highlighted by the display of information as discussed above.

At step122, the user indicates that each well22has been filled, for example by selecting a “done filling” button displayed on screen44(e.g., via selection by a mouse, or selection of a button on a touch screen version of screen44). In an embodiment in which tray20is configured to detect filling of wells22using a sensor, controller48may be configured to automatically determine when filling is complete based on the data received from the sensors. At step124, controller48stops displaying the information highlighting each of the wells22to be filled after controller48has determined that all required wells have been filled with the first pharmaceutical.

At step126, controller48determines whether there are additional pharmaceuticals in the tray fill order that need to be added to the tray20currently located at fill workstation40. If there are unfilled items in the tray fill order, steps110-124are repeated until all of the pharmaceuticals of the tray fill order have been added to the tray.

Referring toFIG. 7A, controller48determines that all pharmaceuticals of a tray fill order have been placed into tray20when the user indicates that the final pharmaceutical in the order has been filled into the tray. When controller48determines that filling of tray20is completed, at step130, controller48determines whether additional quality checking or witness checking is needed. In an embodiment where no additional checking is required, the process moves to step140, and controller48controls display44and/or display52to display a message that filling is completed and displays a prompt that the user is to remove the filled tray20from workstation40. The user then uses the filled tray20to fill drawer16of cabinet10, as discussed above.

In an embodiment, shown inFIG. 7A, controller48is configured to require additional review of the filled tray20prior to allowing tray20to be used to fill drawer16. In this embodiment, at step132, controller48controls display44to display a prompt to have the user of workstation40have a reviewer or witness login into filling workstation40, and at step134, the witness logs into workstation40. At step136, the witness sequentially selects each of the pharmaceuticals in the fill tray order (e.g., via touch screen display44, via selection of drug name on screen via mouse), and as each different pharmaceutical is selected, controller48triggers the display of the information (e.g., images62or alphanumeric information66shown inFIG. 6) beneath each well of tray20that is supposed to contain the selected pharmaceutical. This allows the witness to confirm or double check that the appropriate pharmaceutical has been placed in the appropriate wells22of tray20. At step138, the witness confirms that tray20has been properly filled by selecting a tray approved icon displayed on screen44. After the witness approves the tray, the process moves to step140, and controller48controls display44and/or display52to display a message that filling is completed and displays a prompt that the user is to remove the filled tray20from workstation40. The user then uses the filled tray20to fill drawer16of cabinet10as discussed above.

Referring back to step120, controller48and/or the user determines whether there is a sufficient quantity of the first pharmaceutical within the container retrieved by the user to fill each of the wells22of tray20that are to be filled with the first pharmaceutical. If it is determined that the container retrieved by the user does not contain enough of the first pharmaceutical to fill each of the wells, the process moves to step150. At step150, controller48and/or the user checks information regarding the current inventory and if there are other containers of the needed pharmaceutical available in the inventory, controller48causes the display of a prompt on screen44instructing the user to retrieve another container of the first needed pharmaceutical from a storage location. In one embodiment, controller48causes the display of information indicative of the storage location of the additional container. At step152, the user indicates that the new container of the pharmaceutical has been retrieved by selecting a start new bottle icon displayed on screen44.

Referring toFIG. 7B, at step154, controller48controls display44to display a prompt to the user to scan the bar code on the pharmaceutical container using bar code scanner46of workstation40. At step156, controller48compares the scanned bar code to the expected bar code for the first pharmaceutical. If the scanned bar code does not match the expected bar code, at step158, controller48displays an error message on display screen44and/or on display screen52, and the user is prompted to retrieve the proper pharmaceutical container to be filled. If the scanned bar code matches the expected bar code, controller48determines that the user has selected to the proper pharmaceutical container, and at step160, controller48displays a prompt to the user via display screen44instructing the user to enter the lot number and expiration date of the pharmaceutical (e.g., via keyboard associated with workstation40or via a touch screen version of display screen44). At step162, controller48compares the lot number and expiration date of the new prescription container entered at step160to the lot number and expiration date entered at step116. If at step162, controller48determines that the lot numbers and expiration dates are the same, at step170, controller48causes display44to display a prompt for the user to continue filling the tray, and the process passes back to step120, and the rest of the tray is filled as discussed above.

If at step162, controller48determines that the lot numbers and expiration dates are different, at step164, controller48causes screen44to display a prompt instructing the user to identify which wells22of tray20where already filled with the pharmaceutical. In one embodiment, controller48cause the display of an image of tray20on screen44, and the user selects (e.g., via touch screen display44, or via selection of the wells on the screen via a mouse), which wells of the tray were already filled. At step166, when the user has selected all of the wells that were filled from the original pharmaceutical container, the user indicates completion by selecting an ok or step completed icon. At step168, controller48stops the display information (e.g., images62, alphanumeric information66, etc.) on screen52beneath the wells22that were already filled but continues to display information (e.g., images62, alphanumeric information66, etc.) on screen52beneath the wells22that still must be filled with the pharmaceutical from the new container. Thus, after step168, controller48only causes the display of information (e.g., images62, alphanumeric information66, etc.) on screen52beneath the wells22that still need to be filled, and then at step170, controller48causes display44to display a prompt for the user to continue filling the tray, and the process passes back to step120, and the rest of the tray is filled as discussed above.

Following step150, at step172, if no additional containers of the needed pharmaceutical are available, the user selects an icon indicating that no additional containers of the needed pharmaceutical are available. In one embodiment, controller48accesses inventory information directly to determine whether additional containers of the needed pharmaceutical are available, and in this embodiment, step172is skipped. At step174, controller48causes screen44to display a prompt instructing the user to identify which wells22of tray20where already filled with the pharmaceutical. In one embodiment, controller48causes the display of an image of tray20on screen44, and the user selects (e.g., via touch screen display44, or via selection of the wells on the screen via a mouse) which wells of the tray were already filled with the needed pharmaceutical. At step176, when the user has selected all of the wells that were filled from the original pharmaceutical container, the user indicates completion by selecting an ok or step completed icon. However, in an embodiment in which the wells of tray20are equipped to sense filling of the wells (e.g., via a touch sensitive bottom wall, etc. as discussed above), controller48may be configured to automatically determine that the wells have been filled based upon the data from the sensors. The information captured at step174and176is used by controller48and/or the control system of cabinet10to track which wells of tray20and of drawer16were not able to be filled as requested by the fill tray order. At step178, the pharmaceutical that is out of stock is removed from the fill tray order, and the process passes back to step126, and filling of the tray continues as discussed above.

As an alternative to the use of separate display device52and non-opaque, moveble well closure panels, it is also contemplated that display device52could be modified to also function as the closure panel. For example, a moveable, LED display panels could be used as the closure panels to eliminate the separate display device52and the need to index the tray to the display device. In this embodiment, the tray would include a wired or wireless interface to the workstation so that LED closure panels of the trays18could be controlled by the workstation40to generate the images required below each well22. Additionally, this configuration may permit the elimination of the use of a barcode as the tray identifier. Rather, the tray identifier would be a code stored in the tray and read by the workstation40through the interface.

Referring toFIG. 8, in another embodiment, workstation40may be configured to display information representative of pharmaceuticals to be filled into tray20on a display screen (for example display screen44) located adjacent to a tray20to assist the user in properly filling the wells of tray20. In one such embodiment, workstation40is configured to facilitate filling of a tray20by displaying an image200representative of a tray20to be filled on the display screen44of workstation40. In this embodiment, the display of the graphic200is adjacent the wells22of tray20due to the proximity of tray20to display44during filling. Image200replicates includes graphics206representative of each of the wells22of tray20, and each of the well graphics206have a spatial relationship to the other wells and to the other displayed structure that correlates to the spatial relationship of wells22and the structure of physical tray20. In one embodiment, image200is a to scale graphical representation of tray20.

In various embodiments, controller48is configured to alter the display of graphics on display44to facilitate the filling of tray20. For example, in one embodiment, controller48is configured to display images of pharmaceuticals to be filled, for example images202, within one or more well graphics206of image200that correlate to the wells22of tray20that are to receive a particular pharmaceutical. In another embodiment, controller48is configured to display alphanumeric information of pharmaceuticals to be filled, for example images204, within one or more well graphics206of image200that correlate to the wells22of tray20that are to receive a particular pharmaceutical. In another embodiment, controller48is configured to display other graphics (e.g., change color, highlight, display “fill”, etc.) within or around one or more well graphics206of image200that correlate to the wells22of tray20that are to receive a particular pharmaceutical.

In this embodiment, graphic200on display44acts as a map or graphical directions to the user of workstation40regarding how tray20should be filled. In this embodiment, the user views graphic200to determine which of well graphics206are indicated (e.g., via graphics202, alphanumeric info204, or other highlighting) to receive a pharmaceutical. The user correlates the indicated well graphics206with the physical wells22in tray20, and fills wells22accordingly. In this manner, controller48and the user substantially execute the method shown inFIGS. 7A and 7Bexcept that steps118,124and168involve the display of graphics202or204within well graphics206on display44rather than the display on screen52as discussed above.

Further, as used herein pharmaceutical items includes drugs, medicines, over the counter drugs, prescription drugs, nutritional supplements, nutraceuticals, tablets, powders, or any other similar product that may be used in a health care setting. In addition, medical items may include pharmaceutical items, medical devices, medical instruments, medical supplies (e.g., bandages, syringes, gauze, IVs, ampules, ports, etc.).

While the current application recites particular combinations of features in the claims appended hereto, various embodiments of the invention relate to any combination of any of the features described herein whether or not such combination is currently claimed, and any such combination of features may be claimed in this or future applications. Any of the features, elements, or components of any of the exemplary embodiments discussed above may be used alone or in combination with any of the features, elements, or components of any of the other embodiments discussed above.