Patent Publication Number: US-2022230724-A1

Title: System and method for monitoring progress of delivery of a patient-specific medication in a healthcare facility

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16,377,088 filed on Apr. 5, 2019, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING PROGRESS OF DELIVERY OF A PATIENT-SPECIFIC MEDICATION IN A HEALTHCARE FACILITY,” which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10,262,113 issued on Apr. 16, 2019, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING PROGRESS OF DELIVERY OF A PATIENT-SPECIFIC MEDICATION IN A HEALTHCARE FACILITY,” which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 9,767,256 issued on Sep. 19, 2017, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING PROGRESS OF DELIVERY OF A PATIENT-SPECIFIC MEDICATION IN A HEALTHCARE FACILITY,” which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 9,449,356 issued on Sep. 20, 2016, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING PROGRESS OF DELIVERY OF A PATIENT-SPECIFIC MEDICATION IN A HEALTHCARE FACILITY,” which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 8,844,803 issued on Sep. 30, 2014, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING PROGRESS OF DELIVERY OF A PATIENT-SPECIFIC MEDICATION IN A HEALTHCARE FACILITY,” the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure generally relates to medication distribution, and, in particular, relates to systems and methods for monitoring progress of delivery of a patient-specific medication in a healthcare facility. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
     In a healthcare facility, such as a hospital, a pharmacist or pharmacy department within the hospital can coordinate dispensing of medications prescribed to patients (patient-specific medications) within the hospital. In recent years, some hospitals have been assisted with drug distribution management by implementation of automatic dispensing machines (ADMs). ADMs have effectively created branches of the hospital pharmacy department at different nursing stations where the ADMs are located. 
     It has been reported that the implementation of ADMs have decreased the time to first doses of those medications available in the ADM. However, for those medications not dispensed by the ADM (e.g., medications stored in a locked cabinet or a refrigerator), significant time of a care provider (e.g., nurse) can be spent on attempting to locate a given dose of a patient-specific medication. For example, the non-ADM-dispensed medication may be delivered to a counter, a shelf, or a hanger (e.g., for an IV bag), and the care provider would be unable to track the delivery of the medication. 
     While some ADMs allow the care provider to track medications that are currently available at the ADM, they do not provide any indication of the progress of delivery of any medications that are currently not available at the ADM. Knowing where the medication is and/or when to expect the medication at the delivery location can enhance operational efficiencies of medication dispensing by allowing the care provider to quickly locate the patient-specific medication and/or more effectively manage his/her time. 
     SUMMARY 
     For some or all of the reasons listed above, there is a need for systems and methods that allow a care provider to monitor progress of delivery of a patient-specific medication in a healthcare facility, and to provide trackable locations of medications other than an ADM. 
     In certain aspects of the present disclosure, a system for monitoring progress of delivery of a medication prescribed to a patient is provided. The medication is to be delivered to a delivery location in a healthcare facility. The system can comprise a patient/medication identification (ID) device provided on a package containing the medication, the patient/medication ID device comprising medication/patient information indicative of the medication and the patient. The system can further comprise at least one location ID device provided at a location, the at least one location ID device comprising a unique location ID associated with the location. The system can further comprise at least one reader device configured to read the medication/patient information from the patient/medication ID device and the unique location ID from the at least one location ID device. The system can further comprise a processor in data communication with the reader device and configured to receive the medication/patient ID information and the unique location ID, and generate delivery progress information indicative of a last-known read location where at least one of the patient/medication ID information and the unique location ID was read by the at least one reader device. The system can further comprise a database in data communication with the processor and configured to store the delivery progress information. The system can further comprise a tracking device in data communication with the database and configured to indicate a progress of the delivery of the medication to the user based on the delivery progress information. 
     In certain aspects of the present disclosure, a method of monitoring progress of delivery of a medication prescribed to a patient is provided. The medication is to be delivered to a delivery location in a healthcare facility. The method can comprise providing a patient/medication identification (ID) device on a package containing the medication, the patient/medication ID device comprising medication/patient information indicative of the medication and the patient. The method can further comprise providing at least one location ID device at a location, the at least one location ID device comprising a unique location ID associated with the location. The method can further comprise reading the medication/patient information from the patient/medication ID device and the patient/medication ID from the patient/medication ID. The method can further comprise generating delivery progress information indicative of a last-known read location where at least one of the medication/patient ID information and the unique location identifier was read. The method can further comprise storing the delivery progress information in a database. The method can further comprise accessing the delivery progress information from the database in response to the request. The method can further comprise indicating a delivery status of the medication to the user. 
     In certain aspects of the present disclosure, a system for monitoring progress of delivery of a medication prescribed to a patient is provided. The medication is to be delivered to a delivery location in a healthcare facility. The system can comprise a patient/medication identification (ID) device provided on a package containing the medication, the patient/medication ID device comprising medication/patient information indicative of the medication and the patient. The system can further comprise a plurality of reader devices provided at a plurality of read locations and configured to read the medication/patient information from the patient/medication ID device. The system can further comprise a processor in data communication with the reader devices and configured to receive the medication/patient ID information read by a particular reader device among the plurality of reader devices and location information indicative of the particular reader device or a corresponding read location of the particular reader device, and generate delivery progress information indicative of a last-known read location where the medication/patient ID information was read by the particular reader device based on the medication/patient ID information and the location information. The system can further comprise a database in data communication with the processor and configured to store the delivery progress information. The system can further comprise a tracking device in data communication with the database and configured to receive a tracking request by a user, access the delivery progress information from the database in response to the request, and indicate a delivery status to the user based on the delivery progress information. 
     It is understood that other configurations of the subject technology will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein various configurations of the subject technology are shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the subject technology is capable of other and different configurations and its several details are capable of modification in various other respects, all without departing from the scope of the subject technology. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide further understanding and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate disclosed embodiments and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the disclosed embodiments. 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram depicting an exemplary system for monitoring delivery of a patient-specific medication in a healthcare facility according to certain aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  show a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for monitoring delivery of a patient-specific medication according to certain aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for monitoring delivery of a patient-specific medication from the perspective of a tracking device according to certain aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  depict exemplary displays that provides delivery progress indications in response to a tracking request made at a first time and a second time, respectively, according to certain aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  depicts an exemplary display of a hospital map with read locations as of the first time with corresponding read locations indicated thereon. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic block diagram depicting a computing system that may be employed as the processor depicted in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a full understanding of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, to one ordinarily skilled in the art that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without some of the specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the disclosure. 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram depicting an exemplary system  100  for monitoring delivery of a patient-specific medication in a healthcare facility according to certain aspects of the present disclosure. For ease and clarity of illustration only, without any intent to limit the scope of the present disclosure any way, it is assumed that the patient-specific medication is an epidural anesthetics IV solution that can be used during a child delivery, for example. 
     The system  100  includes a pharmacy  1  having a medication storage area  10 , a fill and/or preparation (fill/prep) area  20 , and a delivery pickup area  30 . The medication storage area  10  includes a plurality of medications and supplies including an anesthetic drug (e.g., bupivicanine or chloroprocaine) and an appropriate fluid for the anesthetic drug. The anesthetic drug and the fluid are taken from the medication storage area  10  to the prep/fill area  20  where they are mixed together to produce the epidural anesthetics IV solution. A patient/medication ID device  72 , such as a barcode label or an RFID tag, is provided on (e.g., affixed to) a package  70  (e.g., IV bag) containing the IV solution at the prep/fill area  20 . The patient/medication ID device  72  includes patient/medication ID information indicative of the medication and the patient to whom the medication is prescribed. The package  70  is then taken by a technician at the pharmacy  1  to the delivery pickup area  30  where it is loaded onto a delivery cart  90  for delivery to a scheduled delivery/drop location  60  (“Medication Storage #307”) by a delivery person  2 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the prep/fill area  20  has a barcode reader  24  provided therein that the technician at the pharmacy  1  can use to read the patient/medication ID device  72  (a barcode label in the illustrated example) before the package  70  is taken to the delivery pickup area  30 . The delivery pickup area  30  has a barcode reader  34  provided therein that the technician at the pharmacy  1  can use to read the patient/medication ID device  72  once the package  70  is taken to the delivery pickup area  30 . The delivery cart  90  may also be provided with a location barcode label  92 . The pharmacy  1  also includes a processor  40  (e.g., pharmacy server) that is configured to receive an order for the patient-specific medication from a doctor  3 . The processor  40  is coupled to a medication database  45  that is configured to store a variety of information including order status information and delivery progress information to be discussed below. 
     Also depicted in  FIG. 1  is an intermediate stop location  50  (“Operating Room  1  #305”), located between the pharmacy  1  and the delivery location  50 , where the delivery cart  90  makes a temporary stop, e.g., for delivering another package containing a medication for another patient. 
     The delivery location  60  and/or the intermediate stop location  50  can include, for example, a cabinet or a refrigerator for storing a patient-specific medication before use. In the illustrated example, the intermediate stop location  50  and the delivery location  60  are provided with location barcode label  52  and location barcode label  62 , respectively. Each of the location barcode labels  52 ,  62  includes a unique location ID information indicative of the respective location  50 ,  60  where the corresponding barcode label is provided. As described above, the package  70  (e.g., IV bag) containing the patient-specific medication (e.g., IV solution) is provided with a patient/medication identification (ID) device  72 . In the illustrated example, the patient/medication ID device  72  is a barcode label that includes patient/medication information indicative of the patient (e.g., “Jane Smith”) and the medication (e.g., “bupivicanine IV solution”). The patient/medication information may also contain other drug or patient related information such as the patient&#39;s medical conditions (e.g., allergies), name of the drug (e.g., bupivicanine), the drug dosage, the drug concentration, the drug administration schedules, and the drug delivery rate. 
     Also depicted in the system  100  of FIG. 1  is a reader device  84  that is hand carried by the delivery person  2  and/or attached to the delivery cart  90  and is configured to read the patient/medication information from the patient/medication ID device  72  provided on the package  70 . In the illustrated example, the reader device  84  is a barcode scanner. In those embodiments in which the barcode scanner  84  is hand carried by the delivery person  2 , the scanner  84  is also configured to read the location ID information from the location barcode labels  52 ,  62 ,  92 . 
     In the embodiments described above, the location ID devices  52 ,  62 ,  92  and/or the patient/medication ID device  72  are passive ID devices, meaning that certain action (e.g., scanning) has be taken by the participant (e.g., a pharmacy technician or the delivery person  2 ) to retrieve information therefrom. In other embodiments, the ID devices can be active ID devices, meaning that the information retrieval from the ID devices occur automatically without an action taken by the participant. In some embodiments, the active ID devices can actively transmit signals containing the relevant information to the reader device  72  through a wireless link. The wireless link can use use a variety of technologies including Bluetooth, ZigBee, wireless USB, and proprietary systems. In other embodiments, the active ID devices do not themselves transmit signals, but respond to query signals generated by a reader device (e.g., by altering impedance of an RF circuit therein) as the reader device passes by the ID devices in close proximity. 
     In the illustrated example, each time the barcode scanner  84  scans an ID device (e.g., patient/medication ID device or location ID device), the information read thereby is wirelessly transmitted over a mobile device link  101  to a wireless bridge  50  that receives the information. The bridge  50  is in data communication with the processor  40  via a hospital network  107 . 
     The processor  40  is configured to receive medication/patient ID information and/or location ID information read by the barcode scanner  84 , generate delivery progress information therefrom, and store the delivery progress information in the medication database  45 . The delivery progress information can include, but is not limited to: the patient&#39;s name or ID; the medication name or ID, the scheduled delivery location  60 , one or more read locations where the medication/patient ID information and/or the location ID information was read by the barcode scanner  84 , time when the information was read, and the name or ID of the delivery person  2 . 
     The system  100  further comprises tracking devices  120 ,  130  that allow a care provider  4  (e.g., a nurse assigned the task of administering the patient-specific medication to the patient) to monitor the progress of the delivery of the medication. Each of the tracking devices  120 ,  130  is configured to receive a tracking request by the care provider  4 , access the medication database  45 , either directly or via the processor  40 , retrieve the delivery progress information stored in the database  45 , and indicate a delivery progress of the medication to the care provider  4  based on the delivery progress information. In the illustrated example, the tracking device  120  is an ADM having a processor (not shown), a display  121 , and a keyboard  123 ; and the tracking device  130  is a mobile communication device (e.g., a cell phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), or pager) having a processor (not shown), a display  131 , and a keyboard  133 . The delivery progress information can inform the care provider  4  of a last-known read location and time of the last reading. Based on such information, the care provider  4  can decide, e.g., whether to wait for the delivery at the delivery location  60 , go to the delivery location later at an expected delivery time, or go to the last-known location to retrieve the medication from the cart  90 . 
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  show a flowchart ( FIG. 2B  continued from  FIG. 2A ) illustrating an exemplary process  200  for monitoring delivery of a patient-specific medication according to certain aspects of the present disclosure. For ease of illustration, without any intent to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way, the process  200  will be described with reference to the system  100  of  FIG. 1 . A person skilled in the art shall appreciate that the process  200  can be implemented in a system that is different from the system  100  without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. As an initial matter, it is hereby assumed that all location ID devices (e.g., location barcode labels  52 ,  62 ,  92 ) are provided on respective locations/areas  50 ,  60 ,  90 . 
     The process  200  begins at start state  201  and proceeds to operation  210  in which pharmacy  1  (e.g., by the processor  40  and/or a pharmacist) receives and processes a medication order from the doctor  3 . The process  200  proceeds to decision state  220  in which it is determined (e.g., by the processor  40  and/or the pharmacist) whether there is a problem with the medication order. Non-limiting examples of such a problem can include: the pharmacy  1  currently being out of stock of the patient-specific medication or an ingredient (drug or fluid) needed for preparing the medication; and the medication or an aspect thereof (e.g., delivery dosage) not complying with an established rule for the medication and/or the patient. 
     If the answer to the determination at the decision state  220  is Yes (a problem encountered with the medication order), the process  200  proceeds to another decision state  225  where it is determined whether the problem has been resolved or reconciled. If the answer is No, the process  200  proceeds to operation  227  in which an order status information indicating the problem encountered with the medication order (e.g., “Out of Stock”) is generated, and the medication database  45  is updated accordingly, and the process  200  ends at end state  229 . 
     On the other hand, if the answer to the determination at the decision state  220  or at the decision state  225  is No (no problem with the medication order or the problem has been resolved), the process  200  proceeds to operation  230  in which the pharmacy  1  prepares the patient-specific medication. In the assumed example of the IV solution, the preparation can include taking a drug (e.g., bupivicanine) and a fluid (e.g., a saline solution) from the medication storage area  10  to the prep/fill area  20 , preparing an IV solution comprising the drug and the fluid, and filling a package (an IV bag) with the IV solution. After the preparing and filling, a patient/medication ID device (e.g., a barcode label  72 ) is provided on the package  70  at the prep/fill area  20 . 
     The process  200  proceeds to operation  235  in which the patient/medication information in the barcode label  72  is read by the barcode scanner  24  at the pharmacy prep/fill area  20  and sent to the processor  40 . The processor  40  generates delivery progress information from the patient/medication information received from the barcode scanner  24 , and updates (e.g., stores) the medication database  45  with the delivery progress information. If the care provider  4  were to make a medication track request after this point (but before the package  70  is delivered to the delivery pickup area  30  (operation  240 )), the tracking device  120 ,  130  would indicate the prep/fill area  20  as the last-known read location. 
     The process  200  proceeds to operation  240  in which the package  70  containing the patient-specific medication is moved to the deliver pickup area  30 . At the delivery pickup area  30 , the patient/medication information in the barcode label  72  is read by the barcode scanner  34  and sent to the processor  40 . The processor  40  generates new delivery progress information from the patient/medication received from the barcode scanner  34 , and updates (e.g., stores) the medication database  45  with the new delivery progress information. If the care provider  4  were to make a medication track request after this point (but before the package  70  is loaded onto the delivery cart  90  (operation  250 )), the tracking device  120 ,  130  would indicate the delivery pickup area  30  as the last-known read location for the package  70 . Additionally, an optional location barcode label may be provided in the delivery pickup area  30  that can be read by the barcode scanner  34  or an optional handheld barcode scanner located in the delivery pickup area  30  to furnish the location information of the package  70 . 
     In certain embodiments, before the package  70  containing the patient-specific medication is moved to the delivery pick-up area  30 , a pharmacist at a pharmacist location in the pharmacy  1  performs a check of the content of the package  70  to ensure that the package  70  contains the right medication. 
     The process  200  proceeds to operation  250  in which the package  70  containing the patient-specific medication is loaded onto the delivery cart  90  by, e.g., the delivery person  2 . The patient/medication information in the barcode label  72  of the package  70  and the location ID information in the barcode label  92  are read by the barcode scanner  84  carried by the delivery person  2  and sent to the processor  40 . The processor  40  generates new delivery progress information from the patient/medication received and the location ID information from the barcode scanner  84 , and updates (e.g., stores) the medication database  45  with the new delivery progress information. If the care provider  4  were to make a medication track request after this point, the tracking device  120 ,  130  would indicate the delivery cart  90  as the last-known read location. 
     The process  200  proceeds to operation  260  in which the delivery cart  90  carrying the package  70  arrives at the intermediate stop location  50 , e.g., for delivering another package containing another patient-specific medication for a different patient. In that case, other patient/medication information associated with the other patient-specific medication and the location information in the location barcode label  52  provided at the location  50  are read by the barcode scanner  84  and sent to the processor  40  to indicate the delivery of the other package at the intermediate stop location  50 . The processor  40  generates delivery progress information for the other patient-specific medication from the other patient/medication information and the location information received from the barcode scanner  84 , and updates (e.g., stores) the medication database  45  with the delivery progress information for the other patient-specific medication. In some embodiments, the system  1  can also track the location of the cart  90  containing the package  70  by using the delivery information for the other patient-specific medication even though the package  70  is not delivered to the intermediate stop location  50  . By tracking the intermediate stop location(s) of the cart  90 , the system  1  can provide more updated current location(s) of the patient-specific medication. For example, if the care provider  4  were to make a medication track request after this point (but before the cart  90  arrives at the delivery location  60  (operation  270 )), the tracking device  120 ,  130  would indicate the intermediate stop location  50  as the last-known location of the cart  90  carrying the package  70  (and hence the patient-specific medication). However, the cart  90  is a mobile location. The scheduled delivery location  60  is considered a “stationary” location. Tracking items on a delivery cart is more readily achievable than once the items have been delivered to a stationary location using conventional technology. This may be due to the relative control that a caregiver has over items being transported though a hospital or other health care facility. By comparison, once the item is removed from the mobile cart and provided at a stationary location, there has not been a tracking of that item at that stationary location. There is no record therefore, of the item location once removed from the mobile cart. The embodiments of the present disclosure address such concerns regarding stationary locations. 
     The process  200  proceeds to operation  270  in which the delivery cart  90  carrying the package  70  arrives at the scheduled delivery location  60 . At the delivery location  60 , the patient/medication information in the barcode label  72  and the location information in the location barcode label  62  are read by the barcode scanner  84  and sent to the processor  40 . The computer  40  generates new delivery progress information from the patient/medication and location information received from the barcode scanner  84 , and updates (e.g., stores) the medication database  45  with the new delivery progress information. If the care provider  4  were to make a medication track request after this point, the tracking device  120 ,  130  would indicate the delivery location  60  as the last-known read location. The process  200  ends at state  299 . 
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process  300  for monitoring delivery of a patient-specific medication from the perspective of a tracking device (e.g.,  120 ,  130 ) according to certain aspects of the present disclosure. As with the process  200  of  FIG. 2 , for the ease of illustration, the process  300  will be described with reference to the system  100  of  FIG. 1 . A person skilled in the art shall appreciate that the process  300  can be implemented in a system that is different from the system  100  without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. 
     The process  300  begins at start state  301  and proceeds to operation  310  in which a tracking request for the patient-specific medication is received by the tracking device  120 ,  130  from the care provider  4 . Assuming that the tracking device from which the tracking request is made is the ADM  120  shown in  FIG. 1 , the tracking request can be made by the care provider  4  entering request data, such as the patient&#39;s name and/or a medication order number, using the keyboard  123  of the ADM  120 . 
     The process  300  proceeds to operation  320  in which, after receiving the tracking request, the tracking device  120 ,  130  accesses the medication database  45  and retrieves the delivery progress information stored therein. In certain embodiments, the database  45  is accessed directly by the tracking device  120 ,  130 . In other embodiments, the database  45  is accessed via the processor  40 . In some embodiments, the tracking device  120 ,  130  retrieves the order status information in addition to the delivery progress information. For example, when the tracking device  120 ,  130  determines that the delivery progress information indicates that the patient-specific medication has not been prepared and filled (e.g., by lack of an ID reading at the prep/fill area  20 ), the tracking device  120 ,  130  can retrieve the order status information also stored in the database  45  to determine whether there is any problem with the medication order. 
     The process  300  proceeds to operation  330  in which the tracking device  120 ,  130 , upon retrieving the delivery progress information, determines, based the retrieved information, a delivery progress of the patient-specific medication. The delivery progress can include, but is not limited to, the last-known read location where the patient/medication ID device  72  and/or a location ID device  52 ,  62 ,  92  was read, time of the reading, and a delivery status (e.g., whether the patient-specific medication has been delivered to the scheduled delivery location  60 ). 
     The process  300  proceeds to operation  340  in which the delivery progress so determined is indicated to the care provider  4  who made the medication tracking request. In those embodiments in which the tracking device  120 ,  130  also retrieves the order status information from the medication database  45 , a problem, if any, that was encountered with the medication order can also be indicated. In certain embodiments, the delivery progress and/or the order status can be displayed on the display  121 ,  131  of the respective tracking device  120 ,  130 . In those embodiments in which delivery information associated with another package may be used for tracking the cart  90  as described above with respect to the operation  260 , the last-known cart location may also be indicated. Examples of such a display of the delivery progress information are provided in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . After completion of operation  340 , the process  300  proceed to an end state  309 . 
     For instance,  FIG. 4A  depicts an exemplary display  400 A that provides a delivery progress indication in response to a tracking request made at a first time (11:03 am). The display  400 A includes a header section  410 A that indicates the patient (“Jane Smith”), the medication (“bupivicanine IV solution”), the delivery location (“Medication Storage (#307)”), the delivery person (“Kevin Doe”), the tracking request time (11:03 am), and the delivery status (“In-transit”). The display  400 A also includes a read list  420 A that indicates read locations where readings of the patient/medication ID and/or the location ID were made by the reader device  84 ,  24 ,  34 , and times of the readings. The list  420 A indicates that the last-known read location is Operating Room  1  (#305), corresponding to the intermediate stop location  50  ( FIG. 1 ). 
       FIG. 4B  depicts an exemplary display  400 B that provides a delivery progress indication in response to a tracking request made at a second time (11:15 am). The display  400 B includes header  410 B and read list  420 B. The header list  410 B indicates that the latest tracking request was made at 11:15 am and that the delivery status is indicated as “Completed” reflecting the fact that the package  70  was delivered to the delivery location  60  at 11:10 am , as indicated in the read list  420 B. 
     In some embodiments, in lieu of or in addition to presenting the read locations in such a text format as in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the read locations can be indicated (e.g., juxtaposed) on a map of the healthcare facility.  FIG. 5  depicts an exemplary display  500  of a hospital map with read locations with corresponding read locations indicated thereon as of the first time (11:03 am). 
     In certain embodiments, the system  100  allows the care provider  4  to receive an electronic message when the package  70  is delivered to the delivery location  60 . For example, the processor  40  can be configured to send, upon determining the delivery, a phone-, e-mail-, and/or pager-message to the mobile communication device  130  carried by the care provider  4 . By way of example, a monitoring software running on the processor  40  can be programmed such that when the location ID information received from the reader device  84  indicates that the last-known read location corresponds to the scheduled delivery location  60 , the software causes the processor  40  to automatically send an electronic message to the mobile communication device  130  via the network  107 , an Internet, or a cellular network. In some embodiments, the processor  40  is configured to send an electronic notification when a medication order is not filled within a predetermined time (e.g.,2 hours) after the pharmacy  1  receives the order. Such automatic notification features further provide further operational efficiencies by eliminating the need for the care provider  4  to repeatedly check for the medication fill and/or delivery status. 
     In certain embodiments, various aspects of the present disclosure can be utilized to implement an inventory control system in an acute care facility that tracks a patient-specific medication through a supply chain (e.g., from a pharmacy to a delivery location). In such a system, information (e.g., medication/patient information and location IDs) can be collected from various locations in the acute care facility and stored in real time in a database with a web/agent front end. The web/agent can aggregate the information in context of a patient&#39;s needs. A caregiver (e.g., a nurse) in the acute care facility assigned to the patient can be automatically notified of an availability status of the patient-specific medication. For instance, the caregiver can receive a notification when the medication has become unavailable or about to be stocked out in the pharmacy or in a medication dispensing device (e.g., ADM). The caregiver can also be notified of a status of orders pertaining to the caregiver&#39;s patients such as when the orders are in queue, what the length of the queue is, and/or if the orders are cleared. The automatic notification can be received through cell phone text messaging, e-mail messages, or Windows live alerts, for example. Alternatively or additionally, a medication storage device (e.g., ADM) that is configured to store the patient-specific medication can receive and display an automatic notification such as what orders are ready in the queue or what items will be stocked and how soon. Through such automatic notification features, the caregiver can receive timely notification of medication availability in the context of the patient&#39;s need. An inventory control system with such features avoids the need for the caregiver to call a pharmacy to check the status of the medication and delays and inefficiencies associated with such checking. 
     It shall be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure described above are exemplary only and many changes including additions, deletions, and modifications may be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, all or some of the read locations  50 ,  60  and the cart  90  may be provided with respective barcode scanners that are attached to a fixed device (e.g., a computer or a storage cabinet) at the locations. In such embodiments, there is no need to provide for and scan the location barcodes  52 ,  62 ,  92  since the respective fixed barcode scanner would “know” where it is located. The patient/medication ID device  72  and/or the location ID devices  52 ,  62 ,  92  may be RFID tags instead of the barcode labels, and the reader device  24 ,  34 ,  84  may be an RFID reader. The medication database  45  comprising the delivery progress information may reside inside the processor  40  (e.g., pharmacy server). The delivery progress information may be stored in a database that is located outside the pharmacy  1 . The package  70  may be hand-carried by the delivery person  4  to the delivery location  60  instead of being carried on the delivery cart  90 . The delivery location  60  may be another ADM. The patient-specific medication may already be stored in a pre-labeled container in the pharmacy medication storage area  10  and may not need to be separately prepared and filled at the prep/fill area  20 . There may be multiple intermediate stop locations or no intermediate stop location between the pharmacy  1  and the delivery location  60 . 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic block diagram depicting a computing system  600  that may be employed as the processor  40  of  FIG. 1 . The computing system  600  may be a standard computer server connected to the hospital communication network  107  and located in the pharmacy  1  as shown in  FIG. 1  or in a hospital data center or computer room outside the pharmacy  1 , although other locations may be employed. 
     The computing system  600  includes a processor  660 , memory  670 , display  680 , and network interface  690  having a wireless interface  692  and a wired interface  694 . The processor  660  may include a general-purpose processor or a specific-purpose processor for executing instructions and may further include a memory  662 , such as a volatile or non-volatile memory, for storing data and/or instructions for software programs. The instructions, which may be stored in memories  662  or  670 , may be executed by the processor  660  to control and manage the wireless and wired network interfaces  692 ,  694  as well as provide other communication and processing functions. 
     The processor  660  may be a general-purpose microprocessor, a microcontroller, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Programmable Logic Device (PLD), a controller, a state machine, gated logic, discrete hardware components, or any other suitable device or a combination of devices that can perform calculations or other manipulations of information. 
     Information such as patient/medication information, medication orders, and possible read locations within the healthcare facility may be stored in memory  662  internal to processor  660 , memory  670  external to processor  660 , a database external to the computer  600  (e.g., database  45 ), or any other suitable storage device. The memory  670  or the database  45  may include a Random Access Memory (RAM), flash memory, Read Only Memory (ROM), Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM), Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a Solid State Memory (SSD). 
     Memory  662  or  670  can also include the medication database  45  for storing the medication progress information described above with respect to  FIGS. 1, 2A -B, and  3 . The memory  670  external to the processor  660  or alternatively, the memory  662  internal to the processor  660  may include such an medication database. 
     Certain aspects of delivery monitoring systems and methods described herein can be performed by the processor  660  executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in an internal machine-readable medium such as the internal memory  662  or the memory  670 . For example, the processor  660  can receive the patient/medication information and the location information from the reader device  24 ,  34 ,  84  via the network interface  690 , generate the delivery progress information based on the received information, and store and retrieve the delivery progress information to and from the medication database  45 . 
     The processor  660  may also send messages to the mobile communication device  130 , such as cell phones, PDAs, and pagers, over a mobile device link  105  via the wireless network interface  692  to send an automatic electronic notification when the delivery is completed. The mobile device link  105  may include the hospital network  107  and internal or external wireless communication systems that are capable of sending messages that can be received by mobile device  130 . 
     Such instructions and/or information may be read into the memory  662 ,  670  from another machine-readable medium, such as a CD, flash memory, or a wireless transmission. Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the memory  662  causes the processor  660  perform the process steps described herein. One or more processors in a multi-processing arrangement may also be employed to execute the sequences of instructions contained in memory  662 . In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement various embodiments. Thus, embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software. 
     The term “machine-readable medium” as used herein refers to any medium that participates in providing instructions to processor  660  for execution or storing results of or parameters (e.g., variables or constants) for computations such as for the determination of the last-known read locations and whether to send an automatic electronic notification. Such a medium may take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as data storage device. Volatile media include dynamic memory, such as the memory  670 . Transmission media include coaxial cables, copper wire, and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise bus  664 . Common forms of machine-readable media include, for example, floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave, or any other medium from which a computer can read. 
     Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a number of advantages over conventional medication dispensing and tracking systems including expanding trackable locations of medications in a healthcare facility. The trackable locations can include the final delivery location of a patient-specific medication and intermediate stop mobile location(s) of delivery means (e.g., cart, tray, person) for carrying the medication. The delivery tracking can be effectuated even if the patient-specific medication is a non-ADM-dispensed medication such as an IV solution. 
     The foregoing description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various embodiments described herein. While the foregoing embodiments have been particularly described with reference to the various figures and embodiments, it should be understood that these are for illustration purposes only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the claims. 
     The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example or illustration.” Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. 
     A reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically stated, but rather “one or more.” The term “some” refers to one or more. Underlined and/or italicized headings and subheadings are used for convenience only, do not limit the invention, and are not referred to in connection with the interpretation of the description of the invention. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various embodiments of the invention described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and intended to be encompassed by the invention. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the above description.