Patent ID: 7698019

Claim:
A system of enhanced pharmaceutical operation services for a plurality of long-term care facilities, the system comprising: a first data processing and management computer including a first memory to store data therein to manage and control a plurality of pharmaceutical storage and electronic dispensing carts, each positioned remote therefrom and to thereby define a long-term care facility pharmacy group management server; long-term care facility pharmacy management software stored in the first memory of the long-term care facility pharmacy group management server to manage pharmaceutical operations in a plurality of long-term care facilities, to process distribution of pharmaceuticals stored in the dispensing carts during preselected dispensing time periods, and to perform a pharmaceutical utilization review for individual patients at a long-term care facility responsive to added prescriptions so that each respective dispensing cart includes new approved prescriptions prior to the next preselected time periods; a communications network in communication with the long-term care facility pharmacy group management server; a plurality of pharmaceutical storage and electronic dispensing carts each positioned in a separate long-term care facility remote from the long-term care facility pharmacy group management server, in communication with the long-term care facility pharmacy group management server through the communication network, to store a plurality of pharmaceuticals therein, and to individually retrieve at least one pharmaceutical of the plurality of pharmaceuticals stored in the pharmaceutical storage and dispensing cart, load the at least one pharmaceutical of the plurality of pharmaceuticals into one of a plurality of disposable individual patient dosing packages, package the at least one pharmaceutical, and dispense the loaded and packaged one of the plurality of individual patient dosing packages into a separate and removable container associated with the cart for use by authorized health care personnel located at the long-term care facility; a second pharmacy group computer positioned remote from the long-term care facility pharmacy group management server and remote from the long-term care facility, in communication with the long-term care facility pharmacy group management server and the plurality of pharmaceutical storage and electronic dispensing carts through the communication network, and including a second memory to store data therein to define a remote pharmacy group server; and a plurality of pharmaceutical prescription document processors each positioned in a separate long-term care facility remote from and in communication with the remote pharmacy server to process a pharmaceutical prescription order from the long-term care facility to be delivered to the long-term care facility.