Patent ID: 8655676

Claim:
A method for administering a medication to a patient with a medical device comprising a pump, the method comprising the steps of: receiving at a first computer, in communication with the medical device comprising a pump through a second computer, drug container specific identification information from an identification receiver, wherein the drug container specific identification information is located on a container containing the medication; receiving at the first computer medical device specific identification information from the identification receiver, wherein the medical device specific identification information is located on the pump; retrieving medical device specific delivery information for programming the pump to deliver medication to the patient based on the drug container specific identification information; electronically transmitting to the second computer from the first computer the medical device specific identification information and the medical device specific delivery information; electronically transmitting the medical device specific delivery information from the second computer to the medical device, and storing the medical device specific delivery information in a medical device memory for programming the pump to deliver the medication to the patient; after the aforesaid transmitting steps, receiving at the first computer patient specific identification information from an identification device located on the patient and input via the identification receiver; and then, comparing the patient specific identification information input via the identification receiver to stored medication order information within a first memory associated with the first computer; transmitting a first medication delivery initiation signal from the first computer to the second computer if the patient specific identification information input via the identification receiver matches the stored medication order information within the first memory associated with the first computer; and, at least in part in response to receiving the first medication delivery initiation signal at the second computer, the second computer transmitting a second medication delivery initiation signal to the medical device to initiate the delivery of the medication to the patient via the pump using the medical device specific delivery information previously received by the medical device.