Patent ID: 8060248

Claim:
An automated prescription filling and pill dispensing cabinet system, comprising: a) at least one automated pharmaceutical dispenser comprising a plurality of individual, independently operable pill-counting mechanisms each having its own storage of medications disposed in groups upon a plurality of movable shelves, each of said pill-counting mechanisms containing a supply of a predetermined pill and each having an output buffer adapted to receive and temporarily retain counted pills therefrom, said output buffer comprising an output area adapted to removably receive a vial presented thereat by an effector of a robotic mechanism and to discharge said temporarily retained pills into said vial; b) a robotic mechanism located proximate said at least one automated pharmaceutical pill dispensing cabinet and having an effector adapted to grasp a vial; c) a plurality of microprocessors for respectively controlling said plurality of individual, independent pill-counting mechanisms and said robotic mechanism connected thereto, comprising means for at least one of: i) calculating a size of a vial necessary to contain said temporarily retained pills; ii) varying a velocity of said robotic mechanism based upon at least the fullness of a vial; iii) preventing access to any of said group of pill-counting mechanisms disposed upon one of said movable shelves when said one movable shelf is withdrawn; iv) collecting said temporarily retained pills from said output buffer when an order therefore is cancelled after said pills have been counted from said supply into said output buffer; v) suspending an order when said counting of said pills from said supply into said output buffer is interrupted because said supply of pills is exhausted prior to completion of counting; and d) an automated prescription filling system wherein at least one of said plurality of individual, independently operable pill-counting mechanisms comprises a microprocessor.