Patent ID: 7840307

Claim:
An automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine, the machine comprising a plurality of dispensers for dispensing prescription pharmaceuticals contained therein, each of the dispensers configured to automatically fill pharmaceutical prescriptions and comprising: a bin including an access opening; a door adjacent to the opening and movable between open and closed positions to allow access for filling the bin through the opening; one of the bin and the door including a first identifier corresponding to the identity of units of a single prescription pharmaceutical contained in the bin; a locking assembly configured and positioned to engage the door in the closed position and prevent the door from moving to the open position; an identifier reading device operably associated with the locking assembly to scan the first identifier and a second identifier on a bulk container, the second identifier corresponding to the identity of the contents of the bulk container; and a controller having a data storage unit and configured to receive and compare signals from the identifier reading device corresponding to the first and second identifiers; wherein the controller is operably associated with the locking assembly such that the locking assembly disengages from the door responsive to a positive comparison by the controller, thereby enabling the door to be moved to the open position.