Patent ID: 8036911

Claim:
A system for notifying users of the occurrence of medication supply events, the system comprising: a medication dispenser configured to securely store a plurality of medications and to allow access to the medications upon entry of an authorized access code, the medication dispenser further configured to generate a medication supply event signal indicative of the occurrence at the dispenser of one of a set of medication supply events relating to a medication prescribed to a patient, wherein the set of medication supply events includes at least one of: issuance of a new medical order; modification of a medical order; and discontinuation of a medical order; wherein a medical order is an order issued by a caregiver; a memory configured to store user-selected event types; a messaging processor adapted to: receive medication supply event signals from the medication dispenser; compare the received medication supply event signals to any user-selected event types in the memory; and send a message to a user of the medication dispenser via a communication link that the medical supply event has occurred based upon a determination that the comparison indicates that the medication supply event signals received by the messaging processor correspond to a user-selected event type in the memory; and a messaging device carried by the user that is adapted to receive the message from the messaging processor and to communicate the received message to the user; wherein the system is configured such that authorized access codes are provided to caregivers who administer the medication to the patient but not to the patient receiving the medication.