Patent ID: 8521327

Claim:
A system for randomly storing and delivering prescription medications filled and individualized for particular consumers before being stored comprising: a plurality of storage containers, each storage container comprising a receptacle, and configured to store a prescription medication that has been filled and individualized for a particular consumer; a plurality of sensible identifiers configured to communicate unique product and consumer information, each sensible identifier being associatable with a storage container; a housing for securely containing a plurality of storage locations configured to store one or more storage containers, the housing defining an X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis being substantially perpendicular to each other; a plurality of batch-loadable bins, each bin configured to define a subset of storage locations, to be removable to allow for remote loading of storage containers, and to be randomly locatable within the housing; a plurality of platforms located within the housing, each platform configured to support a subset of the plurality of bins, the supported subset of bins being locatable along the platform so as to configure an array of storage locations that is coplanar with the platform ( FIG. 17 ) along a plane formed by the X-axis and the Z-axis; an information sensing device located within the housing for sensing the sensible identifiers after a storage container has been stored at a storage location; a shuttle assembly configured to move along a Y-axis, along an X-axis and a Z-axis, and further configured to move between platforms to access and retrieve a storage container containing an individualized prescription medication randomly stored at any storage location within the housing and move the storage container to a different location within the housing; a touchscreen coupled to the housing for allowing a consumer to request delivery of an individualized prescription medication; a computer for communicating with the touchscreen, the shuttle assembly, and the information sensing device, the computer being configured to receive consumer information from the information sensing device to associate a storage location with a particular consumer, and to direct the shuttle assembly to move a storage container from a storage location previously associated with the consumer to a dispense bin upon receiving the consumer's request.