Medication management system

Abstract

A system and method for confirming that a medication administration device has been programmed with the correct medication administration parameters. A medical database carrier is used compare medication delivery parameters entered into a medication administration device to institutionally established guidelines or more widely accepted protocols to ensure that the medication is delivered in accordance to those guidelines. The medical database carrier may also be configured to communicate information regarding medication delivery and other patient information between a control system in communication with the care-giving facility's other information systems and a patient specific asset such as an infusion pump. The medical database carrier may be a smartcard, a PDA such as a Palm™ Pilot, laptop computer, pager, mobile phone, or other device capable of storing, processing and communicating information. The system may use either wired or wireless connections to communicate information between the components of the system.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A system for reducing the possibility of medication errors, the system comprising:
 a medical database carrier having:   a memory for storing medical data base information;   a processor capable of being programmed to manipulate information communicated to the medical database carrier or stored in the memory; and   communication means for receiving information from a source external to the medical database carrier and also for transmitting information from the medical database carrier to an external receiver; and   a patent specific asset having:   communication means for communicating medication administration information from the patient specific asset to the medical database carrier;   wherein the processor of the medical database carrier is configured to manipulate medication administration information received from the patient specific asset to compare such information to the medical data base information stored in the memory of the medical database carrier and to provide an indication of the result of the comparison.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the medical data base carrier comprises a portable data processing device. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the medication data base carrier comprises a portable computer having a display and a data entry device. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11  wherein:
 the communication means of the patient specific asset is further for receiving data from the medication database carrier; and 
 wherein the patient specific asset is configured such that it cannot deliver medication to a patient unless it has received a comparison signal from the medical database carrier. 
 
     
     
         15 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A method for reducing the possibility of medication errors, the method comprising:
 storing a drug library having delivery data in a medical database carrier;   receiving delivery data of a patient specific asset;   comparing the received delivery data to the delivery data in the drug library; and   providing an indication of the result of the comparison.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the step of storing comprises storing the drug library in a medical database carrier that is portable. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising the step of inhibiting the patient specific asset from delivering medication to a patient if the indication of the comparison is negative. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  further comprising the step of permitting an operator of the patient specific asset to override the step of inhibiting the patient specific asset.