Centralized sterile drug products distribution and automated management of sterile compounding stations

Abstract

Central management of dose order preparation retrieves an unprocessed dose order record, selects a workstation from a set of workstations, forwards the order for conversion into a drug dosage form, and repeats the process for additional unprocessed dose order records. Depending on the operation type of the selected workstation (manual, automatic), protocol information concerning preparation of the dose order is selectively provided to the selected workstation. Interrogatable elements enable tracking of dose orders and dosage forms throughout preparation, storage and distribution cycles. Further methods enable rapid fulfillment by utilizing inventory ahead of drug order processing if suitable dosage forms exist in inventory records.

1 . A method for centrally managing dose order preparation, comprising the steps of:
 retrieving at a monitoring computer a dose order record having an unprocessed status;   selecting a workstation from among a set of workstations, at least one being an automated workstation, to handle the unprocessed dose order;   forwarding the unprocessed dose order to the automated workstation for conversion into a drug dosage form; and   repeating the steps of retrieving, selecting, and forwarding.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 determining an operation type of the selected workstation; and   selectively providing a protocol concerning preparation of the unprocessed dose order to the selected workstation based on the operation type of the selected workstation.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the selected workstation has a manual operation type and wherein the protocol is provided in response to the operation type being the manual operation type. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the steps of:
 prompting an operator of the selected workstation to provide information input regarding the protocol;   receiving the information input;   analyzing the information input to verify preparation in conformance with the protocol.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the selected workstation has an automated operation type and wherein the test resulting in selectively providing the protocol fails in view of the operation type being the automated operation type. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , including the additional steps of:
 receiving at the monitoring computer from the selected workstation a processed-order status indication; and   updating the dose order record to the processed-order status.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , including the additional step of responding from the monitoring computer to any status inquiry concerning the dose order with the processed order status. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the updating step includes updating a location of the drug dosage form to be that of the selected workstation. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , including the additional step of responding from the monitoring computer to any status inquiry concerning the dose order with the processed order status and the location. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , including the additional steps of:
 supporting a first interrogatable tag on the drug dosage form; and   linking the first interrogatable tag to the dose order record.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , including the additional step of associating a current location of the drug dosage form with a location. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the location has a second interrogatable tag and wherein the associating step comprises interrogating the first and second interrogatable tags and storing information associated with each response in the dose order record. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the retrieving step retrieves the unprocessed dose order record from either a memory or a file or a database. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selecting step updates the dose order record to associate the dose order with the selected workstation. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the retrieving step receives a plurality of dose order records, and wherein the method includes the additional step of arranging the plural dose order records in accordance with a rule. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the arranging step comprises grouping the plural dose order records by either type or medication, wherein the dose order records in the group are all forwarded to the selected workstation. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , including the additional step of identifying an urgency associated with one of the plural dose order records, wherein the identified dose order is forwarded to the selected workstation for conversion into a drug dosage form with a higher priority for handling than any unprocessed dose order that has been forwarded to the selected workstation. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the steps of:
 generating a supply-list identifying a plurality of supplies required to fulfill the plurality of orders;   comparing the supply-list with an inventory of supplies; and   ordering one or more of the plurality of supplies not in the supply-list.   
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A method for centrally managing logistics of a dose order fulfillment, comprising the steps of:
 receiving the dose order at a first station, the dose order having a first priority for completion;   comparing the dose order against an inventory record of prepared drug doses for a match;   in the event of the match:
 directing a person to a location associated with the matched, prepared drug dose; 
 registering the retrieval of the prepared drug dose from the location for delivery to another location; 
 updating the inventory record; and 
 instructing the preparation of the dose order at a second station for completion at a priority which is not greater than the first priority. 
   
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A method for centrally managing dose order preparation, comprising the steps of:
 receiving at a monitoring computer a medication order containing one or more dose order records;   assigning an unprocessed status to each dose order record among the received dose order records;   retrieving a dose order record having an unprocessed status;   selecting a workstation from among a set of workstations to handle the unprocessed dose order;   forwarding the unprocessed dose order to the selected workstation for conversion into a drug dosage form; and   providing to the workstation a standard order process protocol suitable for confirming any dose preparation steps.   
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . (canceled)