Automated utilization driven inventory management

Abstract

A dispensing device associated with a care area of the healthcare facility, and usage of a type of a medical item not ordered for the care area or stored in the dispensing device, are monitored. During a period of time, a plurality of new orders of the medical item type for patients associated with the care area are identified and a system automatically determines, based on patient diagnoses for the care area and a number of the new orders during the first period of time, a number of new item units of the medical item type to be added to the dispensing device, and causes the determined number of new items to be added to the dispensing device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A medication dispensing system, comprising:
 a dispensing device associated with a respective care area of a healthcare facility, the dispensing device comprising a plurality of storage compartments; and   one or more processors configured to:
 monitor usage of a medical item type within care areas of the healthcare facility, wherein medical items of the medical item type are not currently ordered for the respective care area and not stored in the dispensing device; 
 identify, based on the monitoring during a first period of time, a plurality of new orders of the medical item type for patients associated with the respective care area; 
 automatically determine, based on patient diagnoses for the respective care area and a number of the new orders during the first period of time, a number of new item units of the medical item type to add to the dispensing device; and 
 cause the determined number of new item units to be added to the dispensing device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The medication dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of storage compartments include a first compartment and a second compartment, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 automatically determine a first maximum number of stock of the medical item type that can be stored in the first compartment based on a volumetric space of a respective item unit of the medical item type when loaded into the first compartment; and   automatically determine a second maximum number of stock of the medical item type that can be stored in the second compartment of the dispensing device based on the determined first maximum number, the volumetric space of the respective item unit when loaded into the first compartment, and a change of volume between the first and second compartments;   wherein causing the determined number of new item units to be added comprises assigning the second compartment for storage of one or more of the new item units based on the determined second maximum number.   
     
     
         3 . The medication dispensing system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 send a notification of the assignment to a device remote from the dispensing device.   
     
     
         4 . The medication dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 determine a minimum number of stock of items of the medical item type to store in the dispensing device based on a daily usage of respective items of the medical item type within the healthcare facility and a minimum time period for which to stock the respective items of the medical item type,   wherein the number of new item units of the medical item type is further based on the determined minimum number of stock of the respective items of the medical item type.   
     
     
         5 . The medication dispensing system of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 cause the dispensing device to deploy a compartment for storing at least the minimum number of stock.   
     
     
         6 . The medication dispensing system of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 monitor usage of items of the medical item type within the healthcare facility;   determine the minimum time period for which to stock items of the medical item type within the dispensing device based on the monitored usage, wherein the minimum number of stock indicates a minimum amount of the medical item type to last the minimum time period.   
     
     
         7 . The medication dispensing system of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 determine a length of stay in the care area for at least one patient associated with the medical item type;   determine a number of patients admitted to the care area during a second period of time; and   update the minimum number of stock of the medical item type based on the determined length of stay, the determined number of patients admitted to the care area during the second period of time, and the minimum time period.   
     
     
         8 . The medication dispensing system of  claim 7 , wherein the length of stay includes an individual average daily item usage for the medical item type, and wherein the one or more processors is further configured to:
 determine a care area average daily item usage for the medical item type based on the individual average daily item usage for the medical item type and an average number of patients associated with the respective items that are admitted during the second period of time; and   update the minimum number of stock of the medical item type based on the care area average daily item usage for the medical item type and the minimum time period for which to stock the medical item type;   wherein the minimum number of stock of the medical item type is determined based on the care area average daily item usage for the medical item type and a maximum time period for which to stock the medical item type.   
     
     
         9 . The medication dispensing system of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 receive a user-defined minimum number of stock of the medical item type to store in a compartment of the dispensing device;   change the user-defined minimum number of stock of the medical item type to the determined minimum number of stock of the medical item type when the determined minimum number of stock of the medical item type is greater than a threshold value.   
     
     
         10 . The medication dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 set a par level for the medical item type at the dispensing device to the number of new item units;   monitor inventory level of the medical item at the dispensing device;   adjust the dispensing device based on a comparison between the inventory level and the par level; and   cause the dispensing device to electronically trigger a reorder of the medical item type when a current number of item units of the medical item type within the dispensing device falls below a minimum number of stock.   
     
     
         11 . A method, comprising:
 operating a dispensing device associated with a care area of a healthcare facility, the dispensing device comprising a plurality of storage compartments;   monitoring, by a system associated with the dispensing device, usage of a medical item type within the healthcare facility, wherein medical items of the medical item type are not currently ordered for the care area and not stored in the dispensing device;   identifying, by the system, based on the monitoring during a first period of time, a plurality of new orders of the medical item type for patients associated with the care area;   automatically determining, by the system, based on patient diagnoses for the care area and a number of the new orders during the first period of time, a number of new item units of the medical item type to be added to the dispensing device; and   causing, by the system, the determined number of new item units to be added to the dispensing device.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of storage compartments include a first compartment and a second compartment, further comprising the system:
 automatically determining a first maximum number of stock of the medical item type that can be stored in the first compartment based on a volumetric space of a respective item unit of the medical item type when loaded into the first compartment; and   automatically determining a second maximum number of stock of the medical item type that can be stored in the second compartment of the dispensing device based on the determined first maximum number, the volumetric space of the respective item unit when loaded into the first compartment, and a change of volume between the first and second compartments;   wherein causing the determined number of new item units to be added comprises assigning the second compartment for storage of one or more of the new item units based on the determined second maximum number.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the system:
 sending a notification of the assignment to a device remote from the dispensing device.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the system:
 determining a minimum number of stock to store in the dispensing device based on a daily usage of the respective items within the healthcare facility and a minimum time period for which to stock the respective items,   wherein the number of new item units of the medical item type is further based on the determined minimum number of stock.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the system:
 causing the dispensing device to deploy a compartment for storing at least the minimum number of stock of the medical item type.   
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory machine-readable storage device comprising instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:
 monitoring a dispensing device associated with a care area of a healthcare facility, the dispensing device comprising a plurality of storage compartments;   monitoring usage of a medical item type within the healthcare facility, wherein medical items of the medical item type are not currently ordered for the care area and not stored in the dispensing device;   identifying, based on the monitoring during a first period of time, a plurality of new orders of the medical item type for patients associated with the care area;   automatically determining, based on patient diagnoses for the care area and a number of the new orders during the first period of time, a number of new item units of the medical item type to be added to the dispensing device;   causing the determined number of new items to be added to the dispensing device.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of storage compartments include a first compartment and a second compartment, the method further comprising:
 automatically determining a first maximum number of stock of the medical item type that can be stored in the first compartment based on a volumetric space of a respective item unit of the medical item type when loaded into the first compartment; and   automatically determining a second maximum number of stock of the medical item type that can be stored in the second compartment of the dispensing device based on the determined first maximum number, the volumetric space of the respective item unit when loaded into the first compartment, and a change of volume between the first and second compartments;   wherein causing the determined number of new item units to be added comprises assigning the second compartment for storage of one or more of the new item units based on the determined second maximum number.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of  claim 17 , the method further comprising:
 sending a notification of the assignment to a device remote from the dispensing device.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of  claim 16 , the method further comprising:
 determining a minimum number of stock to store in the dispensing device based on a daily usage of the respective items within the healthcare facility and a minimum time period for which to stock the respective items,   wherein the number of new item units of the medical item type is further based on the determined minimum number of stock.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of  claim 19 , the method further comprising:
 causing the dispensing device to deploy a compartment for storing at least the minimum number of stock of the medical item type.