Medication adherence system for recording contents of medication packages vended from a plurality of vending machines in an electronic record that stores records for a plurality of patients associated with respective vending machines

摘要

A medication adherence system is provided for recording contents of medication packages vended from a plurality of vending machines in electronic records, such as an electronic medication administration record (eMAR), that store records for a plurality of patients who are associated with respective vending machines. A vending event causes the electronic record to be populated.

主权项

1. A medication adherence system that records in electronic records contents of vended medication packages which contain medications that were previously dispensed, the electronic records storing records for a plurality of patients, the system comprising:
(a) a plurality of vending medication devices, each vending medication device being associated with only one patient, each vending medication device configured to generate an electronic message whenever a vending event occurs at the vending medication device, the electronic message including at least a unique identifier of the patient, each vending medication device further configured to prompt the patient to initiate a vending event without receiving any instructions to do so from any external source at the time of the vending event; and (b) a medication administration computer remotely located from the plurality of vending medication devices that maintains an electronic record for a plurality of patients, each electronic record having an associated patient identifier, the medication administration computer configured to:
(i) receive from the vending medication devices the electronic messages generated at the vending medication devices whenever a vending event occurs at one of the vending medication devices,(ii) detect for each received electronic message whether an electronic record exists in the medication administration computer for a patient identifier that matches the unique identifier of the patient in the electronic message, and(iii) record in a vended medications indicator field of the electronic record that the dispensed medications were vended if it is detected that an electronic record exists in the medication administration computer for a patient identifier that matches the unique identifier of the patient, and wherein all of the medication packages vended from a particular vending machine are for the same patient.