System and method for dispensing based on proximity of electronic medication storage cabinet

Abstract

The invention discloses a system and method for dispensing based on proximity to an electronic medication storage cabinet. In one embodiment, a method includes, when a user of a device is authorized, providing a user interface on a computing device, the user interface including respective representations of a first medication management function and a second medication management function associated with storage of one or more medications, and, in response to determining that the computing device is within a first predetermined area, providing a user interface on the computing device, the user interface including respective representations of the first medication management function and the second medication management function. Enabling the computing device to perform one or more first medication management functions associated with the first predetermined area, responsive to a selection of a displayed representation of the one or more first medication management functions, causing a respective electronic medication storage cabinet associated with the selected display representation to perform an operation regarding physical storage of medication associated with a patient of the one or more patients, and preventing the computing device from performing one or more second medication management functions that are not associated with the first predetermined area.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the application with application number 202080076934.7, application date September 2, 2020, and invention name “System and method for dispensing medicine based on proximity to electronic medicine storage cabinets”.

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 62 / 895,442, filed September 3, 2019, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DISPENSING MEDICATIONS BASED ON PROXIMITY TO AN ELECTRONIC MEDICATION STORAGE CABINET,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0004] The present application generally relates to dispensing medications from devices, such as electronic medication storage cabinets used in healthcare facilities. Background Art

[0005] Electronic medication storage cabinets allow healthcare facilities to store medications and only allow authorized clinicians (such as nurses and doctors) to access the stored medications. However, such electronic medication storage cabinets may be inadvertently opened by authorized clinicians, thereby increasing the risk of theft and / or the wrong medication being administered to another patient by another clinician. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for a method and system that can activate and / or enable one or more medication management functions on a computing device associated with an authorized clinician based on the location of the computing device. These methods and systems improve medical devices configured to store medications, such as electronic medication storage cabinets, by increasing the security of medication storage and reducing the risk of diversion, theft, and / or administration of incorrect medications to patients.

[0007] According to some embodiments, a method includes: receiving a current location of a computing device; based on the current location of the computing device, determining whether the computing device is within a first predetermined area associated with a predetermined medication management function, the predetermined medication management function, when activated, operating one or more electronic medication storage cabinets; confirming that a user of the computing device is authorized to receive information about one or more medications associated with one or more patients; based on confirming that the user is authorized, providing a graphical user interface for display at the computing device, the graphical user interface including corresponding representations of the one or more first medication management functions and one or more second medication management functions associated with storage of the one or more medications; in response to determining that the computing device is within the first predetermined area: enabling the computing device to perform the one or more first medication management functions associated with the first predetermined area, in response to selecting a displayed representation of the one or more first medication management functions, causing the corresponding electronic medication storage cabinet associated with the selected displayed representation to perform operations related to physical storage of medications associated with a patient in the one or more patients; and preventing the computing device from performing one or more second medication management functions not associated with the first predetermined area, wherein the corresponding electronic medication storage cabinet is remote from the computing device. Other aspects include corresponding systems, apparatuses, and computer program products for implementing the method.

[0008] According to some embodiments, a system includes a memory storing instructions and one or more processors coupled to the memory, the one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to cause the system to receive location information of a computing device. The one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to cause the system to receive a current location of the computing device; based on the current location of the computing device, determine whether the computing device is within a first predetermined area associated with a predetermined medication management function that, when activated, operates one or more electronic medication storage cabinets; confirm that a user of the computing device is authorized to receive information about one or more medications associated with one or more patients; based on confirming that the user is authorized, provide a graphical user interface for display at the computing device, the graphical user interface including corresponding representations of the one or more first medication management functions and one or more second medication management functions associated with storage of the one or more medications; and when the computing device is within the first predetermined area: enable the computing device to perform the one or more first medication management functions associated with the first predetermined area, in response to selecting a displayed representation of the one or more first medication management functions, cause the corresponding electronic medication storage cabinet associated with the selected displayed representation to perform operations related to physical storage of medications associated with a patient in the one or more patients; and prevent the computing device from performing one or more second medication management functions not associated with the first predetermined area, wherein the corresponding electronic medication storage cabinet is remote from the computing device. Other aspects include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer program products for implementing the system.

[0009] According to some embodiments, an electronic medication storage cabinet includes one or more processors and a memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors. The one or more programs include instructions for performing the operations of any of the methods described herein. According to some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed by a server system, cause the server system to perform the operations of any of the methods described herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] For a better understanding of the various embodiments described, reference should be made to the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the following drawings. Like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the drawings and specification.

[0011] Figure 1A is a block diagram of a network architecture for managing medications from an electronic medication storage unit in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

[0012] Figure 1B-1I is a user interface displayed on a clinician's computing device according to an illustrative embodiment.

[0013] Figure 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary server system from the architecture of FIG. 1 in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

[0014] Figure 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary electronic medication storage device from the architecture of FIG. 1 in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

[0015] Figure 4 is a flowchart of an example process for enabling and / or disabling medication management functionality based on the location of a computing device in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

[0016] Figure 5 is a flow chart of an example process for identifying an electronic medication storage cabinet based on a request for queued medication in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

[0017] Figure 6 is a flowchart of an example process for enabling dispensing of medications from an electronic medication storage cabinet in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

[0018] 7A to 7C An example communication flow between various components of a network architecture is shown in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, not all of the components shown in each figure may be required, and one or more embodiments may include additional components not shown in the figures. The arrangement and type of components may be changed without departing from the scope of the disclosed subject matter. Additional components, different components, or fewer components may be used within the scope of the disclosed subject matter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The detailed description described below is intended to be a description of the various configurations of the disclosed subject matter, rather than being intended to represent the unique configuration that can be practiced and disclosed in the subject matter. The accompanying drawings are incorporated into this paper and form a part of the detailed description. The detailed description includes the specific details that are intended to provide a thorough understanding of the purpose of this subject disclosure. However, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that this subject disclosure can be implemented without these specific details. In some cases, structures and components are shown in block diagram form to avoid confusing the concept disclosed in this subject matter. For ease of understanding, similar components are all marked with the same element number.

[0021] It should also be understood that although the terms "first" and "second" are used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first drawer can be referred to as a second drawer, and similarly, a second drawer can be referred to as a first drawer without departing from the scope of the various embodiments described. The first drawer and the second drawer are both drawers, but they are not the same drawer.

[0022] The terms used in the description of the various embodiments described herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting. As used in the various described embodiments and in the description of the appended claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms. It should also be understood that the terms "and / or" as used herein are intended to encompass any and all possible combinations of one or more of the relevant listed terms. It should also be understood that although the terms "first" and "second" are used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. It will be further understood that when the terms "including," "including," "comprising," and / or "including" are used in the specification, the presence of the described features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components is specified, but the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof is not excluded. Clinicians can include licensed individuals responsible for medication management in a healthcare facility. As used herein, examples of healthcare facilities include hospitals, long-term care facilities, nursing homes, outpatient treatment centers, storefront retail treatment centers, pharmacies, community clinics, non-acute care facilities, acute care facilities, etc.

[0023] According to various aspects, the subject technology provides a method for granting and / or denying permissions to a user operating a computing device (e.g., a mobile device) to perform various medication management functions associated with medical devices located remote from the user based on the location of the computing device. For example, a medical device, such as a medication storage system, can be configured to identify whether the computing device is within a predetermined area and identify one or more functions for operating the device associated with the predetermined area. According to some embodiments, a server associated with the medical device can identify the location of the computing device and determine whether it is within an area authorized to perform the functions. The functions can include, for example, being configured to operate and / or selectively operate one or more medication management functions of one or more electronic medication storage cabinets. Examples of medication management functions associated with different predetermined areas include, but are not limited to, viewing ordered medications for patients within that area, queuing ordered medications to electronic medication storage cabinets located within that area, and dispensing ordered medications from electronic medication storage cabinets within that area. In some embodiments, the predetermined area can include an area within a threshold distance of a patient or hospital room, medical device (e.g., an electronic medication storage cabinet), or an area associated with the patient or hospital room, medical device, or area (e.g., a care unit). In some embodiments, the queuing function for ordered medications can be associated with an electronic medication storage cabinet to which the ordered medications are queued. Similarly, the dispensing function for ordered medications can be associated with an electronic medication storage cabinet to which the ordered medications are queued for dispensing.

[0024] By granting and / or denying access to medication management functionality based on whether the computing device is within a predetermined area, the medical device and / or server is configured to allow the medical institution to provide and / or limit functionality available to clinicians, for example, when the clinician is away from one or more electronic medication storage cabinets storing ordered medications. For example, a clinician may be granted the ability to view and / or queue medications while away from the electronic medication storage cabinet, but only be allowed to grant the ability to dispense medications when the clinician's computing device is in close proximity (e.g., 3 feet) to the electronic medication storage cabinet. Figure 1A -7C describes additional details for granting and / or denying permissions to various functions available to a user of a computing device based on the location of the computing device.

[0025] Now go to Figure 1A , showing a block diagram of a network architecture 100 according to some embodiments.

[0026] like Figure 1AAs shown in the example system architecture of FIG, the network architecture 100 may include one or more electronic medicine storage cabinets 104-1, 104-2, ..., 104-n, collectively referred to herein as electronic medicine storage cabinets 104. In some embodiments, the electronic medicine storage cabinets 104 may be communicatively and / or operatively coupled to one or more other electronically controlled and / or managed medicine storage units, such as electronically controlled and / or managed medicine storage towers, electronically controlled and / or managed medicine storage refrigerators, and the like.

[0027] The one or more electronic medication storage cabinets 104 can be communicatively coupled to a server 108 (e.g., an electronic medication storage system server) via one or more communication networks 106. Examples of the one or more communication networks 106 include, but are not limited to, an intranet, the Internet, a cellular telephone network, a mobile data network, a wide area network, a local area network, a metropolitan area network, etc. In some embodiments, the one or more communication networks 106 include a public communication network (e.g., the Internet and / or a cellular data network), a private communication network (e.g., a dedicated LAN or leased lines), or a combination of such communication networks.

[0028] The server 108 can be communicatively coupled to one or more computing devices 110-1, 110-2, ..., 110-m (collectively referred to herein as computing devices 110) via one or more communication networks 106. The one or more computing devices 110 can be any computing device, including but not limited to a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet computing device, a laptop computer, etc. In some embodiments, the one or more computing devices 110 can include an application installed thereon that is configured to receive a clinician's access credentials (e.g., a clinician's user identifier and / or password for the application) and provide access to one or more medication management functions based at least on the clinician's access credentials. Each computing device 110 can include a system for determining its current location (such as a global positioning system (GPS)), and the system is configured to report its current location to the server 108 via the application and / or via the network 106. In some embodiments, the computing device 110 can be associated with the clinician, and the association between the computing device 110 and the clinician can be stored in one or more data storage units of the server 108 and / or be communicatively coupled to the server 108.

[0029] The server 108 may be communicatively coupled to the pharmacy information system 112 and / or the health information system 114 via one or more communication networks 106. The pharmacy information system 112 may be configured to receive medication orders from a patient and transmit indications of the medication orders to the server 108. For example, based on medications prescribed to a patient, the pharmacy information system 112 may generate one or more indications of medication orders for the patient and transmit the indications of the medication orders to the server 108. Additionally or alternatively, the server 108 may transmit the received indications of medication orders to one or more clinicians assigned to the patient. Figure 1B –7C describes additional details.

[0030] The health information system 114 can be configured to generate, maintain, update, and / or store electronic health records for one or more patients. The health information system 114 can be configured to receive data related to medications prescribed to a patient and store and / or update the patient's medication data in the corresponding electronic health record. In some embodiments, the health information system can be configured to transmit the prescribed medication data to the pharmacy information system 112, and the pharmacy information system 112 can transmit one or more medication orders for the patient to the server 108.

[0031] In some embodiments, the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 can be configured to transmit a request to the server 108 and receive data from the server 108 regarding the location of medications stored in other electronic medication storage cabinets 104. The electronic medication storage cabinet 104 can be configured to wirelessly connect (e.g., via a Bluetooth connection) to one or more computing devices 110 based on the proximity of the computing device 110. In some embodiments, upon connecting to the computing device 110, the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 is configured to transmit a message to the server 108 indicating that the wireless connection between the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 and the computing device 110 is successful. According to various embodiments, the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 can be configured to receive instructions from the computing device 110. For example, the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 can receive instructions from the computing device 110 to dispense one or more medications queued at the electronic medication storage cabinet 104, and when the user of the computing device 110 is appropriately authorized, the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 can initiate a dispensing process for the queued medications.

[0032] In some embodiments, the server 108 is a single computing device such as a computer server, while in other embodiments, the server 108 is implemented by multiple computing devices working together to perform the actions of a server system (e.g., cloud computing). Figure 2 Additional details of server 108 are described.

[0033] Each electronic medicine storage cabinet 104 may include one or more electronically controlled and / or managed removable drawers. In some embodiments, some of the removable drawers may have different sizes. The removable drawers may include or be configured with one or more sensor devices. For example, the removable drawer may be configured with sensor devices inside the floor of the removable drawer. In some embodiments, the sensor devices may be placed in different locations within the removable drawer in one or more patterns (e.g., a grid pattern, etc.). In some embodiments, the sensor devices may be placed in a grid pattern that covers a major portion of the removable drawer.

[0034] Each removable drawer may have one or more pockets for storing medication. In some embodiments, these pockets may have different sizes and shapes. In some embodiments, one or more pockets may be fixed to a specific location within the removable drawer. In some embodiments, one or more pockets may be moved from a first position within the removable drawer to a second position within the removable drawer, and / or relocated to a different removable drawer within the same cabinet that is also configured with removable pockets, and / or removed from the removable drawer. In this regard, the storage cabinet 104 may be configured to track and / or record the location of each pocket so that the appropriate pocket and location can be identified when searching for medication in response to a medication request. In some embodiments, one or more pockets may include a lid, and the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 may be configured to open and close the pocket lid. The pocket may include or be configured with a transmitter device. In some embodiments, the pocket's transmitter device may be a light-based transmitter device (e.g., a laser-based transmitter, etc.). In some embodiments, the pocket may include a radio frequency identification (RFID)-based electronic device (e.g., an RFID tag).

[0035] In some embodiments, each pocket of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 can be associated with a unique identifier, and the identifier can be used to identify the location of the pocket within the electronic medication storage cabinet 104. In some embodiments, after a medication is loaded and / or placed into a pocket of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104, a system such as the pharmacy information system 112 can transmit information related to the pocket (e.g., an identifier of the pocket) and the medication (e.g., an identifier of the medication) to the server 108. In some embodiments, a clinician can provide information identifying the medication and the pocket to the server 108 after the medication is stored in the pocket. For example, after the clinician places the medication in the pocket, the clinician can transmit the identifiers of the pocket and medication to the server 108 by providing input to a computing device communicatively coupled to the server 108. In some embodiments, the pocket identifier can be automatically transmitted (e.g., by the cabinet) when the medication is loaded into the pocket. The server 108 can maintain and / or update the mapping between the medications stored in the pockets of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 and the pockets of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 by storing the received pocket information (e.g., the received pocket identifier) in association with the received information (drug identifier) of the medication stored in the pocket.

[0036] In some embodiments, the computing device 110 is associated with the clinician when the clinician logs in and / or electronically logs into a public application operating on the computing device 110. The application is configured to receive input from the clinician and cause data related to the input to be transmitted to the server 108. In some embodiments, the application displays one or more graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and graphical items (e.g., text boxes, radio buttons, drop-down menus, etc.) configured to receive input from the clinician and display information (e.g., alert windows) to the clinician. In some embodiments, the server 108 can receive location information of the computing device 110 (e.g., from an application operating on the computing device 110). Examples of location information include, but are not limited to, wireless access point information, internet protocol addresses, geospatial coordinates, data from a global positioning system (GPS) sensor of the computing device 110, and the like.

[0037] The server 108 can be configured to enable and / or disable medication management functions for a clinician based on the location of the computing device 110 associated with the clinician. As described above, one or more medication management functions can be configured to operate and / or selectively operate one or more electronic medication storage cabinets. Examples of medication management functions include, but are not limited to, viewing a patient's pending medication orders, viewing details of pending medication orders, queuing ordered medications to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104, dispensing ordered medications from the electronic medication storage cabinet 104, and the like. In some embodiments, the healthcare organization can specify rule sets and / or configuration data that indicate certain areas outside the healthcare organization, certain areas around the healthcare organization, areas within the healthcare organization, and / or areas near and / or proximate to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 as threshold areas, and the server 108 can enable and / or disable one or more medication management functions.

[0038] For example, Figure 1B As shown, a healthcare facility may designate three threshold zones. Zone 120a may cover an area very close to the healthcare facility, such as a parking lot near the healthcare facility building, zone 120b may cover an area within the healthcare facility building, such as the healthcare facility lobby and / or one or more floors, and zone 120c may cover an area within a threshold distance of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104-1, such as 3 to 10 feet from the electronic medication storage cabinet 104. For illustrative purposes, the depicted zones 120a, 120b, and 120c are depicted as overlapping, and in some embodiments, one or more of zones 120a, 120b, and 120c may not overlap, or other non-overlapping zones may be implemented. For example, zone 120c may be a subset of zone 120b and overlap therewith, while zone 120a may be independent and not overlap with zones 120b and 120c.

[0039] Server 108 may store a set of rules specifying one or more medication management functions available for different threshold zones predetermined by a healthcare organization, and may be configured to enable and / or disable medication management functions based on the stored rules and the location information of computing device 110. For example, if the stored set of rules indicates that all medication management functions should be disabled if computing device 110 is outside of threshold zone 120a, and server 108 determines that computing device 110 is outside of threshold zone 120a, server 108 may disable all medication management functions by disabling permissions for those functions on computing device 110 and transmitting the updated permissions to computing device 110. In some implementations, server 108 may transmit instructions to computing device 110 to cause an application executing on computing device 110 to disable a user interface associated with medication management functions.

[0040] Figure 1C Shows a sample GUI that disables the medication management feature. Figure 1C , computing device 110-1 may display a user interface that includes GUI area 130a representing a list of patients assigned to a clinician associated with computing device 110-1 and GUI area 130b representing GUI elements corresponding to medication management functionality for viewing ordered medications (“V”), queuing ordered medications to one or more electronic medication storage cabinets 104 (“Q”), and dispensing ordered medications from one or more electronic medication storage cabinets 104 (“D”). In some embodiments, server 108 may be configured to cause the appearance of the GUI to change (e.g., change perceptible characteristics of GUI elements such as color, image, font, shape, outline style, highlighting, etc.) when the associated medication management functionality is disabled. For example, as Figure 1C As shown, when the medication management function is disabled, the associated GUI may be highlighted with a dotted line.

[0041] Back to Figure 1B For example, when computing device 110 is within zone 120a and outside zones 120b and 120c, the stored rule set may indicate that the functionality of viewing the patient's ordered medications (e.g., stored in the patient's storage cabinet) should be enabled, but the functionality of queuing and dispensing medications should be disabled. Then, if server 108 determines that computing device 110 is within zone 120a and outside zones 120b and 120c, server 108 may update the permissions to enable the functionality of viewing ordered medications for computing device 110. Server 108 may transmit the updated permissions to computing device 110 so that a user interface associated with the functionality of viewing ordered medications is enabled. Figure 1D An example of the GUI associated with enabling viewing functionality for only a group of patients is shown in . Figure 1D As shown, the GUI associated with the queuing and dispensing functions continues to be disabled.

[0042] Similarly, if the stored rule set indicates that when the computing device 110 is within the threshold area 120b but outside the threshold area 120c, the function of queuing the ordered medication to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 should be enabled, but the function of dispensing the ordered medication should be disabled, and if the server 108 determines that the computing device 110 is within the area 120b but outside the area 120c, the server 108 can update the permissions to enable the queuing functionality and transmit the updated permissions to the computing device 110 so that the user interface associated with the function of queuing the ordered medication to the electronic storage cabinet 104 is enabled. Figure 1EAn example of a GUI associated with queuing functionality being enabled is shown in , where the GUI associated with viewing and queuing functionality is enabled, but the GUI associated with dispensing functionality is disabled.

[0043] In yet another example, if the stored rule set indicates that the functionality of dispensing the ordered medication from the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 should be enabled when the computing device 110 is within the threshold area 120c, and if the server 108 determines that the computing device 110 is within the area 120c, the server 108 may update the permissions to enable the dispensing functionality and transmit the updated permissions to the computing device 110 so that a user interface associated with the functionality of dispensing the ordered medication to the electronic storage cabinet 104 is enabled. Figure 1F An example of a GUI associated with the dispensing functionality being enabled is shown in FIG, wherein the GUI associated with the view, queue, and dispense functionality is enabled. In some implementations, the computing device 110 can present a GUI to allow a clinician to view the details of an individual's ordered medication, queue an individual's ordered medication, and dispense an individual's ordered medication to a patient. An example of such a GUI is shown in FIG. Figure 1G In some embodiments, the computing device 110 may display a GUI area 130c and a GUI area 130d in response to the clinician selecting the patient's name. Figure 1G and / or the GUI associated with the viewing function in GUI area 130b.

[0044] The server 108 may be configured to receive a request from a computing device to queue one or more medications in response to a clinician selecting a GUI associated with a queuing function. In some embodiments, the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 may be associated with a predetermined area. For example, Figure 1H As shown in the GUI element 130e of , the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 "ADC Floor 1 - Room 1" can be associated with a predetermined area of Room 1 on the first floor of the medical institution. Similarly, the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 "ADC Floor 1 - Room 2" can be associated with a predetermined area of Room 2 on the first floor, and the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 "ADC Floor 2 - Room 7" can be associated with a predetermined area of Room 7 on the second floor. In some embodiments, the electronic medication storage system server 108 can be configured to identify one or more electronic medication storage cabinets 104 based on the predetermined area in which the computing device 110 is located and whether one or more medications are stored in the electronic medication storage cabinet 104. In some embodiments, the server 108 can be configured to identify one or more electronic medication storage cabinets 104 based on queuing criteria, and the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 provides the most efficient and optimized source from which the medication is dispensed after being queued to the source, referred to herein as the "optimal electronic medication storage cabinet." Reference can be made below Figure 5Additional details describing identifying an optimal electronic medication storage cabinet are described. The server 108 can be configured to transmit data related to the identified optimal electronic medication storage cabinet to the computing device 110 for display to the clinician. Figure 1H GUI element 130e in FIG. 1 shows an example of an optimal electronic medication storage cabinet displayed to a clinician, where "ADC Floor 1 - Room 2" is the optimal electronic medication storage cabinet identified by server 108 to which medications ordered for patient "B.Sm***" should be queued. The clinician can select another GUI item and / or icon in GUI element 130e to select an electronic medication storage cabinet 104 different from the optimal electronic medication storage cabinet recommended by server 108. In some embodiments, the clinician can select GUI element 130f to communicate an agreement with the recommended optimal electronic medication storage cabinet and / or to communicate a selection of a different electronic medication storage cabinet 104.

[0045] In some embodiments, the server 108 can be configured to determine whether all ordered medications for the patient can be queued to a single electronic medication storage cabinet 104, and if the server 108 determines that all medications can be queued to a single electronic medication storage cabinet 104, the server 108 can allow the clinician to queue all ordered medications with a single selection, such as via a Figure 1H Patient "B.Sm***" in the GUI area 130a of the patient selects "Q" in the GUI area 130b. In some embodiments, if the server 108 determines that all of the ordered medications for the patient cannot be queued to a single electronic medication storage cabinet 104, the server 108 can transmit instructions to the computing device 110 to display a GUI prompting the clinician to queue different subsets of the ordered medications to different electronic medication storage cabinets 104. Figure 1I GUI areas 130c and 130d in FIG. 1 show examples of GUIs that allow a clinician to select individual medications to be queued. The server 108 can be configured to queue individual ordered medications to one or more electronic medication storage cabinets 104 and can identify one or more optimal electronic medication storage cabinets 104 for different subsets of queued ordered medications. Figure 1I , medications "Drug A" and "Drug B" are selected by a clinician for queuing, and server 108 identifies "ADC Floor 1 - Room 1" as the optimal electronic medication storage cabinet 104 for which medications "Drug A" and "Drug B" should be queued (as shown by GUI element 130e). In some embodiments, if server 108 determines that all of the patient's ordered medications cannot be queued to a single electronic medication storage cabinet 104, server 108 may transmit instructions to computing device 110 to disable a GUI associated with confirming the selection of an electronic storage cabinet 104, such as GUI element 130e and / or GUI element 130f.

[0046] Now go to Figure 2 , shows a block diagram depicting server 108 according to some embodiments. According to various embodiments, Figure 2 The corresponding computing device 110 may also be represented. The server 108 (or computing device 110) typically includes one or more processing units (processors or cores) 202, one or more network or other communication interfaces 204, memory 206, and one or more communication buses 208 for interconnecting these components. The communication bus 208 optionally includes circuitry (sometimes referred to as a chipset) that interconnects and controls communication between system components. In some embodiments, the server 108 may include a user interface unit 210. The user interface unit 210 may include a display device 212. In some embodiments, the server 108 may include input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, touchpad, and / or input buttons. In some embodiments, the display device 212 may include a touch-sensitive surface, in which case the display is a touch-sensitive display.

[0047] In some embodiments, the server 108 can be configured to receive data related to patients, pockets, removable drawers, etc. from the electronic medication storage cabinet 104. For example, the server 108 can receive a list of medications stored in the corresponding cabinet, as well as a pocket identifier and / or location of each medication stored in the corresponding cabinet. In some embodiments, the server 108 can be configured to transmit data related to optimizing the process of dispensing ordered medications from the electronic medication storage cabinet 104. The server 108 can be configured to receive data related to, among other things, ordered medications dispensed from the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 for a patient from the pharmacy information system 112 and / or the health information system 114. The server 108 can be configured to transmit data related to the dispensing of medications into medication containers, a status indicating the success or failure of dispensed medications from the electronic medication storage cabinet 104, etc. to the computing device 110. In some embodiments, the server 108 can be hosted on-site at the healthcare facility, remotely by a third-party service provider (e.g., in a cloud computing environment), or / and combinations thereof.

[0048] The server 108 can be configured with a mapping algorithm that is configured to identify locations in an electronic medicine storage cabinet where medications are stored and / or medication containers containing medications. In some embodiments, the medication containers can be dynamic pockets as described herein. In some embodiments, the server 108 can generate a sequence of one or more steps based on the mapping algorithm to load medications and / or medication containers into identified locations of the electronic medicine storage cabinet. Upon receiving a request for medication locations, the server 108 can determine which cabinets 104 contain medications and / or drawers and / or pockets of the cabinets in which medications are currently stored. In some embodiments, the server 108 can return the locations to the computing device 110 based on the location of the computing device relative to one or more determined locations of the one or more cabinets storing medications.

[0049] The memory 206 of the server 108 (or computing device 110) can be a high-speed random access memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM, or other random access solid-state memory devices, and can include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, and / or other non-volatile solid-state storage devices. In some embodiments, the memory 206 includes one or more storage devices remote from the one or more processors 202. The memory 206, or alternatively, one or more non-volatile memory devices within the memory 206, includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In some embodiments, the memory 206 or the computer-readable storage medium of the memory 206 stores programs, modules, and / or data structures that can be used to perform one or more operations of the server system 108. The electronic storage system server 108 can execute a mapping algorithm based on one or more modules described herein and / or included in the memory 206. For example, the memory 206 may include programs, modules, and / or data structures for an operating system 226 , a network communication module 228 , a patient information module 232 , an access device module 238 , a storage identification module 234 , and a pocket mapping module 242 .

[0050] In some embodiments, the operating system 226 module may include programs for handling various basic system services and for performing hardware-related tasks. The network communication module 228 may be configured to connect the server 108 to other computing devices via one or more communication network interfaces 204 (wired or wireless) and one or more communication networks 106. The patient information module 232 may be configured to store data related to the patient, including but not limited to medical history, prescription medications, allergies, etc. The patient information module 232 may be configured to associate the patient with the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 and store the association in the memory 206. The access module 238 may be configured to grant, deny, and / or modify access to the server 108 and / or one or more computing systems or devices communicatively coupled to the server 108. In some embodiments, the location detection module 233 may be configured with GPS sensing technology and devices for determining the current coordinate location of the computing device and reporting the location to software applications running on the device.

[0051] The storage identification module 234 may be configured to store, maintain, and / or update data related to the contents of each pocket of each electronic medication storage cabinet 104 that is communicatively coupled to the server 108. The storage identification module 234 may be configured to store, maintain, and / or update data related to each empty pocket of each electronic medication storage cabinet 104 that is communicatively coupled to the server 108. The server 108 may receive data related to the contents of the pockets from the electronic medication storage cabinets 104, and the storage identification module 234 may be configured to maintain and / or update the data related to the contents of the pockets based on the data received from the electronic medication storage cabinets 104.

[0052] For each electronic medication storage cabinet 104 communicatively coupled to the server 108, the pocket mapping module 242 can be configured to associate a pocket of each movable drawer with a corresponding location in the movable drawer and store the association in the memory 206. In some embodiments, the pocket mapping module 242 can be configured to receive data associated with the sensor and the location of the sensor in the drawer of each electronic medication storage cabinet 104, and based on the mapping, the pocket mapping module 242 can be configured to determine the location of the pocket in the drawer.

[0053] Each of the modules and applications identified above corresponds to an executable instruction set for performing one or more functions of the methods described above and / or in this application (e.g., the computer-implemented methods and other information processing methods described herein). These modules (i.e., instruction sets) need not be implemented as separate software programs, programs, or modules, and thus various subsets of these modules may be optionally combined or otherwise rearranged in various embodiments. In some embodiments, memory 206 may store a subset of the modules and data structures identified above. In some embodiments, memory 206 may store additional modules and data structures not described above. Processor 202 may be configured to execute the modules identified above to perform one or more of the functions described above and / or techniques for enabling and / or disabling one or more medication management functions for a computing device based on the location of the computing device, as described herein with reference to Figure 4 –As described in 7.

[0054] Now go to Figure 3 , a block diagram depicting an electronic medication storage cabinet 104 is shown. The electronic medication storage cabinet 104 may include one or more processors 302, one or more network or communication interfaces 304 (wired or wireless), memory 306, one or more communication buses 308, a user interface unit 310, a transmitter device 322, and a sensor device 323. The one or more processors 302, the one or more network or communication interfaces 304, the memory 306, and the user interface unit 310 may be configured to communicate with each other via the one or more communication buses 308. In some embodiments, the communication bus 308 may include circuitry (sometimes referred to as a chipset) that interconnects and controls communications between components of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104. In some embodiments, the user interface unit 310 may include an audio output device 318. The one or more processors 302 may be configured to generate one or more different sounds via the audio output device 318 for different alarms configured for the electronic medication storage cabinet 104.

[0055] Memory 306 includes high-speed random access memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM, or other random access solid-state memory devices; and may include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid-state storage devices. In some embodiments, memory 306 includes one or more storage devices remote from one or more processors 302. Memory 306, or alternatively, one or more non-volatile memory devices within memory 306, includes non-transitory computer-readable storage media. In some embodiments, memory 306 or the computer-readable storage media of memory 306 stores programs, modules, and data structures that can be used to perform the operations of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 and to perform the techniques described herein for dispensing one or more medications from the electronic medication storage cabinet. Memory 306 may include an operating system 326, a network communication module 328, a storage identification module 334, an access module 338, and / or a patient information module 348.

[0056] The operating system 326 may be configured to execute programs for various system services of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104, including, but not limited to, hardware and software related tasks. The network communication module 328 may be configured to execute instructions to connect the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 to one or more other computing devices, such as a server 108, a computing device 110, etc., via one or more communication interfaces 304 and a communication network (such as the communication network 106). The access module 338 may be configured to grant, deny, and / or modify access to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104. For example, the access module 338 may be configured to grant or deny access to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 based on received login credentials for the electronic medication storage cabinet 104.

[0057] In some embodiments, one or more sensor devices 323 and / or one or more transmitter devices 322 can be configured to detect the broadcast of a wireless communication signal (e.g., a Bluetooth signal, etc.) from one or more devices (e.g., computing device 110) and transmit and / or broadcast the wireless communication signal (e.g., a Bluetooth signal, etc.) to the one or more devices (e.g., computing device 110). In some embodiments, in response to detecting the wireless communication signal, the one or more processors 302 of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 can be configured to initiate and / or establish a wireless connection with the device broadcasting the wireless communication signal. In some embodiments, the one or more processors 302 of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 can be configured to initiate and / or establish a wireless connection with the device broadcasting the wireless communication signal after receiving a passphrase from the computing device 110. In some embodiments, in response to detecting the wireless communication signal, the one or more processors 302 can be configured to transmit and / or cause the transmission of the wireless communication signal via the one or more transmitter devices 322 and / or sensor devices 323.

[0058] Each of the modules and applications identified above corresponds to an executable instruction set (e.g., computer-implemented methods and other information processing methods described herein) for performing one or more functions of the methods described above and / or herein. These modules (i.e., instruction sets) do not need to be implemented as separate software programs, programs, or modules, and therefore various subsets of these modules may be optionally combined or otherwise rearranged in various embodiments. In some embodiments, memory 206 and / or memory 306 store subsets of the modules and data structures identified above. In some embodiments, memory 206 and / or memory 306 store additional modules and data structures not described above.

[0059] Now go to Figure 4 , a flow chart illustrating a process for enabling and / or disabling one or more medication management functions based on the location of a computing device is shown. For clarity of example, reference is made to Figure 1A The components of the network architecture 100 shown and described, reference Figure 2 The components of the server 108 are shown and described, and reference is made to Figure 3 The components of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 shown and described may be used to describe a process for enabling and / or disabling one or more medication management functions based on the current location of a computing device.

[0060] Method 400 includes receiving, by one or more processors 202 of server 108, information associated with an identifier of a clinician from a computing device (block 401). As described above, a clinician can log in and / or access an application executed on computing device 110 to receive information associated with a patient assigned to the clinician and / or administer one or more medications to the assigned patient. In response to computing device 110 receiving the clinician's identifier (e.g., a user name, password, etc.), computing device 110 transmits the identifier to server 108. In some embodiments, server 108 associates the clinician with computing device 110 by storing the clinician's identifier in association with an identifier of computing device 110 (e.g., a media access control (MAC) address).

[0061] Server 108 identifies one or more patients associated with the clinician based on the clinician's identifier (block 402). In some embodiments, server 108 may receive a list of patients assigned to different clinicians, and server 108 may store the list of assigned patients associated with the clinician's identifier. In some embodiments, server 108 may transmit the list of patients to computing device 110. In some embodiments, server 108 may transmit instructions to display the list of patients on a display device associated with computing device 110. For example, server 108 may transmit instructions to display the list of patients in a GUI, such as GUI area 130a. In some embodiments, server 108 may transmit any pending medication orders for any assigned patients to computing device 110. Examples of pending medication orders may include, but are not limited to, medication orders that have not been dispensed from the electronic medication storage cabinet and / or administered to the corresponding patient. As described above, server 108 may enable a function on computing device 110 for viewing transmitted medication orders based on location information of computing device 110 (e.g., based on whether computing device 110 is within a predetermined area associated with the viewing function). The server 108 receives location information of the computing device 110 (block 403). As described above, examples of location information include, but are not limited to, wireless access point information, an Internet Protocol address, geospatial coordinates, data from a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor of the computing device 110, and the like. In some embodiments, the server 108 can be configured to determine a physical distance of the computing device 110 relative to another structure (e.g., a building of a healthcare facility, a portion of an area / floor of a building, etc.) and / or a device (e.g., an electronic medication storage cabinet 104, another computing device, etc.) based on the location information of the computing device 110.

[0062] The server 108 determines whether the computing device is within one or more predetermined areas (block 404). Figure 1B, the server 108 may receive and / or store a rule set and / or configuration data indicating one or more threshold areas, and determine whether the computing device 110 is within the one or more threshold areas based on the location information of the computing device 110 and the stored rule set. If the server 108 determines that the computing device 110 is within the one or more predetermined areas ("yes" at box 404), the method 400 proceeds to box 405. The server 108 identifies one or more medication management functions associated with the one or more predetermined areas (box 405). The server 108 may identify one or more medication management functions associated with the predetermined areas based on the stored rule set. For example, using the above reference Figure 1B For example, if the stored rule set indicates that when the computing device is in zone 120b and outside zone 120c, the medication management function of viewing and queuing ordered medications can be enabled, but the function of dispensing medications cannot be enabled, then the server 108 can be configured to determine that the medication management function of viewing and queuing ordered medications is associated with zone 120b. Similarly, if the stored rule set indicates that when the computing device 110 is in zone 120a and outside zone 120b, only the viewing function can be enabled, then the server 108 can be configured to determine that the medication management function of viewing ordered medications is associated with zone 120a.

[0063] The server 108 enables the one or more identified medication management functions (block 406). The server 108 may store a set of permissions for the one or more medication management functions associated with the identifier of the computing device 110, and the server 108 may enable the medication management function for the computing device 110 by updating the one or more permissions associated with the function for the computing device 110. The server 108 transmits instructions to the computing device to enable one or more corresponding GUI items associated with the medication management function on the GUI on the computing device 110 (block 407). Figure 1D – 1I describes an example of one or more enabled GUI items associated with medication management.

[0064] In some embodiments, the server 108 may identify one or more medication management functions that are not associated with the predetermined threshold area in which the computing device 110 is currently located. For example, using the reference above Figure 1BIf computing device 110 was previously within threshold region 120c and is currently within threshold region 120a but outside of threshold region 120b, and stored rules and / or configuration data indicate that medication management functionality for queuing and dispensing ordered medications should be disabled for computing devices within threshold region 120a but outside of threshold region 120b, server 108 may identify that the queuing and dispensing functionality is not associated with threshold region 120a and may update corresponding permissions for the queuing and dispensing functionality to disable them for computing device 110. Server 108 may transmit instructions to computing device 110 to disable one or more corresponding GUI items on a GUI on computing device 110 that are associated with the queuing and dispensing functionality.

[0065] Returning to block 404, if the server 108 determines that the computing device 110 is not within any of the one or more predetermined zones ("YES" at block 404), the method 400 proceeds to block 408. The server 108 determines whether any medication management functionality is enabled for the computing device 110 (block 408). As described above, when medication management functionality is enabled for the computing device 110, the server 108 updates the stored permissions, and the server 108 determines whether one or more medication management functionality was previously enabled based on the stored permissions.

[0066] If the server 108 determines that the medication management functionality is enabled ("yes" at block 408), the method 400 proceeds to block 409. The server 108 disables one or more enabled medication management functionality (block 409). The server 108 may be configured to disable one or more medication management functionality by updating permissions for the one or more enabled medication management functionality to deny access to the functionality. The server 108 transmits instructions to the computing device 110 to disable one or more corresponding GUI items associated with the medication management functionality on the GUI on the computing device 110 (block 410). Returning to block 408, if the server 108 determines that the medication management functionality is not enabled ("no" at block 408), the method 400 proceeds to block 403.

[0067] Now go to Figure 5 , shows a flow chart illustrating the process of identifying the best electronic medication storage cabinet for queuing medications. For clarity of the example, refer to Figure 1A The components of the network architecture 100 shown and described, reference Figure 2 The components of the server 108 are shown and described, and reference is made to Figure 3 The components of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 shown and described may be used to describe a process for identifying an optimal electronic medication storage cabinet for medication queuing.

[0068] Method 500 includes receiving, by one or more processors 202 of a server 108, a request to queue one or more medications from a computing device (block 501). The server 108 may receive a queue request in response to a selection by a clinician on a computing device 110 to queue one or more ordered medications. The server 108 identifies one or more medications to be queued based on the received request (block 502). The server 108 identifies one or more electronic medication storage cabinets that store the one or more identified medications (block 503). As described above, mappings and / or associations between medications and electronic medication storage cabinets 104 and pockets of the electronic medication storage cabinets 104 are stored in one or more data storage units of the server 108, and the server 108 may be configured to identify one or more electronic medication storage cabinets 104 based on the mappings and / or associations between medications and electronic medication storage cabinets 104.

[0069] The server 108 transmits the identified one or more electronic medication storage cabinets to the computing device for display on the GUI (block 504). The server 108 determines whether any of the identified electronic medication storage cabinets is the optimal electronic medication storage cabinet (block 505). As described above, the server 108 determines whether the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 is the optimal electronic medication storage cabinet based on queuing criteria. The queuing criteria may be predetermined criteria used to identify the optimal electronic medication storage cabinet or cabinets to which medications should be queued. Example factors of the queuing criteria may include, but are not limited to, a threshold percentage (e.g., 100%, 75%, etc.) of the identified medications available in the electronic medication storage cabinet 104, the expiration date of the medications in the electronic medication storage cabinet 104, the distance from the patient's location to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 storing the one or more medications ordered for the patient, the distance from the clinician to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 storing the one or more medications ordered for the clinician or for dispensing the one or more medications to the clinician's associated patient, whether the patient-specific medication is stored in the electronic medication storage cabinet 104, and the like.

[0070] For example, if five medications are queued for a patient and the first electronic medication storage cabinet 104 includes three of the five medications, the second electronic medication storage cabinet 104 includes the remaining two medications, and the third electronic medication storage cabinet 104 includes all five medications, the server 108 may identify the third electronic medication storage cabinet 104 as the optimal electronic medication storage cabinet. Similarly, if the distances from the first and second electronic medication storage cabinets 104 to the patient meet a threshold distance, and the distance from the third electronic medication storage cabinet does not meet the threshold distance, the server 108 may identify the first and second electronic medication storage cabinets 104 as the optimal electronic medication storage cabinets 104.

[0071] If the server 108 identifies one or more electronic medication storage cabinets 104 as optimal electronic medication storage cabinets ("YES" at block 505), the method 500 proceeds to block 506. The server 108 transmits instructions to the computing device to cause the computing device to graphically highlight the one or more optimal electronic medication storage cabinets (block 506). Figure 1H and Figure 1I An example of one or more optimal electronic medicine storage cabinets graphically highlighted is shown in the GUI of and described above. If the server 108 does not identify the optimal electronic medicine storage cabinet ("No" at block 505), the method 500 proceeds to block 501.

[0072] Now go to Figure 6 , shows a flow chart illustrating the process of enabling dispensing in an electronic medication storage cabinet. For clarity of illustration, refer to Figure 1A The components of the network architecture 100 shown and described, reference Figure 2 The components of the server 108 are shown and described, and reference is made to Figure 3 The components of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 shown and described may be used to describe a process for enabling the dispensing of medications in the electronic medication storage cabinet.

[0073] Method 600 includes receiving, by one or more processors 202 of server 108, a selection of one or more electronic medicine storage cabinets from computing device 110 to queue one or more medications (block 601). As described above, in some embodiments, one or more medication management functions may be associated with the electronic medicine storage cabinets. For example, a function for queuing ordered medications may be associated with the electronic medicine storage cabinets to which the ordered medications are queued. Similarly, a function for dispensing ordered medications may be associated with the electronic medicine storage cabinets to which the ordered medications are queued for dispensing. Server 108 associates the one or more selected electronic medicine storage cabinets with the one or more medications for dispensing (block 602). Server 108 stores the association in one or more data storage units associated with server 108. Server 108 receives location information of computing device 110 (block 603).

[0074] The server 108 determines whether the computing device 110 is within a threshold distance from one or more selected electronic medication storage cabinets 104 (block 604). In some embodiments, such a predetermined distance may be greater than the aforementioned threshold area specified by the healthcare facility to enable the dispensing function of the computing device 110. If the server 108 determines that the computing device 108 is within the threshold distance from the electronic medication storage cabinet ("yes" in block 604), the method 600 proceeds to block 605. The server 108 transmits a passphrase to the computing device for wirelessly connecting the computing device to the electronic medication storage cabinet (block 605). The computing device 110 may transmit the received passphrase to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 to establish a wireless connection with the electronic medication storage cabinet 104. The passphrase may be a valid passphrase only for a predetermined period of time and may become invalid upon expiration of the predetermined period of time.

[0075] In some embodiments, the computing device 110 can establish a wireless connection with the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 without providing a passphrase to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104. For example, when the distance between the computing device 110 and the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 satisfies a certain threshold distance (such as a distance specified by a wireless communication protocol), the computing device 110 can automatically initiate a pairing process with the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 using a wireless communication protocol (such as Bluetooth). When the wireless connection between the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 and the computing device 110 is successfully established, the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 can transmit a message to the server 108 indicating that the wireless connection was successful.

[0076] The server 108 receives a successful wireless connection from the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 (block 606). The server 108 enables one or more dispensing functions for the computing device 110 (block 607). In some embodiments, the server 108 may enable one or more dispensing functions after it determines that the computing device 110 is within a threshold region associated with the dispensing function. For example, using the example above in Figure 1B In the example described in , the server 108 can determine whether the computing device 110 is within the threshold area 120c based on any new location information before enabling one or more dispensing functions, and enable these dispensing functions only after determining that the computing device 110 is within the threshold area 120c.

[0077] In some embodiments, a clinician can initiate the process of dispensing the ordered medication by providing input to computing device 110 (e.g., selecting a corresponding graphical item for the ordered medication via a GUI) to transmit a request to server 108, and computing device 110 can transmit the selection and / or a message indicating the selection to server 108. In response to receiving the information and / or the request to dispense the ordered medication, server 108 can identify one or more pockets and / or pocket locations in the electronic medication cabinet 104 that contain the ordered medication based on the aforementioned storage mapping between medications and pockets in the electronic medication cabinet 104. Server 108 can transmit the identified one or more pockets and / or pocket locations to the electronic medication cabinet 104. Server 108 can transmit an instruction to dispense the ordered medication to the electronic medication cabinet 104, causing the electronic medication cabinet 104 to initiate the process of dispensing the medication. In some embodiments, in response to receiving the instruction to dispense the ordered medication, the electronic medication cabinet 104 can be configured to open a drawer that includes a pocket and / or location for storing a first medication in the set of medications to be dispensed from the electronic medication cabinet 104.

[0078] In some embodiments, the computing device 110 may transmit dispensing instructions for a medication set directly to an electronic medication storage cabinet 104 that is wirelessly connected to the computing device 110. In response to receiving the dispensing instructions, the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 may transmit the medication set and a request for a location and / or pocket in the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 where the medication set is stored to the server 108. In response to receiving the request, the server 108 may identify the location and / or pocket in the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 where the medication is stored based on a stored mapping between the location and / or pocket and the identifier of the medication, and transmit the identified location and / or pocket to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104. In some embodiments, the server 108 may transmit instructions to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 to open one or more drawers of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 that include one or more identified pockets. In some embodiments, the server 108 may transmit instructions to open one or more drawers when the computing device 110 is within a threshold area of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 and / or within a threshold distance from the electronic medication storage cabinet 104. In some embodiments, for example, with reference to Figure 6 , the threshold area and / or threshold distance may be the same threshold area and / or threshold distance as described above to transmit the passphrase to the computing device 110 .

[0079] Now go to Figure 7A, illustrates example communications between various components of a network architecture 100, such as a computing device 110, a server 108, and an electronic medication storage cabinet 104, for implementing one or more technologies related to the functionality of medication administration described above, such as viewing, queuing, and / or dispensing medications.

[0080] For example, the computing device 110 may transmit a clinician identifier to the server 108 in response to the clinician logging into an application executing on the computing device 110 (block 701). Figure 1B Figures 1B-11 and 4 describe additional details of a clinician logging into an application and computing device 110 transmitting a clinician identifier to server 108. Server 108 receives the clinician identifier (block 702), and in response, server 108 may identify a patient assigned to the clinician and medications ordered and / or pending for the identified patient. Server 108 may transmit the identified medication order to computing device 110 (block 703). Additional details of server 108 identifying medications ordered and / or pending for a patient are described above, for example, with reference to Figures 1B-11 and 4.

[0081] As described above, computing device 110 may receive instructions from server 108 to activate and / or enable one or more medication management features (e.g., the queued medication feature) on computing device 110 based on the location of computing device 110. In response to receiving the instructions, one or more processors of computing device 110 may enable a user interface (e.g., a graphical icon, a graphical item, etc.) configured to receive input from a user (e.g., a clinician) of computing device 110 and associated with one or more medication management features (e.g., the queued medication feature) to activate and / or enable the one or more medication management features on computing device 110. Figure 7A Blocks 705-706 in FIG. 7 show example communications between the computing device 110 and the server 108 for queuing one or more ordered medications to an electronic medication storage cabinet 104. After the queuing functionality is activated and / or enabled on the computing device 110, the computing device 110 may receive input from a clinician selecting one or more medications ordered for one or more patients to be queued to the one or more electronic medication storage cabinets 104. In response to such input, the computing device 110 may transmit a request to queue the selected medications to the server 108 (block 705). In some embodiments, the computing device 110 may transmit an identifier of each ordered medication selected for queuing and an identifier of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 to which the ordered medication is queued. The server 108 receives the request to queue the medication selected by the clinician (block 706). For example, reference is made above to FIG. Figure 5 and 1B -1I describes additional details of the queued drug and associated queued drugs.

[0082] Figure 7A Blocks 707-712 in FIG. 7 show example communications between the computing device 110, the server 108, and the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 for activating and / or enabling a medication dispensing function on the computing device 110. As described above, in some embodiments, when the computing device 110 is within a predetermined threshold distance of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104, the computing device 110 may initiate a process of establishing a wireless connection with the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 by transmitting a wireless connection request and using a wireless communication protocol (e.g., pairing with the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 via a Bluetooth protocol) (block 707). When transmitting the wireless connection request, the computing device 110 may transmit an identifier of the computing device 110 to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 (e.g., including the identifier of the computing device 110 in the request transmitted to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104).

[0083] The electronic medication storage cabinet 104 may receive the request for a wireless connection and complete the wireless connection process by establishing a wireless connection with the computing device 110 (block 708). The electronic medication storage cabinet 104 may be configured to use an identifier of the computing device 110 when establishing a wireless connection with the computing device 110. The electronic medication storage cabinet 104 may transmit a message and / or notification to the server 108 notifying the server 108 of the wireless connection with the computing device 110 (block 709). The electronic medication storage cabinet 104 may transmit the identifier of the computing device 110 to the server 108 to identify the computing device 110 with which the wireless connection is established. For example, the above reference Figure 6 Additional details of establishing a wireless connection between the computing device 110 and the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 are described. The server 108 receives notification from the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 regarding the wireless connection between the computing device 110 and the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 (box 710). The server 108 may activate and / or enable the dispensing functionality of the computing device 110 by updating permissions stored in the server 108, and may transmit instructions to the computing device 110 for activating and / or enabling the dispensing functionality on the computing device 110 (box 711). The computing device 110 receives the instructions for activating and / or enabling the dispensing functionality (box 712). For example, as described above with reference to Figure 1B – 11 and 6 describe additional details for activating and / or enabling the dispensing functionality.

[0084] Figure 7ABoxes 713-716 in FIG. 7 show an example of communication between the computing device 110, the server 108, and the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 for dispensing medications from the electronic medication storage cabinet 104. In response to receiving input from a user to dispense one or more ordered medications, such as a clinician selecting a GUI item associated with a dispensing function for one or more ordered medications, the computing device 110 transmits a request to the server 108 to dispense the one or more medications (box 713). The server 108 receives the request to dispense one or more medication orders (box 714). As described above, the server 108 identifies one or more locations and / or pockets (e.g., identifiers of pockets) in the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 where the one or more ordered medications indicated in the request are stored. The server 108 transmits an instruction to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 to dispense the one or more ordered medications and the identifiers of the identified locations and / or pockets (box 715). The electronic medication storage cabinet 104 receives an instruction to dispense one or more medication orders and an identifier of the location and / or pocket where the one or more medication orders are stored (box 716). For example, the above reference Figure 6 Describes additional details for dispensing medication orders.

[0085] As described above, in some embodiments, the computing device 110 may transmit a request to dispense medication orders directly to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 with which it has established a wireless connection. Blocks 717–722 illustrate examples of communication between the computing device 110, the server 108, and the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 for implementations in which the computing device 110 transmits a request and / or instructions to dispense medications directly to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104. The computing device 110 transmits a request for the ordered medications directly to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 (block 717). The electronic medication storage cabinet 104 receives the request to dispense one or more medication orders (block 718). In response to receiving the request, the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 transmits a request to the server 108 for one or more locations for dispensing medications indicated in the request to dispense the one or more medication orders (block 719). The server 108 receives the request for the location of the one or more ordered medications (block 720). The server 108 transmits the location of one or more ordered medications in the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 (box 721), and the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 receives the location of one or more ordered medications (box 722). The location information can be used by the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 to identify which portion or portions of the cabinet 104 to be unlocked to provide access to the ordered medications. In some embodiments, these locations can be provided in a sequence to effectively unlock and relock areas of the cabinet 104. For example, if two medications are stored in security pockets within the same drawer, the locations of the two medications can be activated in sequence to avoid the need to close, lock, verify, and unlock the same drawer again. In this case, the system can detect the closing of the first security pocket and, in response, open a second security pocket within the same drawer. For example, reference is made above to Figure 1B - 11, 5 and 6 describe additional details of the server 108 identifying and transmitting the location of one or more ordered medications in the electronic medication storage cabinet.

[0086] In some implementations, computing device 110 may be configured to transmit a request for permissions for one or more functions of computing device 110, including, but not limited to, one or more medication management functions, one or more communication functions (e.g., a passphrase for establishing a wireless connection with another computing device), and the like, which are associated with the location of computing device 110, referred to herein as "location permissions." For example, one or more processors of computing device 110 may transmit location information of computing device 110 and a request for location permissions for computing device 110 to server 108. As described above, server 108 may identify one or more location permissions for one or more medication management functions (e.g., viewing ordered medications, queuing ordered medications, dispensing ordered medications, etc.) based on the location information of computing device 110. Blocks 723-727 illustrate example communications between computing device 110 and server 108 requesting one or more location permissions for computing device 110. Computing device 110 transmits a request for one or more location permissions to server 108 (block 723).

[0087] When transmitting a request for location permissions to server 108, computing device 110 may provide location information of computing device 110 to server 108. Server 108 receives a request for one or more location permissions from computing device 110 (block 724). Server 108 may receive the location information of computing device 110. Server 108 identifies the location permissions of computing device 110 (block 725). As described above, server 108 identifies one or more location permissions based on the location information of computing device 110. For example, as described above with reference to Figure 1B-1I 4 and 5 describe additional details for identifying one or more permissions for medication management functionality based on location information of a computing device. Server 108 transmits the identified location permissions to computing device 110 (block 726), and computing device 110 receives the identified location permissions (block 727).

[0088] For example, as described above, in some embodiments, the computing device 110 may transmit a location permission request to the server 108 to obtain a passphrase to establish a wireless connection with the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 and transmit the location information of the computing device 110 to the server 108. The server 108 may determine whether the computing device 110 is within a threshold area of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 and / or within a threshold distance from the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 based on the location information received from the computing device 110, and transmit the passphrase to the computing device 110 if the server 108 determines that the computing device 110 is within the threshold area and / or distance. The computing device 110 may use the passphrase transmitted by the server 108 to initiate and / or establish a wireless connection with the electronic medication storage cabinet 104. For example, as described above with reference to Figure 7A and7B (eg, blocks 707-710) describe the following between the computing device 110, the server 108, and the electronic storage cabinet 104: Figure 7C 727 for initiating and / or establishing a wireless connection between the computing device 110 and the electronic storage cabinet 104.

[0089] Similarly, computing device 110 may transmit location information and request location permission for receiving medication orders from server 108. If server 108 determines, based on the location information transmitted from computing device 110, that computing device 110 is within a predetermined threshold area and / or distance indicated for receiving medication orders, server 108 may transmit the medication orders to computing device 110. Figure 7A and 7B (e.g., blocks 701-704) and Figures 1B-1C , 5 and 6 describe the relationship between the computing device 110 and the server 108 Figure 7C , example communication flow for block 727 of FIGURE 10 for a computing device 110 receiving a medication order from an electronic storage cabinet 104. In yet another example, the computing device 110 may transmit location information to the server 108 and request location permission for one or more medication management functions, such as viewing, queuing, and / or dispensing medication orders. As described above, based on the received location information, the server 108 may determine whether the computing device 110 is within one or more threshold areas associated with the function of viewing, queuing, and / or dispensing medication orders, and activate and / or enable the function for the computing device 110. In some embodiments, if the server 108 determines that the computing device is not within a predetermined threshold area and / or a predetermined distance associated with the medication management function for which location permission was received, the server 108 may transmit instructions to the computing device 110 regarding the predetermined threshold area associated with the medication management function, such that a representation of the predetermined threshold area is displayed on a display device associated with the computing device 110. For example, the above reference Figure 7A and 7B (e.g., blocks 705-706, 713-716, 717-722) and Figures 1B-1C , 5 and 6, describe the following between the computing device 110, the server 108 and the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 Figure 7C Example communication flow for block 727 of FIG. 5 for activating and / or enabling medication management functionality, such as viewing, queuing, and / or dispensing medication orders.

[0090] In some embodiments, the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 may be configured to generate an alarm when one or more drawers remain open for a predetermined period of time. In some embodiments, the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 may be configured to generate an alarm when the computing device 110 wirelessly connected thereto is not within a threshold proximity (e.g., 1.5 feet, 2 feet, etc.) of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104, even if the predetermined period of time has not expired. In some embodiments, the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 may be configured not to generate an alarm when the computing device 110 is within the threshold proximity, even if the predetermined period of time for generating an alarm has expired. In some embodiments, if the computing device 110 is wirelessly connected to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104, the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 may be configured to generate an alarm and transmit a message indicating the one or more open drawers to the computing device 110 that initiated the dispensing process.

[0091] In some embodiments, the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 may be configured to transmit a message to the server 108 indicating that one or more drawers and / or pockets of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 have been opened. The server 108 may determine whether the location of the computing device 110 wirelessly connected to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 is within a threshold distance from the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 (e.g., proximate to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104, 1 foot away from the electronic medication storage cabinet 104, etc.). If the server 108 determines that the location of the computing device 110 is within the threshold distance from the electronic medication storage cabinet 104, the server 108 may pause an alarm of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104, wherein the alarm may be configured to trigger when a drawer and / or pocket of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 remains open for the predetermined time period and / or longer.

[0092] For example, the server 108 may transmit an instruction to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 to pause a corresponding alarm. If the server 108 determines that the computing device 110 is no longer within a threshold distance from the electronic medication storage cabinet 104, the server 108 may cause the corresponding alarm of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 to be activated. In some embodiments, if the computing device 110 is no longer wirelessly connected to the electronic medication storage cabinet 104, the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 may transmit a message to the server 108 to inform the computing device 110 that initiated the most recent dispensing process that one or more drawers of the electronic medication storage cabinet 104 are open.

[0093] Although some of the various figures show a number of logical stages in a particular order, stages that are not sequence-dependent may be reordered, and other stages may be combined or decomposed. While some reordering or other groupings are specifically mentioned, other groupings will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, and thus the ordering and groupings presented herein are not an exhaustive list of alternatives. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the stages may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof.

[0094] For purposes of explanation, the foregoing description has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, the illustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the claims to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. These embodiments have been selected to best explain the underlying principles of the claims and their practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to best utilize the embodiments with various modifications as suited to the particular use contemplated.

[0095] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative blocks, modules, elements, components, methods and algorithms described herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software or a combination of the two. In order to illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative blocks, modules, elements, components, methods and algorithms have been generally described above with respect to their functionality. Whether this function is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the entire system. The described function can be implemented in different ways for each specific application. Various components and blocks can be arranged in different ways (e.g., arranged in different orders, or divided in different ways), all of which do not depart from the scope of the subject technology.

[0096] It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed processes is illustrative of example methods. Based on design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the processes may be rearranged. Some steps may be performed simultaneously. The accompanying method claims present elements of various steps in a sample order and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0097] Description of the technology that is the subject of the clause

[0098] For convenience, examples of various aspects of the present disclosure are described as numbered clauses (1, 2, 3, etc.). These are provided as examples and do not limit the subject technology. The following figures and reference numbers are provided for example and illustrative purposes only, and the clauses are not limited by these numbers.

[0099] Item 1. A method comprising: receiving a current location of a computing device; based on the current location of the computing device, determining whether the computing device is within a first predetermined area associated with a predetermined medication management function, the predetermined medication management function operating one or more electronic medication storage cabinets when activated; confirming that a user of the computing device is authorized to receive information about one or more medications associated with one or more patients; based on confirming that the user is authorized, providing a graphical user interface for display at the computing device, the graphical user interface including corresponding representations of one or more first medication management functions and one or more second medication management functions associated with the storage of one or more medications; in response to determining that the computing device is within the first predetermined area: enabling the computing device to perform one or more first medication management functions associated with the first predetermined area, in response to selection of a displayed representation of the one or more first medication management functions, causing the corresponding electronic medication storage cabinet associated with the selected displayed representation to perform operations regarding the physical storage of medications associated with a patient in the one or more patients; and preventing the computing device from performing one or more second medication management functions not associated with the first predetermined area, wherein the corresponding electronic medication storage cabinet is remote from the computing device.

[0100] Clause 2. A method according to clause 1, wherein the one or more enabled medication management functions include queuing medications, the method further comprising: receiving a request from a computing device to queue one or more medications for distribution to a patient; identifying a first electronic medication storage cabinet storing the one or more medications based on the request and a storage mapping between the one or more medications and the one or more electronic medication storage cabinets; and enabling or disabling a representation of at least one medication management function of the first electronic medication storage cabinet in a graphical interface based on a first predetermined area in which the computing device is located and a previous association between the at least one medication management function and the first electronic medication storage cabinet.

[0101] Item 3. The method according to Item 2 further includes: identifying multiple electronic medicine storage cabinets associated with a first predetermined area; identifying a second electronic medicine storage cabinet among the multiple electronic medicine storage cabinets as an optimal electronic medicine storage cabinet based on the location of the second electronic medicine storage cabinet and the amount of medicine prescribed for the patient stored in the second electronic medicine storage cabinet; causing a graphical interface to display identifiers of multiple electronic medicine storage cabinets associated with the first predetermined area; and causing a graphical indication to be displayed on a display device associated with the computing device as an identifier close to the optimal electronic medicine storage cabinet.

[0102] Clause 4. A method according to clause 1, wherein one of the one or more enabled medication management functions is queuing medications, and the method further comprises: causing a graphical user interface to display corresponding identifiers of one or more electronic medication storage cabinets; based on the display of the corresponding identifiers, receiving a selection of an electronic medication storage cabinet to which to queue the one or more medications; based on the location information of the computing device, determining whether the computing device is within a first threshold distance of the selected electronic medication storage cabinet; and in response to determining that the computing device is within the first threshold distance, transmitting a passphrase to the computing device to enable the computing device to establish a wireless connection with the electronic medication storage cabinet.

[0103] Item 5. The method according to Item 4 further includes: receiving a message from the electronic medicine storage cabinet indicating that the wireless connection with the computing device is successful; in response to receiving the message, enabling a medication management function for dispensing for the computing device; and causing the graphical user interface to display the dispensing function as enabled.

[0104] Item 6. The method according to Item 5 further includes: receiving a request to dispense a medication set from an electronic medicine storage cabinet; identifying one or more pockets storing the medication set based on a storage mapping between an identifier of the medication set and pockets of the electronic medicine storage cabinet; and transmitting instructions to dispense medication from the identified one or more pockets to the electronic medicine storage cabinet.

[0105] Clause 7. The method according to Clause 6 further includes: automatically determining when the computing device is within a second threshold distance of the selected electronic medicine storage cabinet; and when the computing device is within the second threshold distance of the electronic medicine storage cabinet, opening a first drawer of the electronic medicine storage cabinet, wherein the first drawer includes a first pocket of the one or more identified pockets.

[0106] Item 8. The method according to Item 5 further includes: receiving a location request for a drug set in the electronic drug storage cabinet from the electronic drug storage cabinet, the request being in a dispensing request received by the electronic drug storage cabinet; identifying one or more pockets of the electronic drug storage cabinet based on a mapping between drugs and pockets of the electronic drug storage cabinet and the drug set in response to the location request; and transferring the one or more pockets together with the corresponding drugs to the electronic drug storage cabinet.

[0107] Clause 9. The method according to Clause 8 further includes: receiving a message from an electronic medicine storage cabinet indicating that one or more drawers of the electronic medicine storage cabinet are open; determining whether the computing device is within a threshold distance from the electronic medicine storage cabinet based on the location information of the computing device; and in response to determining that the computing device is within the threshold distance, pausing an alarm of the electronic medicine storage cabinet, the alarm being configured to indicate that one or more drawers are open within a predetermined time period.

[0108] Clause 10. The method according to clause 1 further includes: receiving a request for permission to enable a medication management function for one or more second medication management functions that are not associated with the first predetermined area; and in response to the request, providing a representation of the predetermined area associated with the medication management function for display at the computing device.

[0109] Item 11. A system comprising: a memory storing instructions; and one or more processors coupled to the memory, the processors configured to execute the instructions to cause the system to: receive a current location of a computing device; based on the current location of the computing device, determine whether the computing device is within a first predetermined area associated with a predetermined medication management function, the predetermined medication management function, when activated, operating one or more electronic medication storage cabinets; confirm that a user of the computing device is authorized to receive information about one or more medications associated with one or more patients; based on confirming that the user is authorized, provide a graphical user interface for display at the computing device, the graphical user interface including corresponding representations of the one or more first medication management functions and one or more second medication management functions associated with storage of the one or more medications; and when the computing device is within the first predetermined area: enable the computing device to perform the one or more first medication management functions associated with the first predetermined area, in response to selection of a displayed representation of the one or more first medication management functions, cause the corresponding electronic medication storage cabinet associated with the selected displayed representation to perform an operation with respect to physical storage of medications associated with a patient in the one or more patients; and prevent the computing device from performing one or more second medication management functions that are not associated with the first predetermined area, wherein the corresponding electronic medication storage cabinet is remote from the computing device.

[0110] Clause 12. A system according to clause 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions so that the system: receives a request from a computing device to queue one or more medications for dispensing to a patient; identifies a first electronic medicine storage cabinet storing the one or more medications based on the request and a storage mapping between the one or more medications and the one or more electronic medicine storage cabinets; and enables or disables the representation of at least one medication management function of the first electronic medicine storage cabinet in a graphical interface based on a first predetermined area in which the computing device is located and a previous association between the at least one medication management function and the first electronic medicine storage cabinet.

[0111] Clause 13. A system according to clause 12, wherein one or more processors are configured to execute instructions so that the system: identifies multiple electronic medicine storage cabinets associated with a first predetermined area; identifies a second electronic medicine storage cabinet among the multiple electronic medicine storage cabinets as an optimal electronic medicine storage cabinet based on the location of the second electronic medicine storage cabinet and the amount of medication prescribed for the patient stored in the second electronic medicine storage cabinet; causes a graphical interface to display identifiers of the multiple electronic medicine storage cabinets associated with the first predetermined area; and causes a graphical indication to be displayed on a display device associated with the computing device as an identifier close to the optimal electronic medicine storage cabinet.

[0112] Clause 14. A system according to clause 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to cause the system to: cause a graphical user interface to display corresponding identifiers of one or more electronic medicine storage cabinets; based on the display of the corresponding identifiers, receive a selection of an electronic medicine storage cabinet to which to queue one or more medications; based on location information of the computing device, determine whether the computing device is within a first threshold distance from the selected electronic medicine storage cabinet; and when the computing device is within the first threshold distance, transmit a passphrase to the computing device to establish a wireless connection between the computing device and the electronic medicine storage cabinet.

[0113] Clause 15. A system according to clause 14, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions so that the system: receives a message from the electronic medication storage cabinet indicating that the wireless connection with the computing device is successful, and when the message is received, enables a medication management function of dispensing for the computing device; and causes the graphical user interface to display the dispensing function as enabled.

[0114] Clause 16. A system according to clause 15, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions so that the system: receives a request to dispense a medication set from an electronic medication storage cabinet; identifies one or more pockets storing the medication set based on a storage mapping between an identifier of the medication set and pockets of the electronic medication storage cabinet; and transmits instructions to dispense medication from the identified one or more pockets to the electronic medication storage cabinet.

[0115] Clause 17. A system according to clause 16, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to cause the system to: automatically determine when the computing device is within a second threshold distance of the selected electronic medicine storage cabinet; and when the computing device is within the second threshold distance of the electronic medicine storage cabinet, cause a first drawer of the electronic medicine storage cabinet to open, wherein the first drawer includes a first pocket of the one or more identified pockets.

[0116] Clause 18. A system according to clause 15, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions so that the system: receives a location request for a medication set within the electronic medication storage cabinet from the electronic medication storage cabinet, the request being in a dispensing request received by the electronic medication storage cabinet; identifies one or more pockets of the electronic medication storage cabinet in response to the location request based on a mapping between medications and pockets of the electronic medication storage cabinet and the medication set; and transfers the one or more pockets along with the corresponding medications to the electronic medication storage cabinet.

[0117] Clause 19. A system according to clause 18, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions so that the system: receives a message from an electronic medicine storage cabinet indicating that one or more drawers of the electronic medicine storage cabinet are open; determines whether the computing device is within a threshold distance of the electronic medicine storage cabinet based on location information of the computing device; and when the computing device is within the threshold distance, suspends an alarm of the electronic medicine storage cabinet, the alarm being configured to indicate that one or more drawers are open within a predetermined time period.

[0118] Clause 20. A system according to clause 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to cause the system to: receive a request for permission to enable a medication management function to enable one or more second medication management functions that are not associated with the first predetermined area; and in response to the request, provide a representation of the predetermined area associated with the medication management function for display at the computing device.

[0119] Item 21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing device, perform a method comprising: receiving a current location of the computing device; based on the current location of the computing device, determining whether the computing device is within a first predetermined area associated with a predetermined medication management function, the predetermined medication management function operating one or more electronic medication storage cabinets when activated; confirming that a user of the computing device is authorized to receive information about one or more medications associated with one or more patients; based on confirming that the user is authorized, providing a graphical user interface for display at the computing device, the graphical user interface including corresponding representations of one or more first medication management functions and one or more second medication management functions associated with storage of the one or more medications; in response to determining that the computing device is within the first predetermined area: enabling the computing device to perform the one or more first medication management functions associated with the first predetermined area, in response to selection of a displayed representation of the one or more first medication management functions, causing the corresponding electronic medication storage cabinet associated with the selected displayed representation to perform operations regarding physical storage of medications associated with a patient in the one or more patients; and preventing the computing device from performing one or more second medication management functions not associated with the first predetermined area, wherein the corresponding electronic medication storage cabinet is remote from the computing device.

[0120] Further considerations

[0121] In some embodiments, any clause herein may depend on any independent clause or any dependent clause. In one aspect, any clause (e.g., dependent or independent clause) may be combined with any other one or more clauses (e.g., dependent or independent clause). In one aspect, a claim may include some or all of the words (e.g., steps, operations, methods, or components) cited in a clause, sentence, phrase, or paragraph. In one aspect, a claim may include some or all of the words cited in one or more clauses, sentences, phrases, or paragraphs. In one aspect, some of the words in each clause, sentence, phrase, or paragraph may be deleted. In one aspect, additional words or elements may be added to a clause, sentence, phrase, or paragraph. In one aspect, subject technology may be implemented without utilizing some components, elements, functions, or operations described herein. In one aspect, additional components, elements, functions, or operations may be utilized to implement the subject technology.

[0122] The previous description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. The previous description provides various examples of the subject technology, and the subject technology is not limited to these examples. Various modifications to these aspects will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other aspects. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are given the full scope consistent with the language claims, wherein, unless otherwise specified, referring to an element in the singular does not mean "one and only one", but means "one or more". Unless otherwise specifically stated, the term "some" refers to one or more. Positive pronouns (e.g., his) include negative and neuter (e.g., her and its), and vice versa. Titles and subtitles (if any) are for convenience only and do not limit the invention described herein.

[0123] As used herein, the term website may include any aspect of a website, including one or more web pages, one or more servers used to host or store content associated with the web pages, and the like. Thus, the term website may be used interchangeably with the terms web page and server. The predicates "configured to," "operable to," and "programmed to" do not imply any specific tangible or intangible modification of the subject, but are intended to be used interchangeably. For example, a processor configured to monitor and control an operation or component may also mean a processor programmed to monitor and control an operation or a processor operable to monitor and control an operation. Similarly, a processor configured to execute code may be interpreted as a processor programmed to execute code or operable to execute code.

[0124] As used herein, the term "automatically" may include the performance of a computer or machine without user intervention; for example, the response of a computer, machine, or other initiating mechanism to an instruction of a predicate action. The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example or illustration." Any aspect or design described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs.

[0125] Phrases such as “aspects” do not imply that the aspect is essential to the subject technology or that the aspect applies to all configurations of the subject technology. Disclosure relating to an aspect may apply to all configurations, or to one or more configurations. An aspect may provide one or more examples. Phrases such as “aspects” may refer to one or more aspects, and vice versa. Phrases such as “embodiments” do not imply that the embodiment is essential to the subject technology or that the embodiment applies to all configurations of the subject technology. Disclosure relating to an embodiment may apply to all embodiments, or to one or more embodiments. An embodiment may provide one or more examples. Phrases such as “embodiments” may refer to one or more embodiments, and vice versa. Phrases such as “configurations” do not imply that such configuration is essential to the subject technology or that such configuration applies to all configurations of the subject technology. Disclosure relating to a configuration may apply to all configurations, or to one or more configurations. A configuration may provide one or more examples. Phrases such as “configurations” may refer to one or more configurations, and vice versa.

Claims

1. A method comprising: receiving, by the server, a current location of the mobile computing device; confirming, by the server, that a user of the computing device is authorized to receive information regarding one or more medications associated with one or more patients; providing, by the server, for display at the computing device, a graphical user interface based on confirming that the user is authorized, the graphical user interface including representations of a plurality of medication management functions associated with the one or more patients; Based on the current location of the computing device, the server: When the received current location is within a first predetermined area, causing the user interface to enable display of one or more first functions of the medication management function for selection; and When the received current location is a second predetermined area, causing the user interface to disable display of the one or more first functions and enable display of one or more second functions of the medication management function for selection, wherein, when displayed and selected by the user from the user interface, the selected function of the first function or the second function causes a corresponding electronic medication storage cabinet associated with the selected function to perform operations related to the physical storage of medications associated with a patient of the one or more patients, Wherein, the corresponding electronic medicine storage cabinet is far away from the computing device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The one or more enabled medication management functions include queuing a medication, the method further comprising: receiving a request from the computing device to queue one or more medications for dispensing to the patient; identifying a first electronic medicine storage cabinet storing the one or more medications based on the request and a storage mapping between the one or more medications and the one or more electronic medicine storage cabinets; and Enable or disable representation of at least one medication management function of the first electronic medication storage cabinet in the graphical user interface based on the first predetermined area where the computing device is located and a previous association between the at least one medication management function and the first electronic medication storage cabinet.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: identifying a plurality of electronic medication storage cabinets associated with the first predetermined area; identifying a second electronic medicine storage cabinet among the plurality of electronic medicine storage cabinets as an optimal electronic medicine storage cabinet based on a location of the second electronic medicine storage cabinet and an amount of medication prescribed for the patient stored in the second electronic medicine storage cabinet; causing a graphical interface to display identifiers of the plurality of electronic medication storage cabinets associated with the first predetermined area; as well as A graphical indication is caused to be displayed on a display device associated with the computing device proximate to an identifier of the optimal electronic medication storage cabinet.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein One of the one or more enabled medication management functions is queuing a medication, and the method further comprises: causing the graphical user interface to display respective identifiers of the one or more electronic medication storage cabinets; receiving a selection of an electronic medication storage cabinet to queue one or more medications based on the display of the corresponding identifiers; determining, based on the received current location of the computing device, whether the computing device is within a first threshold distance from a selected electronic medication storage cabinet; and In response to determining that the computing device is within the first threshold distance, a passphrase is transmitted to the computing device to establish a wireless connection between the computing device and the electronic medication storage cabinet.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: receiving a message from the electronic medication storage cabinet indicating a successful wireless connection with the computing device; In response to receiving the message, enabling a medication management function for dispensing a medication for the computing device; as well as The graphical user interface is caused to display the medication management function as enabled.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: receiving a request for a dispensed medication set from the electronic medication storage cabinet; identifying one or more pockets storing the medication set based on a storage mapping between identifiers of the medication set and pockets of the electronic medication storage cabinet; as well as Instructions for dispensing medication from the identified pocket or pockets are transmitted to the electronic medication storage cabinet.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: automatically determining when the computing device is within a second threshold distance of a selected electronic medication storage cabinet; as well as When the computing device is within the second threshold distance of the electronic medicine storage cabinet, a first drawer of the electronic medicine storage cabinet is caused to open, wherein the first drawer includes a first pocket of the one or more identified pockets.

8. The method according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising: receiving a request from the electronic medication storage cabinet for a location of a collection of medications within the electronic medication storage cabinet, the request being in a dispense request received by the electronic medication storage cabinet; identifying, in response to the request for the location, one or more pockets of the electronic medication storage cabinet based on a mapping between medications and pockets of the electronic medication storage cabinet and the medication collection; as well as The corresponding locations of the one or more pockets and medications are transmitted to the electronic medication storage cabinet.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: receiving a message from the electronic medication storage cabinet indicating that one or more drawers of the electronic medication storage cabinet are open; determining, based on the received current location of the computing device, whether the computing device is within a threshold distance from the electronic medication storage cabinet; as well as In response to determining that the computing device is within the threshold distance, an alarm of the electronic medicine storage cabinet is suspended, the alarm configured to indicate that the one or more drawers are open for a predetermined period of time.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: receiving a request for permission to enable medication management functions of the one or more second medication management functions not associated with the first predetermined area; as well as In response to the request, a representation of a predetermined area associated with the medication management function is provided for display at the computing device.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising: The current location is received from a global positioning system (GPS) of the computing device.

12. A system comprising: a memory for storing instructions; and One or more processors, coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to cause the system to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a computing device, implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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