Mobile system for dispensing medications

Abstract

A mobile system for dispensing medication is disclosed. The subject technology provides at least a method of drug management. The subject technology receives, at a mobile device, information about a medication order from a server via a network interface. The subject technology sends an indication of a medication order to a medication dispensing device with a mobile device over a short-range wireless interface, the indication causing the medication dispensing device to provide access to a medication corresponding to the medication order. Further, the subject technology utilizes a mobile device to send distribution information to a server via a network interface, the distribution information corresponding to the medication provided by the medication distribution device.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese patent application No. 201980053818.0, filed on August 6, 2019, entitled "Mobile System for Dispensing Drugs".

[0002] Cross-reference to related applications

[0003] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62 / 716,302 entitled “MOBILE SYSTEM FOR DISPENSING MEDICATION”, filed August 8, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes and forms part of this U.S. Patent Application. Attached Figure Description

[0004] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an example of a drug management system.

[0005] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of an example method for managing drugs.

[0006] Figures 3A to 3D This is an example of a user interface that can be used in a drug management system.

[0007] Figure 4 This is a block diagram of an example of a computer system that can be implemented in a drug management system.

[0008] In one or more embodiments, not all components shown in each figure may be required, and one or more embodiments may include additional components not shown in the figures. Variations in the arrangement and type of components may be made without departing from the scope of this subject matter disclosure. Within the scope of this subject matter disclosure, additional components, different components, or fewer components may be used. Detailed Implementation

[0009] The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of various embodiments and is not intended to represent the only embodiments in which the subject matter can be practiced. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various different ways without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the drawings and descriptions are to be considered illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

[0010] Automated drug dispensing systems can be used to support decentralized drug management with a variety of features designed to improve safety and efficiency. As an example, such systems can help clinicians dispense medications accurately and support pharmacy workflows through the use of secure authentication and automated tracking of drug inventory and access.

[0011] An example of an automated medication dispensing system could employ a computer locally coupled to a medication dispensing device, such as a refrigerator or dispensing cabinet that provides locked containers for storing medications. The local computer could provide a user interface for nurses or other practitioners to access the medications locked in the dispensing device, as well as the ability to communicate with a remote server to receive medication orders from the server or provide dispensing information to the server to update the database. However, space constraints may make implementing a local computer in an automated medication dispensing system impractical, and furthermore, using a local computer could lead to inefficient queuing in situations where multiple nurses need to access the same medication dispensing device to treat multiple patients in a shared facility.

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example medication management system 100. The medication management system 100 includes, or otherwise comprises, medication dispensing devices 120, mobile devices 130, an electronic medical record (EMR) terminal 140, a server 150, and a network 160. Each of the medication dispensing devices 120 may include a container configured to hold medication, which can be unlocked or otherwise accessed via local or short-range communication with the mobile devices 130. Each of the mobile devices 130 may be configured to communicate with a remote server 150 via the network 160 to receive medication order information and / or send dispensing information to the server 150, allowing the server 150 to update data.

[0013] Each of the mobile devices 130 may be implemented, for example, as a smartphone, tablet computer, wearable device (e.g., smartwatch), or any other suitable portable communication device capable of running applications (e.g., mobile applications) and communicating with the drug delivery device 120 via Bluetooth, near-field communication (NFC), Wi-Fi, or other suitable short-range wireless interfaces. Figure 1The system includes multiple mobile devices 130 and multiple drug dispensing devices 120, each mobile device 130 being configured to communicate with the multiple drug dispensing devices 120, and similarly, each drug dispensing device 120 being configured to communicate with the multiple medical devices 130. This allows for a flexible framework in which computing devices associated with receiving drug orders and / or unlocking drug dispensing devices 120 can move with nurses or other practitioners, rather than being tied to individual drug dispensing devices 120. This can also, for example, allow nurses or other practitioners to queue drug orders in mobile devices 130, rather than having to queue at a local terminal to enter orders. However, while multiple drug dispensing devices 120 and multiple mobile devices 130 are included in the example drug management system 100 and can be configured to communicate as described above, other implementations are possible. For example, in some implementations, only one mobile device 130 or any other suitable number of mobile devices may be included. Additionally or alternatively, only one drug dispensing device 120 or any other suitable number of dispensing devices may be included. Alternatively or additionally, each mobile device 130 may be configured to communicate only with one or any other suitable subset of the drug delivery devices 120.

[0014] When a specific mobile device 130 and a drug dispensing device 120 are sufficiently close to each other, communication can be established between the mobile device 130 and the drug dispensing device 120 via a short-range wireless interface. This allows the mobile device 130 to issue commands to the drug dispensing device 120 to unlock or access the drugs stored therein. Additionally or alternatively, this communication may allow the mobile device 130 to obtain drug dispensing or inventory information from the drug dispensing device 120. Using short-range or local communication between the mobile device 130 and the drug dispensing device 120 can enhance security and safety by restricting the mobile device 130 to unlocking or accessing the drug dispensing device 120 only when they are sufficiently close to each other.

[0015] In some embodiments, the subject matter enables automatic pairing of a specific mobile device 130 with a specific drug delivery device 120 (e.g., when the short-range wireless interface is Bluetooth), facilitated by an NFC link established by the NFC circuitry provided by the specific mobile device 130 or by a badge associated with a clinician. According to various embodiments, both the mobile device 130 and the drug delivery device 120 may include NFC circuitry such that a connection (e.g., an NFC link) is triggered between the two devices when they are within range of each other. For example, communication between two NFC-enabled devices can occur when the specific mobile device 130 and the specific drug delivery device 120 are very close (e.g., within an NFC range corresponding to no more than 91 cm), activating the corresponding NFC circuitry on each device and allowing the automatic establishment of an NFC link. This link is used to quickly provide pairing information, enabling the automatic establishment of a secondary wireless connection between the devices using a peer-to-peer pairing process, without requiring the clinician to manually select a drug delivery device (e.g., from a list) or access credentials to complete the pairing process. This link can be used to transmit other parameters related to a specific drug delivery device 120. Such other parameters may include, for example, hash information, randomization information, Bluetooth local name, service class identifier, device category information, etc., which can be used as part of the authentication process.

[0016] A specific drug dispensing device 120 may include an active or passive NFC circuitry to enable NFC-related communication between two devices and to transmit pairing information and / or related parameters. When the mobile device 130 includes an active NFC circuitry, the mobile device can directly receive pairing information and / or parameters from the drug dispensing device 120. In some embodiments, a clinician's badge can be used to initiate NFC communication. The passive NFC circuitry in the badge can transmit the clinician's identifier to the drug dispensing device. The drug dispensing device can then send the pairing information (including any related parameters) along with the identifier to a centralized server 150, and the server can push the information to the mobile device. At this point, the mobile device 130 receives the information and can use the received information to automatically initiate and complete an auxiliary wireless connection. The server can also check the clinician's authorization to access the drug dispensing device before providing information to the mobile device, and / or can provide authentication information to the mobile device, which can then be transmitted to the drug dispensing device via the auxiliary wireless connection for authentication at the drug dispensing device.

[0017] The auxiliary wireless connection may be a Bluetooth connection. Each of the drug delivery devices 120 may include a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon, or other suitable wireless transmitter or transceiver, beacon, or interface capable of communicating with one or more mobile devices 130. When an NFC connection is established, the drug delivery device 120 may send the address (e.g., MAC address) of the BLE beacon associated with the drug delivery device 120 to the mobile device 130 via the NFC connection. The mobile device 130 may then use this address to automatically connect to the BLE beacon of the drug delivery device 120 and begin communication. In some embodiments, a pairing PIN code may also be sent via the NFC connection, enabling secure pairing between the two devices without requiring a clinician to manually confirm the PIN code when initiating the pairing process. After the authentication process is completed, the specific mobile device 130 and the specific drug delivery device 120 may then automatically pair via Bluetooth, at least in part, based on the device address of the specific drug delivery device 120 and other parameters associated with the specific drug delivery device 120.

[0018] The aforementioned technical solutions accelerate the pairing and connection process by establishing a fast connection between two devices. NFC links facilitate the pairing process between two devices (e.g., via Bluetooth), providing a different communication link (e.g., Bluetooth connection), which advantageously offers higher network bandwidth, throughput, and / or range capabilities, thereby supporting more complex functions than NFC links.

[0019] In some implementations, multiple drug dispensing devices 120 can be linked, and each dispensing device can be configured to receive drug requests or orders and locate the drugs in another linked device. In this regard, a clinician's specific mobile device 120 can automatically connect to a drug dispensing device 120 to enter orders for one or more drugs, regardless of where those drugs can be stored, and without having to queue with other clinicians at a single terminal. In some implementations, while a clinician's specific mobile device 130 is paired with a specific drug dispensing device 120, the pairing process at the specific drug dispensing device 120 can prevent other clinicians from pairing with or accessing drugs in that device, or lock other clinicians from pairing with or accessing drugs in that device. In some implementations, a specific drug dispensing device 120 can be configured for multiple pairings, but access to drugs in a single device can be restricted based on software queuing.

[0020] For example, multiple clinicians can connect to the first drug dispensing device 120 using the previously described wireless pairing process and simultaneously enter orders for various medications. A first requested medication and a second requested medication are available at the first drug dispensing device, while a third requested medication is available at the second drug dispensing device. The system can require a second clinician who places an order for the second requested medication to wait for the first clinician who places an order for the first requested medication to retrieve the first requested medication before the second clinician is granted access to the first drug dispensing device. However, a third clinician may be able to place orders for the third medication at both the second and third drug dispensing devices while others access the first drug dispensing device.

[0021] Each mobile device 130 may employ secure authentication (such as biometrics, password authentication, and / or other credentials) to prevent unauthorized access by anyone other than an authorized nurse or other practitioner possessing the mobile device 130. Examples of biometric authentication include fingerprint authentication, facial recognition, and iris recognition. Examples of password authentication include passwords, identification codes, and other knowledge-based authentication factors. As previously mentioned, this information can be transmitted during the pairing process via an NFC link or a Bluetooth connection to authenticate the clinician to the appropriate drug dispensing device 120.

[0022] Each medication dispensing device 120 may be implemented, for example, as a refrigerator, an automated dispensing cabinet, or a combination thereof, comprising one or more containers configured to store medication therein. One or more dispensing devices 120 may also include, for example, a locking mechanism or other suitable access control mechanism for allowing access to the containers or medication dispensing only upon receiving an appropriate command from the mobile device 130 via a BLE beacon or other local communication interface.

[0023] One or more mobile devices 130 may also each include a network interface for communicating with a remote server 150 via a network 160 (such as the Internet or another suitable data network). One or more mobile devices 130 may include applications or other suitable programs that configure one or more mobile devices 130 to receive from the server 150 drug order information associated with drugs to be accessed from the distribution device 120. Additionally or alternatively, one or more mobile devices 130 may be configured to provide commands to one or more drug distribution devices 120 to unlock containers to access drugs stored therein. Additionally or alternatively, one or more mobile devices 130 may be configured to provide drug distribution information to the server 150, wherein the drug distribution information is associated with one or more drug distribution events involving the drug distribution device 120.

[0024] Mobile device 130 may include, for example, one or more input and / or output devices that can provide a user interface for receiving input from a user and / or providing drug-related output to the user. For example, the user interface may output a notification (e.g., a push notification) when a new drug order is received from server 150, and / or the user interface may provide input to select a specific patient or drug, or to initiate unlocking or access to a container in drug dispensing device 120. Examples of input devices include touchscreens, touchpads, microphones, buttons, and any other devices that allow users to input information or provide commands via the mobile device. Examples of output devices include displays, speakers, haptic vibrations, and other suitable devices that allow interaction with the user to transmit information to the user. Examples of user interfaces that may be provided in mobile device 130 are described below. Figures 3A to 3D As shown in the image.

[0025] Server 150 may be implemented, for example, as a physical server operating on one or more computing devices and / or a cloud-based server, which may collaborate with mobile device 130 to provide medication order information and / or receive medication dispensing information. Additionally or alternatively, server 150 may collaborate with EMR terminal 140 or other suitable devices to receive medication orders from physicians or other healthcare practitioners capable of prescribing medications. Server 150 may be configured to receive medication orders entered into a patient's EMR or other electronic records via one or more EMR terminals 140 and collaborate with applications running on mobile device 130 to provide medication order information to the appropriate nurse or physician. Additionally or alternatively, server 150 may be configured to update or maintain pharmacy information system (PIS) or other drug-related data based on dispensing information received from mobile device 130.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an example method 200 for drug administration. Method 200 can, for example, use... Figure 1 The drug management system 100 shown in the figure is implemented. Figures 3A to 3D Examples of user interfaces 300a to 300d that can be implemented in a mobile device, for example, in conjunction with method 200.

[0027] like Figure 2As shown, at 262, a new medication order can be generated at EMR terminal 140 based on a doctor or other appropriate medical professional (e.g., MD) ordering medication for a patient in an EMR or other appropriate electronic record. The medication order may include information identifying the medication (or drug) to be provided to a specific patient. At 264, EMR terminal 140 sends the medication order to server 150 via a network (e.g., network 160) or otherwise sends information about the medication order.

[0028] At point 266, server 150 receives a medication order or otherwise receives information about a medication order. At point 268, server 150 sends a medication order or otherwise sends information about a medication order to mobile device 130 via a network, such as through a mobile application running on a mobile device.

[0029] At point 272, the mobile device receives a notification of a new medical order from server 150. At this stage, the mobile device 130 can, for example, present the notification of the new medication order via a user interface (e.g., a push notification), such as... Figure 3A The example display interface 300a shown is illustrated in the example. Alternatively, no notification needs to be presented, and the user can simply view the medication order information when they choose to open or otherwise access the application on the mobile device 130.

[0030] At point 274, when a user (e.g., a nurse or practitioner) accesses the application, mobile device 130 may present all available medication orders, or patients with incomplete medication orders, or otherwise present information about them through an appropriate user interface. Figure 3B An example of display interface 300b is shown, which displays a list of several patients with corresponding medication orders. The user interface can also provide the user with the option to select a desired patient and / or medication for that patient, for example, through user input to an appropriate input device. Examples of display interfaces 300b and 300c (which show the selection of patients and medications for specific patients) are shown respectively. Figure 3B and Figure 3C As shown in the image.

[0031] At point 276, mobile device 130 selects a medication corresponding to a drug order based on received user input. For example, the medication can be selected by the user after choosing a suitable patient and one or more suitable medications, and then selecting... Figure 3CWhen selecting a medication, the mobile device 130 can automatically connect to a medication dispensing device 120 that is sufficiently close to the mobile device 130, as described above, and transmit the selection to the medication dispensing device 120 or otherwise transmit an instruction for a medication order, and send a command or otherwise initiate the dispensing of medication from the medication dispensing device 120. Although Figure 2 Not shown, but as described above, before or after receiving or selecting a medication order, the mobile device 130 can establish a connection to the appropriate medication dispensing device 120, for example, via Bluetooth pairing. If the connected medication dispensing device does not currently store the requested medication corresponding to the medication order, the connected medication dispensing device can notify the mobile device (and the clinician) of the location of another medication dispensing device where the medication can be retrieved.

[0032] At point 278, the drug dispensing device 120 (identified as containing medication) unlocks the appropriate container containing the medication corresponding to the medication order, or otherwise dispenses the medication contained within the drug dispensing device 120. When the mobile device 130 is identified as being within range of or paired with the drug dispensing device 120 (e.g., as described above) and the clinician is properly authenticated to the device, the drug dispensing device 120 can be configured to unlock only the container or otherwise dispense the medication. The dispensing device 120 can be configured to unlock the container or otherwise dispense the medication upon receiving a command or other appropriate communication from the mobile device 130 via a short-range wireless interface. If the drug dispensing device 120 contains multiple containers or compartments corresponding to multiple medications, the drug dispensing device 120 can, for example, be configured to unlock only one or more containers containing one or more selected medications corresponding to the medication order.

[0033] At point 284, mobile device 130 can close the drug dispensing transaction, for example, based on confirmation from the user or other user input. Figure 3D The image shows an example of a display interface 300d that provides users with a way to close the transaction after retrieving the desired medication.

[0034] At point 282, after unlocking the container, the medication dispensing device 120 locks the container from which the medication is dispensed and from which the user retrieves the medication. The container may be locked, for example, when the mobile device 130 closes the transaction and sends a command or other communication indicating that the dispensing transaction has been completed to the medication dispensing device 120. Additionally or alternatively, for security reasons, the container may be automatically relocked, for example, after a fixed period of time.

[0035] At point 286, mobile device 130 sends distribution information to server 150 via the network. The distribution information may, for example, be sent when a transaction is closed (e.g., when a nurse is...). Figure 3D (When "Yes" is selected in the display interface 300d shown in the figure) the distribution information is sent. The distribution information may include, for example, the amount and / or type of drug distributed, the time of the distribution event, or other information associated with the drug distribution event. The distribution information may be based, for example, on monitoring performed automatically by the drug distribution device 120.

[0036] At 288, server 150 receives distribution information from mobile device 130. At 292, server 150 updates the pharmacy information system (PIS) included in or otherwise coupled to server 150 based on the distribution information associated with the distribution event.

[0037] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating an example computer system 400, which can be used to implement any one or more mobile devices 130, one or more EMR terminals 140, or one or more servers 150.

[0038] Computer system 400 includes a bus 408 or other communication mechanism for transmitting information, and a processor 402 coupled to the bus 408 for processing information. As an example, computer system 400 may be implemented using one or more processors 402. Processor 402 may be a general-purpose microprocessor, microcontroller module, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), programmable logic device (PLD), control module, state machine, gating logic, discrete hardware component, or any other suitable entity capable of performing computation or other information manipulation.

[0039] In addition to hardware, computer system 400 may include code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question, such as code constituting processor firmware, protocol stack, database management system, operating system, or combinations of one or more of these stored in included memory 404, such as random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, DVD, or any other suitable storage device coupled to bus 408 to store information and instructions to be executed by processor 402. Processor 402 and memory 404 may be complemented or incorporated into a dedicated logic circuit system.

[0040] Instructions may be stored in memory 404 and implemented in one or more computer program products, i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a computer-readable medium for execution by or to control the operation of computer system 400, and in accordance with any method known to those skilled in the art, including but not limited to computer languages ​​such as data-oriented languages ​​(e.g., SQL, dBase), system languages ​​(e.g., C, Objective-C, C++, assembly language), architecture languages ​​(e.g., Java, .NET), and application languages ​​(e.g., PHP, Ruby, Perl, Python). Instructions can also be implemented in computer languages, such as array languages, aspect-oriented languages, assembly languages, compilation languages, command-line interface languages, compiled languages, concurrent languages, brace languages, dataflow languages, data structure languages, declarative languages, esoteric languages, extended languages, fourth-generation languages, functional languages, interactive mode languages, interpreted languages, iterative languages, list-based languages, small languages, logic-based languages, machine languages, macro languages, metaprogramming languages, multi-standard languages, numerical analysis languages, non-English-based languages, object-oriented class-based languages, object-oriented prototype-based languages, offside rule languages, procedural languages, reflection languages, rule-based languages, scripting languages, stack-based languages, synchronization languages, syntax processing languages, visual languages, Wirth languages, and XML-based languages. Memory 404 can also be used to store temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions executed by processor 402.

[0041] The computer programs discussed herein do not necessarily correspond to files in a file system. Programs may be stored as a portion of a file containing other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), as a single file dedicated to the program discussed, or as portions of multiple coordination files (e.g., a file storing portions of one or more modules, subroutines, or code). Computer programs may be deployed to execute on a single computer, at a single site, or distributed across multiple sites interconnected by a communication network. The processes and logical flows described in this specification may be executed by one or more programmable processors that execute one or more computer programs to perform functions by manipulating input data and generating output.

[0042] Computer system 400 also includes a data storage device 406, such as a disk or optical disk, coupled to bus 408 for storing information and instructions. Computer system 400 can be coupled to various devices via input / output module 410. Input / output module 410 can be any input / output module. Exemplary input / output module 410 includes a data port, such as a USB port. Input / output module 410 is configured to connect to communication module 412. Exemplary communication module 412 includes networking interface cards, such as Ethernet cards and modems. In some aspects, input / output module 410 is configured to connect to multiple devices, such as input device 414 and / or output device 416. Examples of input devices 414 include keyboards and pointing devices (e.g., mice or trackballs) through which users can provide input to computer system 400. Other types of input devices 414 can also be used to provide interaction with the user, such as haptic input devices, visual input devices, audio input devices, or brain-computer interface devices. For example, the feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, such as visual, auditory, or tactile feedback; and input from the user can be received in any form, including acoustic, voice, tactile, or brainwave input. Examples of output devices 416 include display devices for displaying information to the user, such as LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors.

[0043] According to one aspect of this disclosure, method 200 or any part thereof can be implemented using computer system 400 in response to processor 402 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in memory 404. Such instructions may be read into memory 404 from another machine-readable medium, such as data storage device 406. Execution of the sequence of instructions contained in main memory 404 causes processor 402 to perform the process steps described herein. One or more processors in a multiprocessor arrangement may also be used to execute the sequence of instructions contained in memory 404. Alternatively, various aspects of this disclosure may be implemented using hardwired circuitry instead of software instructions, or in combination with software instructions. Therefore, aspects of this disclosure are not limited to any particular combination of hardware circuitry and software.

[0044] The various aspects of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented in a computing system that includes back-end components such as data servers, or middleware components (e.g., application servers), or front-end components (e.g., client computers with graphical user interfaces or web browsers through which users can interact with embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification), or any combination of one or more such back-end components, middleware components, or front-end components. The components of the system can be interconnected via digital data communication (e.g., a communication network) of any form or medium. The communication network (e.g., network 160) can include any one or more of, for example, a LAN, a WAN, the Internet, etc. Furthermore, the communication network can include, but is not limited to, any one or more of, the following network topologies: bus network, star network, ring network, mesh network, star-bus network, tree or hierarchical network, etc. The communication module can be, for example, a modem or an Ethernet card.

[0045] Computer system 400 may include clients and servers. Any one or more of mobile devices 130 and / or EMR terminals 140 may be configured, for example, as clients of server 150. Clients and servers are typically geographically separated and typically interact via a communication network. The client-server relationship is generated by computer programs running on their respective computers and having a client-server relationship with each other. Computer system 400 may be, for example, but not limited to, a desktop computer, laptop computer, or tablet computer. Computer system 400 may also be embedded in another device, for example, but not limited to, a mobile phone, PDA, mobile audio player, Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, video game console, and / or set-top box.

[0046] As used herein, the term "machine-readable storage medium" or "computer-readable medium" refers to any one or more media that participates in providing instructions to processor 402 for execution. Such media can take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical discs or magnetic disks, such as data storage device 406. Volatile media include dynamic memory, such as memory 404. Transmission media include coaxial cables, copper wires, and optical fibers, including conductors containing bus 408. Common forms of machine-readable media include, for example, floppy disks, floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tape, any other magnetic media, CD-ROMs, DVDs, any other optical media, punched cards, paper tape, any other physical media with a perforated pattern, RAM, PROM, EPROM, flash EPROM, any other memory chip or cassette tape, or any other media from which a computer can read. Machine-readable storage media can be machine-readable storage devices, machine-readable storage substrates, memory devices, compositions of substances that influence machine-readable propagation signals, or combinations of one or more of these. Computer-readable media can be non-transitory.

[0047] Unless otherwise specified, references to elements in the singular form are not intended to mean "one and only one," but rather "one or more." For example, a module can refer to one or more modules. Without further restriction, elements beginning with "a," "an," "the," or "the" do not preclude the presence of additional identical elements.

[0048] Titles and subtitles (if any) are used for convenience only and do not limit the invention. The word "exemplary" is used to indicate that it is used as an example or illustration. With regard to the use of the terms "comprising," "having," etc., such terms are intended to be included in a manner similar to the term "including," as interpreted when "including" is used as a transition word in the claims. Relational terms such as "first" and "second" can be used to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between these entities or actions.

[0049] Phrases such as "one aspect," "this aspect," "on the other hand," "some aspects," "one or more aspects," "implementation," "this implementation," "another implementation," "some implementations," "one or more implementations," "example," "this example," "another example," "some examples," "one or more examples," "configuration," "this configuration," "another configuration," "some configurations," "one or more configurations," "the subject matter," "disclosure," "this disclosure," and "other variations thereof" are used for convenience and do not imply that disclosures associated with one or more such phrases are necessary for the subject matter or that such disclosures apply to all configurations of the subject matter. Disclosures associated with one or more such phrases may apply to all configurations or to one or more configurations. Disclosures associated with one or more such phrases may provide one or more examples. Phrases such as "one aspect" or "some aspects" may refer to one or more aspects, and vice versa, and this similarly applies to other foregoing phrases.

[0050] The phrase "at least one" preceding a series of items that use the terms "and" or "or" to separate one of the items modifies the list as a whole, not each member of the list. The phrase "at least one" does not require the selection of at least one of the listed items; rather, it allows for the inclusion of at least one of any of these items, and / or at least one of any combination of these items, and / or at least one of each of these items. For example, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" or "at least one of A, B, or C" refers to only A, only B, or only C, any combination of A, B, and C, and / or at least one of each of A, B, and C.

[0051] It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of the disclosed steps, operations, or processes is an illustration of exemplary methods. Unless expressly stated otherwise, it should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps, operations, or processes may be performed in a different order. Some steps, operations, or processes may be performed simultaneously. The appended method claims (if any) present elements of various steps, operations, or processes in an exemplary order and are not intended to limit one to the specific order or hierarchy presented. These may be performed sequentially, linearly, in parallel, or in different orders. It should be understood that the described instructions, operations, and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software / hardware product or packaged into multiple software / hardware products.

[0052] This disclosure is provided to enable those skilled in the art to practice the aspects described herein. In some cases, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the concept of the subject matter. This disclosure provides various examples of the subject matter, and the subject matter is not limited to these examples. Various modifications to these aspects will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the principles described herein can be applied to other aspects.

[0053] All structural and functional equivalents of elements throughout the various aspects described herein that are known or will be known by one of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Furthermore, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be exclusive to the public, whether or not such disclosure is expressly stated in the claims. No claim element shall be construed pursuant to 35 USC §112(f) or §112 subsection 6, unless the element is expressly stated using the phrase “means for…” or, in the case of a method claim, using the phrase “steps for…”.

[0054] A brief description of the title, background, figures, abstract, and figures are incorporated herein and provided as illustrative examples rather than as limiting descriptions. They are submitted with the understanding that they are not intended to limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Furthermore, it will be apparent from the detailed description that it provides illustrative examples, and various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of simplifying the disclosure. The disclosed methods should not be construed as reflecting an intention to require more features than expressly stated in each claim. Rather, as reflected in the claims, the inventive subject matter lies in fewer than all the features of a configuration or operation disclosed in a single disclosure. The claims are thus incorporated into the detailed description, wherein each claim exists independently as a separately claimed subject matter.

[0055] The claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects described herein, but rather to conform to the full scope consistent with the language of the claims and to encompass all legal equivalents. Nevertheless, no claim is intended to include subject matter that does not meet the requirements of applicable patent law, nor should they be interpreted in this manner.

Claims

1. A method for drug administration, the method comprising: Information about drug orders is received from the server (150) via a network interface at the mobile device (130); A first near-field communication (NFC) connection is established between the mobile device (130) and the drug delivery device (120); The mobile device (130) receives pairing information from the drug dispensing device (120) via the first NFC connection for connecting the mobile device (130) to the drug dispensing device (120); Using the pairing information received through the first NFC connection, a short-range wireless connection different from the first NFC connection is automatically established through a peer-to-peer pairing process to wirelessly connect the mobile device (130) to the drug delivery device (120). A drug request, including the drug order, is sent from the mobile device (130) to the drug delivery device (120) via a short-range wireless interface to initiate the delivery of the drug corresponding to the drug order. The drug request enables the drug delivery device (120) to provide access to the drug corresponding to the drug order. as well as The mobile device (130) sends distribution information to the server (150) via the network interface, the distribution information corresponding to the drug provided by the drug delivery device (120).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pairing information includes the device address of the drug delivery device (120); and wherein automatically establishing the short-range wireless connection between the mobile device (130) and the drug delivery device (120) based on the determined pairing information includes: The NFC circuitry provided by the mobile device (130) is used to detect that the mobile device (130) is within a specific range of the drug dispensing device (120); and The mobile device (130) and the drug delivery device (120) are paired at least in part based on the device address of the drug delivery device (120).

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the short-range wireless connection includes a Bluetooth connection, and wherein pairing the mobile device (130) and the drug delivery device (120) comprises: Based on the determined device address, a Bluetooth connection is established between the mobile device (130) and the drug delivery device (120).

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the Bluetooth connection enables the drug delivery device (120) to lock other users from accessing the drug delivery device (120) when the Bluetooth connection is activated.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the device address is a Bluetooth device address, and wherein the method further comprises: The pairing code is determined by combining the determined device address; as well as The mobile device (130) sends the pairing code to the drug delivery device (120) via the Bluetooth connection to pair the mobile device (130) and the drug delivery device (120) based on the device address and the pairing code.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: The mobile device (130) sends authentication information associated with the user of the mobile device (130) to the drug delivery device (120) via the Bluetooth connection to pair the mobile device (130) and the drug delivery device (120).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the medication order is received from an electronic medical record (EMR) terminal (140), and the medication order includes information identifying the medication to be provided to a particular patient.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the drug dispensing device (120) is a first dispensing device, and a drug request is sent to the first dispensing device, and wherein enabling the drug dispensing device (120) to provide access to the drug comprises: Receive an indication from the first dispensing device that the drug is stored in the second dispensing device; as well as The mobile device (130) connects to the second distribution device based on the drug request sent to the first distribution device. The distribution information includes an indication of the second distribution device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the distribution information is sent in response to closing a transaction corresponding to selecting an element in the user interface of the mobile device (130).

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the distribution information includes the amount or type of drug distributed, or the time of an event corresponding to the distribution of the drug.

11. A drug dispensing device (120), comprising: Short-range wireless interface; processor; as well as The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the drug dispensing device (120) to perform operations including: Automatically establish a first near-field communication (NFC) connection with the mobile device (130); Pairing information is provided to the mobile device (130) via the first NFC connection; Using the pairing information received from the mobile device (130), a short-range wireless connection different from the first NFC connection is automatically established with the mobile device (130) through a peer-to-peer process; Receive a drug request for the drug from the mobile device (130) via the short-range wireless connection; In response to receiving the drug request, access to the drug is provided; as well as Distribution information, which corresponds to the distribution of the drug, is sent to the server (150) via the network.

12. The drug dispensing device (120) according to claim 11, wherein the pairing information includes the device address of the drug dispensing device (120), and wherein automatically establishing a short-range wireless connection includes: The mobile device (130) and the drug delivery device (120) are paired at least in part based on the device address.

13. The drug delivery device (120) of claim 12, wherein the short-range wireless connection includes a Bluetooth connection, and wherein pairing the mobile device (130) and the drug delivery device (120) comprises: Based on the determined device address, a Bluetooth connection is established between the mobile device (130) and the drug delivery device (120).

14. The drug dispensing device (120) according to claim 13, wherein the operation further comprises: When the Bluetooth connection is active, it prevents other users from accessing the drug dispensing device (120).

15. The drug dispensing device (120) according to claim 13, wherein the device address is a Bluetooth device address, and wherein the operation further includes: A pairing code is provided to the mobile device (130) in conjunction with the provided device address; as well as The pairing code is received from the mobile device (130) via the Bluetooth connection. The mobile device (130) and the drug delivery device (120) are paired based on the device address and the pairing code.

16. The drug dispensing device (120) according to claim 15, further comprising: Receive authentication information associated with the user of the mobile device (130) from the mobile device (130) via the Bluetooth connection; as well as In response to receiving the authentication information via the Bluetooth connection, access to the drug is provided.

17. The drug dispensing device (120) of claim 11, wherein enabling the drug dispensing device to provide access to the drug comprises: It was determined that the drug was not stored in the drug dispensing device (120); as well as Identify the second dispensing device storing the drug. The distribution information includes an indication of the second distribution device.

18. The drug dispensing device of claim 17, wherein the dispensing information includes the amount or type of drug dispensed, or the time of an event corresponding to the dispensing of the drug by the second dispensing device.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, said instructions, when executed by one or more processors, causing said one or more processors to perform a method of drug administration, said method comprising: Information about drug orders is received from the server (150) via a network interface at the mobile device (130); A first near-field communication (NFC) connection is established between the mobile device (130) and the drug delivery device (120); The mobile device (130) receives pairing information from the drug dispensing device (120) via the first NFC connection for connecting the mobile device (130) to the drug dispensing device (120); Using the pairing information received through the first NFC connection, a short-range wireless connection is automatically established using a peer-to-peer pairing process to wirelessly connect the mobile device (130) to the drug delivery device (120). A drug request, including the drug order, is sent from the mobile device (130) to the drug delivery device (120) via a short-range wireless interface to initiate the delivery of the drug corresponding to the drug order. The drug request enables the drug delivery device (120) to provide access to the drug corresponding to the drug order. as well as The mobile device (130) sends distribution information to the server (150) via the network interface, the distribution information corresponding to the drug provided by the drug delivery device (120).

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the pairing information includes a device address of the drug delivery device (120); and wherein automatically establishing the short-range wireless connection between the mobile device (130) and the drug delivery device (120) based on the determined pairing information comprises: The NFC circuitry provided by the mobile device (130) is used to detect that the mobile device (130) is within a specific range of the drug dispensing device (120); and The mobile device (130) and the drug delivery device (120) are paired at least in part based on the device address of the drug delivery device (120).

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