Central pharmacy paperless drug dispensing and delivery whole-process closed loop system
Through intelligent equipment and technology, a closed-loop management system for the entire process of drug dispensing, delivery, and storage has been achieved, solving the problem of information silos in pharmacy management, improving drug circulation efficiency and medication safety, and supporting refined management.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NANJING AOTTECH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-10
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-05
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, the drug management of hospital central pharmacies suffers from information silos, the drug dispensing process relies on human experience, which is prone to errors and difficult to trace, logistics and transportation records are scattered, the efficiency of ward signing is low, and the management of valuable drugs lacks real-time monitoring, which limits the digital upgrade of pharmacy management.
The system employs intelligent paperless dispensing carts, an in-hospital drug delivery management system, ward mobile terminals, and intelligent medicine cabinets. It combines RFID, AI visual recognition, and precision weighing technologies to achieve closed-loop management of the entire process of drug dispensing, logistics tracking, receipt, and storage. It integrates multi-source data and supports electronic receipt and real-time inventory monitoring.
It has enabled paperless and traceable operation of the entire process of drug dispensing, delivery and storage, improving drug circulation efficiency and medication safety, supporting refined management and performance evaluation, and reducing telephone inquiries and drug errors.
Smart Images
Figure CN122140470A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention discloses a closed-loop system for the entire process of paperless drug dispensing and delivery in a central pharmacy, which relates to the fields of pharmacy management and medical logistics technology. Background Technology
[0002] Currently, hospital central pharmacy management is at a critical stage of transformation from informatization to digitalization and intelligence. Building a closed-loop management system for drugs from prescription to ward has become the core demand of pharmacy management.
[0003] In the medication order processing stage, pharmacists need to refer to paper prescriptions or electronic lists, arrange medication dispensing routes based on their personal experience, and manually verify the types and quantities of medications after dispensing. This model relies on the pharmacist's personal experience and concentration, resulting in high workload and the risk of errors due to visual fatigue during long working hours. Furthermore, the dispensing process is difficult to record completely, and in case of problems, it can only be traced through video surveillance, which is inefficient in locating the source of the problem.
[0004] In the logistics and transportation process, the records are scattered and it is difficult to form a complete track. Ward nurses can only monitor the logistics status of medicines after they are sent from the central pharmacy. It is difficult to track the dispensing process of medicines in the central pharmacy. They can only make repeated phone calls to inquire, which not only interferes with the normal work of the pharmacy, but also affects the efficiency of clinical response.
[0005] In the ward's drug receipt signing process, paper-based verification is still commonly used, which is inefficient and makes traceability difficult. If a problem is found after signing, the feedback channel is not smooth, and the information on incorrect medications cannot be transmitted back to the central pharmacy in a timely manner, affecting the closed-loop handling of the problem.
[0006] In the drug storage process, the inventory management of special drugs such as expensive drugs and anesthetic drugs still relies on manual inventory checks. The data is not interconnected with the dispensing and replenishment data, resulting in discrepancies between the records and the actual inventory, and making it difficult to detect abnormal consumption in a timely manner, thus creating management blind spots.
[0007] More importantly, the information systems for each of the aforementioned stages operate independently. HIS (Hospital Information System) prescription data, dispensing and verification data, logistics tracking data, receipt records, and inventory data are stored in a scattered manner, forming data silos. Managers cannot obtain a complete view of the entire process from prescription receipt to ward signature. Pharmacist performance evaluation, work quality analysis, and process optimization decisions lack adequate data support, hindering the digital and intelligent upgrading of pharmacy management.
[0008] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a closed-loop management system that can integrate multi-source data, break down information silos, and cover the entire process of drug dispensing, delivery, and storage from prescription to ward signing, so as to realize paperless, visual, and traceable drug dispensing, delivery, and storage, and empower the digitalization of pharmacy management. Summary of the Invention
[0009] The purpose of this invention is to provide a closed-loop system for the entire process of paperless drug dispensing and delivery in a central pharmacy, so as to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.
[0010] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A closed-loop system for the entire process of paperless drug dispensing and delivery in a central pharmacy includes: The intelligent paperless dispensing cart integrates RFID product identification and AI visual quantity recognition technologies for intelligent verification by pharmacists when dispensing medicines; The hospital's drug delivery management system is used to bind drug requisition forms to transport boxes and record the entire logistics trajectory of drugs from the central pharmacy to the ward via manual transport, mobile railcars, or pneumatic logistics. The ward mobile terminal is connected to the hospital's drug delivery management system, allowing nurses to view the drug dispensing and logistics progress in real time and scan the code to sign for receipt after receiving the transport box. The intelligent medicine cabinet, installed in the central pharmacy, is used to store valuable medicines. It has a built-in precision weighing module that displays the inventory weight in real time and is linked to dispensing records and refill requests. It will automatically alarm when there is no dispensing or refilling operation and the inventory weight changes abnormally.
[0011] The system integrates HIS medical order data, RFID verification data, AI visual recognition data, logistics trajectory data, ward receipt record data, and central pharmacy inventory data to construct a closed-loop management system covering the entire process of medical order receipt, pharmacist dispensing, logistics delivery, ward verification, and intelligent storage.
[0012] The intelligent paperless dispensing vehicle includes the dispensing vehicle body, a verification table, a touch screen all-in-one machine, a camera, a power bank, and a wristwatch-style RFID reader / writer connected to the touch screen all-in-one machine via Bluetooth; it integrates RFID identification technology and AI image annotation technology to maintain a balance between improving drug dispensing efficiency and work accuracy, while fully recording the dispensing process.
[0013] The touch screen all-in-one machine is connected to the AI visual recognition module through the hospital's intranet. The AI visual recognition module calls on the AI computing resources of the hospital's intranet to analyze and process the drug images captured by the camera in order to identify and count the quantity of drugs.
[0014] After scanning the identification code on the transport box, the ward mobile terminal retrieves and displays the list of drugs in the box from the hospital's drug delivery management system, allowing nurses to choose to perform one-click batch signing or item-by-item verification signing. When the signed drugs do not match the list, the ward mobile terminal receives the wrong drug information entered by the nurse and sends it back to the hospital's drug delivery management system for reporting wrong drugs and locating problems.
[0015] The system also includes a back-end management terminal, which collects real-time data from the intelligent paperless dispensing vehicle, the hospital drug delivery management system, the ward mobile terminal and the intelligent medicine cabinet, and automatically generates performance evaluation reports according to a preset cycle. The reports include indicators such as pharmacist workload, dispensing accuracy and response time.
[0016] The back-end management system generates a complete timeline view of each medication requisition form from the receipt of the doctor's order to the ward's signature based on the real-time collected full-process record data, allowing managers to trace and query the information.
[0017] The real-time inventory weight data displayed by the precision weighing module built into the smart medicine cabinet is synchronized in real time with the dispensing records of the smart paperless medicine dispensing cart and the refill application data of the hospital's drug delivery management system, forming a closed-loop traceability chain for valuable medicines.
[0018] The in-hospital drug delivery management system automatically predicts the estimated time for the transport box to arrive at the target ward based on the real-time recorded logistics trajectory, and pushes the estimated time to the corresponding ward mobile terminal.
[0019] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: This invention integrates intelligent verification via paperless dispensing carts, multi-mode logistics tracking within the hospital's drug delivery management system, electronic signature via ward mobile terminals, and precise storage and anomaly alarms in intelligent medicine cabinets. This closed-loop management encompasses the entire process of medication delivery, from prescription receipt, pharmacist dispensing, logistics, ward verification, to the storage of valuable medications. The system merges HIS prescription data with multi-source logistics data, enabling interconnected information across all stages. Ward nurses can track medication progress in real time, reducing phone inquiries; the signature process is electronic, supporting batch signing and online feedback for incorrect medications; intelligent medicine cabinets provide real-time inventory monitoring and abnormal consumption warnings for valuable medications; and the back-end management system automatically generates performance reports and a complete timeline view, supporting refined traceability and assessment. This invention achieves a fully paperless and closed-loop traceable process for drug dispensing, delivery, and storage in the central pharmacy, significantly improving drug circulation efficiency, medication safety, and management sophistication. Attached Figure Description
[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of this application, are not intended to unduly limit the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the closed-loop system structure for the entire process of paperless drug dispensing and delivery in a central pharmacy, provided by the present invention; Figure 2 The present invention provides a business process diagram for a paperless, closed-loop system for the entire process of drug dispensing and delivery in a central pharmacy.
[0021] In the image: 1. Intelligent paperless dispensing cart, 2. In-hospital drug delivery management system, 3. Ward mobile terminal, 4. Intelligent medicine cabinet, 5. Back-end management terminal, 6. Dispensing cart body, 7. Verification table, 8. Touch screen all-in-one machine, 9. Camera, 10. Power bank, 11. Wristwatch RFID reader, 12. Hospital intranet, 13. Transport box. Detailed Implementation
[0022] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.
[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a closed-loop system for the entire process of paperless drug dispensing and delivery in a central pharmacy, which mainly includes five core components: intelligent paperless dispensing vehicle 1, in-hospital drug delivery management system 2, ward mobile terminal 3, intelligent medicine cabinet 4, and back-end management terminal 5.
[0024] The intelligent paperless dispensing cart 1 is the core equipment for pharmacists in the central pharmacy to dispense medications. Its specific structure includes the dispensing cart body 6, a verification table 7, a touch-screen all-in-one machine 8, a camera 9, a power bank 10, and a wristwatch-style RFID reader 11 connected to the touch-screen all-in-one machine 8 via Bluetooth. The camera 9 is positioned above the verification table 7 to capture images of the medications placed on it; the power bank 10 provides uninterrupted power to the touch-screen all-in-one machine 8, ensuring stable operation around the clock. This dispensing cart integrates RFID identification technology and AI image annotation technology, maintaining a balance between improving medication dispensing efficiency and accuracy, while comprehensively recording the dispensing process.
[0025] In practice, pharmacists obtain medical orders from the hospital's HIS system synchronously via a touch-screen all-in-one machine 8. The system automatically generates a medication dispensing list. Pharmacists wearing wristwatch-style RFID readers 11 retrieve medications from the medicine cabinet. As they reach for the medication, the reader automatically identifies the RFID tag on the cabinet unit via Bluetooth and transmits the reading result back to the touch-screen all-in-one machine 8. This result is then compared with the medications on the list to prevent errors in medication selection. After retrieving the medication, the pharmacist places it on the verification table 7. A camera 9 captures the image and transmits it to the touch-screen all-in-one machine 8. The touch-screen all-in-one machine 8 uses the hospital's intranet 12 to access the AI visual recognition module. Leveraging the high-performance AI computing power of the hospital's intranet 12, it performs deep analysis of the image, automatically identifies and counts the medication quantity, and compares it with the usage on the list to complete the quantity verification.
[0026] The in-hospital drug delivery management system 2 is responsible for tracking the logistics of drugs after they are dispatched from the central pharmacy. After the pharmacist completes the dispensing, the system binds the drug requisition form to a unique transport box 13 and puts the transport box 13 containing the drugs into the delivery process. Depending on the hospital's actual situation, the delivery method may include manual delivery, mobile railcars, or pneumatic logistics systems. The in-hospital drug delivery management system 2 records in real time the entire logistics trajectory of drugs from the central pharmacy to the target ward via any of the above methods or combinations, including dispatch time, current location, and estimated arrival time. At the same time, based on the real-time recorded logistics trajectory, the system automatically predicts the estimated time for the transport box 13 to arrive at the target ward and pushes this time to the corresponding ward mobile terminal 3.
[0027] The ward mobile terminal 3 is typically a PDA equipped by nurses, communicating with the hospital's drug delivery management system 2 via a wireless network. Ward nurses can use the mobile terminal 3 to view the real-time dispensing and delivery progress of medications in their ward, and to plan receipt preparations accordingly. When the transport box 13 arrives at the ward, the nurse scans the QR code or RFID tag on the transport box 13 to retrieve and display the medication list from the hospital's drug delivery management system 2. The mobile terminal 3 allows nurses to choose between one-click batch receipt or item-by-item verification receipt; when the received medication does not match the list, the ward mobile terminal 3 receives the incorrect medication information entered by the nurse and transmits it back to the hospital's drug delivery management system 2 for incorrect medication reporting and problem localization.
[0028] The intelligent medicine cabinet 4 is located in the central pharmacy and is specifically designed for storing valuable and narcotic drugs. The intelligent medicine cabinet 4 has a built-in precision weighing module that can display the real-time weight of each compartment or each type of drug. The intelligent medicine cabinet 4 is linked to dispensing records and refill requests: when a pharmacist retrieves medication from the intelligent medicine cabinet 4 according to a doctor's order, the system automatically records the dispensing operation and deducts from the inventory; when the inventory falls below a set threshold, a refill request is automatically initiated. Specifically, if there is an abnormal change in the inventory weight of the intelligent medicine cabinet 4 without any dispensing or refilling operations, the system automatically issues an alarm signal, indicating possible misoperation or abnormal consumption. The real-time inventory weight data displayed by the precision weighing module built into the intelligent medicine cabinet 4 is synchronized in real-time with the dispensing records of the intelligent paperless dispensing cart 1 and the refill request data of the hospital's drug delivery management system 2, forming a closed-loop traceability chain for valuable drugs.
[0029] The back-end management terminal 5 connects with the intelligent paperless dispensing cart 1, the hospital's drug delivery management system 2, the ward mobile terminal 3, and the intelligent medicine cabinet 4 to collect data from the entire process in real time. The back-end management terminal 5 aggregates and processes HIS medical order data, RFID verification data, AI visual recognition data, logistics trajectory data, ward receipt record data, and central pharmacy inventory data. It automatically generates performance evaluation reports according to preset cycles, including indicators such as pharmacist workload, dispensing accuracy, and response time. Simultaneously, based on the real-time collected data from the entire process, the back-end management terminal 5 generates a complete timeline view of each drug requisition order from medical order receipt to ward receipt, allowing managers to trace and query data for refined management.
[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, the business process of the paperless drug dispensing and delivery closed-loop system based on central pharmacy provided by this invention covers five stages: prescription issuance and task generation, drug dispensing and process verification, packing list binding and logistics distribution, ward drug receipt and verification feedback, and background recording and traceability statistics. Specifically, it includes the following steps:
[0031] (1) Order Issuance and Task Generation: After the doctor issues an order and it is confirmed by the ward nurse, the system automatically generates a queue of orders to be dispensed and periodically generates a drug dispensing list by ward. The pharmacist picks up the dispensing cart and logs into the touch screen terminal to view the dispensing tasks to be performed. After selecting the specific task, the pharmacist finds the corresponding drug according to the on-screen prompts and retrieves the drug by wearing a wristwatch-style RFID reader. After the drug is retrieved, the system analyzes the RFID identification result. After confirming that the result matches the information of the drug to be retrieved, the pharmacist places the retrieved drug on the dispensing cart's verification table.
[0032] (2) Drug Dispensing and Process Verification: After the drugs are placed on the verification table, the camera captures images of the drugs, and the AI visual recognition module identifies the quantity of drugs. The system compares the quantity of drugs identified in the image with the quantity of the same drug in the dispensing list. After confirming that they match, it continues to determine whether all drugs in the dispensing task list have been dispensed. If not, the touch screen all-in-one machine page automatically switches to the next drug, and the pharmacist continues dispensing; if completed, the page prompts that the task is completed, and the background automatically records the dispensing pharmacist, dispensing time, and task duration, forming a dispensing recognition record.
[0033] (3) Packing list binding and logistics distribution: After the allocation task is completed, the system binds the medicine requisition form to the transfer box and selects manual delivery carts or rail carts for transportation according to the actual situation of the hospital. During the transportation process, the system automatically records the start node, logistics trajectory and status change time until the medicine is delivered to the ward and delivery is confirmed.
[0034] (4) Medication Receipt and Verification Feedback in the Ward: Before the medication is delivered, nurses can track the medication dispensing status in real time via mobile terminals. After the transport box arrives at the ward, the nurse scans the code to open the box and check the medication list to verify whether the medication matches the list. If they match, the nurse confirms receipt, and the system records the nurse who signed and the time of receipt; if they do not match, the nurse registers the incorrect medication information online and sends it back to the central pharmacy, initiating the medication problem investigation and location process, and forming an incorrect medication registration and feedback record.
[0035] (5) Back-end Recording and Traceability Statistics: The back-end management terminal collects full-process record data in real time and automatically generates performance appraisal reports according to preset cycles, including pharmacist work quality statistics, pharmacist dispensing volume statistics, dispensing accuracy analysis, and response time indicators. At the same time, the system generates a complete timeline view for each material requisition form, covering the time of receiving the medical order, the time of dispensing completion, the start and end time of logistics, and the time of receipt by the ward, for management personnel to trace and query and conduct performance appraisal.
[0036] In summary, this invention integrates HIS medical order data, RFID verification data, AI visual recognition data, logistics trajectory data, ward receipt record data, and central pharmacy inventory data into a closed-loop management system. This enables the entire process of central pharmacy medicines from medical order receipt to ward receipt and storage of valuable medicines to be paperless, intelligent, and traceable, effectively improving the efficiency of medicine circulation, medication safety, and the level of refined management.
[0037] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural or procedural modifications made based on the description and drawings of the present invention, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A closed-loop system for the entire process of paperless drug dispensing and delivery in a central pharmacy, characterized in that: include: The intelligent paperless dispensing cart integrates RFID product identification and AI visual quantity recognition technologies for intelligent verification by pharmacists when dispensing medicines; The hospital's drug delivery management system is used to bind drug requisition forms to transport boxes and record the entire logistics trajectory of drugs from the central pharmacy to the ward via manual transport, mobile railcars, or pneumatic logistics. The ward mobile terminal is connected to the hospital's drug delivery management system, allowing nurses to view the drug dispensing and logistics progress in real time and scan the code to sign for receipt after receiving the transport box. The intelligent medicine cabinet, installed in the central pharmacy, is used to store valuable medicines. It has a built-in precision weighing module that displays the inventory weight in real time and is linked to dispensing records and refill requests. It will automatically alarm when there is no dispensing or refilling operation and the inventory weight changes abnormally.
2. The closed-loop system for the entire process of paperless drug dispensing and delivery in a central pharmacy as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The system integrates HIS medical order data, RFID verification data, AI visual recognition data, logistics trajectory data, ward receipt record data, and central pharmacy inventory data to construct a closed-loop management system covering the entire process of medical order receipt, pharmacist dispensing, logistics delivery, ward verification, and intelligent storage.
3. The closed-loop system for the entire process of paperless drug dispensing and delivery in a central pharmacy as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The intelligent paperless dispensing vehicle includes the dispensing vehicle body, a verification table, a touch screen all-in-one machine, a camera, a power bank, and a wristwatch-style RFID reader / writer connected to the touch screen all-in-one machine via Bluetooth; it integrates RFID identification technology and AI image annotation technology to maintain a balance between improving drug dispensing efficiency and work accuracy, while fully recording the dispensing process.
4. The closed-loop system for the entire process of paperless drug dispensing and delivery in a central pharmacy as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The touch screen all-in-one machine is connected to the AI visual recognition module through the hospital's intranet. The AI visual recognition module calls on the AI computing resources of the hospital's intranet to analyze and process the drug images captured by the camera in order to identify and count the quantity of drugs.
5. The closed-loop system for the entire process of paperless drug dispensing and delivery in a central pharmacy as described in claim 1, characterized in that, After scanning the identification code on the transport box, the ward mobile terminal retrieves and displays the list of drugs in the box from the hospital's drug delivery management system, allowing nurses to choose to perform one-click batch signing or item-by-item verification signing. When the signed drugs do not match the list, the ward mobile terminal receives the wrong drug information entered by the nurse and sends it back to the hospital's drug delivery management system for reporting wrong drugs and locating problems.
6. The closed-loop system for the entire process of paperless drug dispensing and delivery in a central pharmacy as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The system also includes a back-end management terminal, which collects real-time data from the intelligent paperless dispensing vehicle, the hospital drug delivery management system, the ward mobile terminal and the intelligent medicine cabinet, and automatically generates performance evaluation reports according to a preset cycle. The reports include indicators such as pharmacist workload, dispensing accuracy and response time.
7. The closed-loop system for the entire process of paperless drug dispensing and delivery in a central pharmacy as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The back-end management system generates a complete timeline view of each medication requisition form from the receipt of the doctor's order to the ward's signature based on the real-time collected full-process record data, allowing managers to trace and query the information.
8. The closed-loop system for the entire process of paperless drug dispensing and delivery in a central pharmacy as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The real-time inventory weight data displayed by the precision weighing module built into the smart medicine cabinet is synchronized in real time with the dispensing records of the smart paperless medicine dispensing cart and the refill application data of the hospital's drug delivery management system, forming a closed-loop traceability chain for valuable medicines.
9. The closed-loop system for the entire process of paperless drug dispensing and delivery in a central pharmacy as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The in-hospital drug delivery management system automatically predicts the estimated time for the transport box to arrive at the target ward based on the real-time recorded logistics trajectory, and pushes the estimated time to the corresponding ward mobile terminal.