Medication distribution verification device and method

Abstract

To accurately inform patients when their medication calendar is not properly set with individually packaged doses. [Solution] The medication calendar has multiple pockets partitioned for each day of the week and timing of medication administration, and each pocket is set with a single-dose package printed with the date, day of the week, and timing of administration for the stored medication. Image data including the medication calendar is received (step 40), and the characters and their positions in the medication calendar image are recognized by OCR processing (step 44). Based on the recognized characters and their positions, it is determined whether each single-dose package set in the pocket of the medication calendar is set in the correct pocket where it should be set (step 45).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a medicine dispensing confirmation device and method.

Background Art

[0002] When the types and frequencies of medicines to be taken are numerous, it tends to be difficult to take the medicines correctly. As a medicine-taking support tool for such patients (medicine takers) (typically the elderly), an "medicine calendar" is widely used. The "medicine calendar" is a storage item that enables the prescribed medicine to be taken in the correct amount at the correct time. It has pockets partitioned by date, day of the week, and time, and a single-packaged subpackage in which the medicine for one dose is packaged in a subpackage is set in the pocket. By using a medicine calendar with a single-packaged subpackage set, it is possible to eliminate confusion for each dose, such as the type of medicine to be taken and the taking timing, and it becomes easier to take the medicine correctly.

[0003] In a pharmacy, a single-packaged subpackage may be set in a medicine calendar (dispensing), and the medicine calendar with the single-packaged subpackage set may be provided to the patient. In this case, generally, whether the single-packaged subpackage is correctly set in the medicine calendar is audited visually by a pharmacist or staff, but the burden of the auditing work for the pharmacist or staff is large.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a system for placing a drug-packaged pack 2, which has the patient's name, timing of administration, and a two-dimensional code printed on it, into a specific section of a medication tray having multiple compartments separated by partition walls. The pack 2 has medication-related information attached to it, which is a string representation of the patient's name and the timing of administration of the drug 3 in the pack 2, and medication-related information 6b represented by a two-dimensional code. On the other hand, the pack information management unit stores information (second medication-related information) such as the patient's name, timing of administration, and the location where the pack is stored (drawer No. / vertical No. / horizontal No.). The first medication-related information of the pack 2 is read by a camera, and the first medication-related information and the second medication-related information are compared. If they match, the pack 2 is transferred to the medication tray 30 and placed into a specific section of the medication tray 30. If they do not match, the pack 2 is transferred to the mis-pack transfer unit 40. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-51361

[0006] Patent Document 1 discloses a system that automatically places medication packs onto a medication tray and accurately places the packs onto the tray. On the other hand, setting individual medication packets into a medication calendar is basically done manually (by a pharmacist, the patient, or the patient's family). It is more important to find out when individual medication packets are incorrectly placed in the medication calendar and to accurately inform the pharmacist or patient of this. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] This invention aims to accurately communicate when individual doses of medication are not correctly placed in a medication calendar. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The medication dispensing confirmation device according to this invention includes a medication calendar image receiving means that receives image data including a medication calendar in which a medication is stored in a plurality of pockets partitioned by date or day of the week and timing of administration, and each pocket contains a single-dose package printed with at least one of the characters representing the date and day of the week in which the stored medication should be taken, and a character representing the timing of administration; an OCR means that recognizes the characters and their positions included in the medication calendar image; and a medication dispensing confirmation means that, based on the characters and their positions recognized by the OCR means, determines whether each of the single-dose packages set in the pockets of the medication calendar is set in the correct pocket where it should be set.

[0009] This invention also provides an invention for a method of verifying medication distribution. The method of verifying medication distribution according to this invention is characterized in that an image receiving means receives image data including a medication calendar in which medications are stored in a plurality of pockets partitioned by date or day of the week and timing of administration, and each pocket has a single-dose package printed with at least one of the characters representing the date and day of the week in which the stored medication should be taken, and a character representing the timing of administration; an OCR means recognizes the characters and their positions included in the medication calendar image; and the medication verification means determines, based on the recognized characters and their positions, whether each of the single-dose packages set in the pockets of the medication calendar is set in the correct pocket where it should be set.

[0010] A medication calendar has multiple pockets divided by the date or day of the week when medication is taken and by the timing of administration. For example, the pockets may be divided vertically into 31 sections for days 1 to 31, or into 7 sections for Monday to Sunday, and horizontally into multiple sections according to the timing of administration (e.g., morning, noon, evening, before bedtime) (e.g., 31 rows and 4 columns, 7 rows and 4 columns). Each pocket is set with a single-dose package containing one or more types of medication. The position (range) of the multiple pockets in the medication calendar differs for each date or day of the week and timing of administration, and the position (range) of each pocket in the medication calendar is determined by a specific combination of date or day of the week and timing of administration.

[0011] Each individual dose of medication has printed information on it, including at least one of the following: the date the medication should be taken, the day of the week, and the timing of administration. When the medication calendar is scanned, the images also capture the date, day of the week, and timing printed on the individual doses placed in the pocket. The pocket is made transparent (or semi-transparent) to allow the printed information on the individual doses placed in the medication calendar to be recognized (visible).

[0012] Text can be printed directly onto the individual-dose packaging, or a printed label can be attached to the individual-dose packaging.

[0013] According to this invention, image data including a medication calendar with individually packaged medications set in it is used as the target of image processing, and the characters and their positions contained in the medication calendar image are recognized by an OCR means. As described above, the positions (ranges) (i.e., pocket positions) in the medication calendar where individually packaged medications are set are predetermined, and a specific date or day of the week and a specific timing for taking medication are determined for each pocket. Therefore, by having the OCR means recognize at least one of the characters representing the date and the characters representing the day of the week printed on the individually packaged medication, along with the timing for taking medication, including their positions, it is possible to determine whether each individually packaged medication set in the pocket is set in the correct pocket.

[0014] In one embodiment, the medication confirmation device includes a trimming means for trimming the medication calendar image portion from an image represented by image data received by a medication calendar image receiving means, and a resizing means for resizing the trimmed medication calendar image portion to a predetermined size. When the image represented by image data received by the medication calendar image receiving means includes images other than the medication calendar image portion, the trimming means can cut out the medication calendar image portion, and the resizing process can accurately identify (recognize) each of the individual package image portions (pocket image portions) included in the medication calendar image portion.

[0015] Preferably, if the medication verification means determines that a single-dose package is not set in the correct pocket, the system includes a means for creating misdelivery image data by overlaying an image on the medication calendar image that indicates the pocket where the incorrectly set (misdelivered) single-dose package is set. For example, a thick-bordered image surrounding the image of the misdelivered pocket is used as the image indicating the pocket where the misdelivered single-dose package is set. The misdelivery image data makes it easy to see which of the multiple pockets on the medication calendar contains the misdelivered medication.

[0016] In one embodiment, the system includes storage means for storing pocket image range identification data that identifies the range and position of each of the multiple pocket images included in the medication calendar image. By determining whether the characters (strings) recognized by the OCR means for each of the images of the range and position identified by the pocket image range identification data, i.e., each of the multiple pocket images, are correct, it is possible to determine whether each of the individually packaged medications set in each of the multiple pockets of the medication calendar image is correctly set.

[0017] Preferably, each individual-dose package is provided with pocket identification data that identifies which of multiple pockets the package should be placed in, a package information table that registers at least one of the dates and days of the week the medication stored in the package should be taken, and the timing of administration. By referring to the package information table, the correct characters (string of characters) that should be present in each pocket of the package can be accurately determined. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is a magnified front view of a single-dose package. [Figure 2] This is a magnified front view of a single-dose package. [Figure 3] This is a magnified front view of a single-dose package. [Figure 4] It is an enlarged front view of a single-dose package. [Figure 5] It is a front view of a medicine calendar. [Figure 6] It is a block diagram of a dispensing confirmation system. [Figure 7] It shows a state of imaging a medicine calendar. [Figure 8] It shows an example of a display screen when there is a dispensing error. [Figure 9] It shows the details of the sub-packaging management database. [Figure 10] It is a flowchart showing the processing flow of a dispensing confirmation device. [Figure 11] It is a flowchart showing the processing flow of a dispensing confirmation device. [Figure 12] It is a flowchart showing the processing flow of a dispensing confirmation device. [Figure 13] It shows the coordinate range set for the medicine calendar image part.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Figures 1 to 4 show enlarged front views of the surface (front) of a sub-packaging bag (single-dose sub-packaging) in which medicines are stored. The single-dose sub-packaging 1 shown in Figures 1 to 4 is all prescribed for a specific patient (Patent Taro), and the taking dates (taking weekdays) are all the same, but the taking timings (dosage forms) are different from each other.

[0020] A single-dose package 1 is a package containing one or more types of medication (tablets or powders) prepared by a pharmacist according to a prescription issued by a doctor, packaged in a single bag according to the dosage (timing of administration). A packaging machine (not shown) installed in a dispensing pharmacy is used to store one or more types of medication in a single bag for each prescription timing (single dose). The bag that makes up the single-dose package 1 is formed relatively flat by folding a sheet of transparent or translucent resin film and sealing three sides, and the medication 7 is placed inside. The size of the single-dose package 1 is approximately 70 mm in length and 60-80 mm in width.

[0021] A white background ink is printed on a predetermined area of ​​the front surface of the individual-dose packaging 1 to make the text and other elements easily visible, and black text and other elements are printed on top of the white ink. Instead of directly printing the white ink and text and other elements, a label with the text and other elements printed on it may be affixed to the surface of the individual-dose packaging 1. The back surface (not shown) of the individual-dose packaging 1 is transparent or semi-transparent, and the drug 7 inside the individual-dose packaging 1 can be seen through the transparent or semi-transparent back surface. The text and other elements on the surface of the individual-dose packaging 1 are printed by a printer provided by the packaging machine or a separate printer from the packaging machine.

[0022] The surface of the individual-dose packaging 1 has printed information on it, including the dosage instructions (timing of administration), dosage timing information 2 enclosed in a rectangular frame, a two-dimensional code 3 indicating a unique ID (package ID) for each individual-dose packaging 1, the name of the medication user (patient) 4, a one-dimensional code (barcode) 5, and dosage tags 6A-6D that illustrate the dosage instructions (timing of administration). The dosage tags 6A-6D clearly indicate the dosage instructions for individual-dose packaging 1, specifically one of four types of dosages: "after breakfast," "after lunch," "after dinner," and "before bedtime," using graphic illustrations related to the dosage (illustrations of "sun rising" (Figure 1), "sun" (Figure 2), "sun setting" (Figure 3), and "moon" (Figure 4)), and are represented as tag shapes that protrude upward from the top edge of the rectangular frame of the dosage timing information 2.

[0023] Usage tags 6A to 6D are printed at positions on the upper side of the rectangular frame of the administration timing information 2, which are determined by the administration timing and are different for each administration timing. For example, the usage tag "After breakfast" 6A (FIG. 1) is always printed at the left end portion of the upper side of the rectangular frame of the administration timing information 2. The usage tag "Before bedtime" 6D (FIG. 4) is always printed at the right end portion of the upper side of the rectangular frame of the administration timing information 2. The usage tag "After lunch" 6B (FIG. 2) is always printed slightly to the left between these, and the usage tag "After dinner" (FIG. 3) is always printed slightly to the right. In any case, each of the usage tags 6A to 6D is printed at a position arranged in a row (on the upper side of the rectangular frame of the administration timing information 2) according to the chronological order of the administration timing.

[0024] For the font of the characters printed on the single-dose package 1, a UD (Universal Design) font, particularly a UD font with high discriminability for the Chinese characters "water" and "wood", and the numbers "3", "6", "8", and "9", is used. Also, the font size is set to 18 pt (6.35 mm) or more, taking into account the improvement of the accuracy of character recognition by the OCR (Optical Character Recognition) process described later and the difficulty of misreading. Furthermore, the font size of the Chinese characters representing the days of the week is the largest among the characters printed on the single-dose package 1, and it is designed so that the days of the week are the most prominent.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a front view of the medicine calendar.

[0026] The medicine calendar 20 is made of cloth, paper, or plastic, with seven days of the week from month to day arranged vertically and four types of usage methods arranged horizontally. A total of 28 pockets 21 partitioned from each other are provided at the intersections of each day of the week and each usage method, and the single-dose package 1 is set (stored) (dispensed) in the pocket 21. The pocket 21 is made of a transparent resin sheet, and the single-dose package 1 set in the pocket 21 can be seen from the outside through the pocket 21. The size of the pocket 21 is about 70 to 90 mm in width and about 50 to 70 mm in height. Each pocket 21 may be subjected to an antireflection treatment.

[0027] The usage tags 6A-6D described above clearly indicate when a single-dose package 1 is incorrectly placed in pocket 21 of the medication calendar 20 (mis-dispensing). By focusing on usage tags 6A-6D (Figures 1-4) and looking at the seven pockets 21 arranged vertically (up and down direction of the medication calendar 20), it is easy to notice mis-dispensing. Referring to Figure 5, if you look at the seven pockets 21 arranged for the usage "after breakfast" and the seven pockets 21 arranged for the usage "after dinner," you can see that the position of the usage tags is shifted in the four pockets 21 on Tuesday. In this way, by not only changing the illustration shapes of the usage tags 6A-6D themselves, but also changing the positions of the usage tags 6A-6D, it becomes easier to notice mis-dispensing (wrong placement) when the single-dose package 1 is set in the medication calendar 20.

[0028] Furthermore, because the font size of the characters representing the days of the week is large, it is easier to notice a medication error by focusing on the kanji characters representing the days of the week and looking at the four pockets 21 arranged horizontally (left to right on the medication calendar 20).

[0029] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the medication dispensing confirmation system.

[0030] To improve the efficiency of product-oriented tasks in dispensing pharmacies and allow them to focus on patient-oriented tasks, dispensing operations, including unit-dose packaging, are sometimes outsourced. When unit-dose packaging is outsourced, the dispensing pharmacy (outsourcing pharmacy, outsourcing pharmacy) does not perform dispensing or unit-dose packaging; these tasks are performed by another pharmacy (contracting pharmacy, outsourced pharmacy). The contracting pharmacy also sets the unit-dose packaging 1 into the medication calendar 20. The medication calendar 20 with the unit-dose packaging 1 set in it is then delivered directly from the contracting pharmacy to the patient's home.

[0031] The medication dispensing verification system is used at contract pharmacies to check (audit) whether each of the individually packaged medications in the medication calendar 20, which contains the individually packaged medications, is correctly placed in each pocket 21 of the medication calendar 20 before it is delivered to the patient's home.

[0032] The individually packaged medication 1 may be placed in the medication calendar 20 by the patient or their family at the patient's home. In this case, a medication distribution confirmation system can be used to check whether the individually packaged medication 1 has been placed in the medication calendar 20 at the patient's home and whether the individually packaged medications have been correctly placed (distributed) in each pocket 21 of the medication calendar 20.

[0033] The following describes an embodiment in which the individually packaged medications 1 are set in the medication calendar 20 at the contracted pharmacy, and the medication distribution is confirmed at the contracted pharmacy.

[0034] The medication dispensing confirmation system includes a medication dispensing confirmation device 31 and a mobile terminal device 32 that are connected to a network (such as the Internet) and capable of communicating data with each other. The medication dispensing confirmation system is used to verify, using image data, whether the individually packaged doses 1 are correctly set (stored, dispensed) in each pocket 21 of the medication calendar 20 described above, and to notify (point out) any incorrect setting (incorrect dispensing).

[0035] The medication dispensing confirmation device 31 is connected to a package management database 33 that manages information for each individual package 1. Details of the package management database 33 will be described later.

[0036] The medication dispensing confirmation device 31 is a computer device that includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that oversees its overall operation, an input device for entering characters, a display device for displaying characters, images, etc., a work area, a buffer area, etc., a memory for temporarily storing data, a storage device for storing programs and data, and a communication device for sending and receiving data via a network. The dispensing management database 33 is built in the storage device of the medication dispensing confirmation device 31.

[0037] The mobile terminal device 32 is used as a transmitting terminal to send image data of the medication calendar 20 with the individually packaged medications 1 placed in the pocket 21 to the medication confirmation device 31, and as a receiving terminal to receive the results of the image audit (medication confirmation process) performed by the medication confirmation device 31 based on the above image data. A smartphone equipped with a CPU, input device, display device, memory, storage device, communication device, imaging device (camera), etc., can be used as the mobile terminal device 32. The mobile terminal device 32 is operated by a pharmacist or other person at a contracted pharmacy.

[0038] Figure 7 shows the process of taking a picture of the medication calendar 20 using the mobile terminal device 32, and Figure 8 shows an example of an error screen displayed on the mobile terminal device 32 when a medication error is detected during the image audit performed by the medication verification device 31.

[0039] Referring to Figure 7, the imaging device of the mobile terminal device 32 is activated, and the medication calendar 20 with the individually packaged medication 1 set inside is imaged. The image data obtained by imaging is transmitted from the mobile terminal device 32 to the medication verification device 31 via the network. The medication verification device 31 uses the received image data representing the medication calendar 20 to perform the medication verification process described later. The processing result is transmitted from the medication verification device 31 to the mobile terminal device 32 via the network. If there is a medication error, an error screen is displayed on the display screen of the mobile terminal device 32 (Figure 8).

[0040] Referring to Figure 8, the error screen displayed on the mobile terminal device 32 when there is a medication misdelivery clearly shows the location of the pocket 21 containing the misdelivered medication among the images of multiple pockets 21 (images of the unit-dose packaging 1) included in the image representing the medication calendar 20. To clearly show the pocket 21 containing the misdelivered medication, as described later, the medication verification device 31 creates an image (misdelivery image) by superimposing a thick border image 25 surrounding the pocket 21 containing the misdelivered medication onto the image of the medication calendar 20 captured by the mobile terminal device 32. Since the pocket 21 containing the misdelivered medication is clearly shown in the misdelivery image, the misdelivery of the unit-dose packaging 1 can be easily corrected. The medication calendar 20 with the corrected misdelivery can also be photographed again, and the medication verification process in the medication verification device 31 can be run again.

[0041] Figure 9 shows the data structure of the package management database 33.

[0042] The dispensing management database 33 shown in Figure 9 represents a database that corresponds to the partial outsourcing of drug preparation services (dispensing services), including unit-dose packaging (outsourcing of certain drug preparation services at a pharmacy to an external party at the discretion of the pharmacy, while respecting the patient's wishes and needs). "Outsourcing" (outsourcing party) refers to the party that outsources the preparation services (outsourcing source), and "Contracting" (contracting party) refers to the party that accepts the above preparation services (outsourcing partner).

[0043] The packaging management database 33 stores information about the consignor (client), information about the contractor (contractor), and information about the consigned project.

[0044] Information regarding the client (contractor) is stored in the following databases: Contracted Pharmacist Master 11A, Contracted Pharmacy Master 11B, and Patient Master 11C. Contracted Pharmacist Master 11A stores the Contracted Pharmacist ID to identify the contracted pharmacist, the Contracted Pharmacy ID to identify the contracted pharmacy to which the contracted pharmacist identified by the Contracted Pharmacist ID belongs, the contracted pharmacist's name, contact information, etc. Contracted Pharmacy Master 11B stores the Contracted Pharmacy ID to identify the contracted pharmacy, the pharmacy name, address, contact information, etc. of the contracted pharmacy identified by the Contracted Pharmacy ID. The Contracted Pharmacist Master 11A and Contracted Pharmacy Master 11B are linked by the Contracted Pharmacy ID. Patient Master 11C stores the Patient ID to identify the patient, the Contracted Pharmacy ID to identify the contracted pharmacy that received the prescription for the patient identified by the Patient ID, the patient's name, gender, date of birth, address, etc. The Contracted Pharmacy Master 11B and Patient Master 11C are linked by the Contracted Pharmacy ID.

[0045] Information regarding the contractor (outsourced party) is stored in the Contracted Pharmacist Master 12A, Contracted Worker Master 12B, and Stored Drug Master 12C. The Contracted Pharmacist Master 12A stores the Contracted Pharmacist ID to identify the contracted pharmacist belonging to the contracted pharmacy, the name of the contracted pharmacist identified by the Contracted Pharmacist ID, contact information, etc. The Contracted Worker Master 12B stores the Contracted Worker ID to identify the contracted worker belonging to the contracted pharmacy, the name of the contracted worker identified by the Contracted Worker ID, contact information, etc. The Stored Drug Master 12C stores the drug code to identify the drug stored by the contracted pharmacy, the name of the drug identified by the drug code, inventory quantity, etc.

[0046] Information regarding outsourced projects includes the following tables, which are stored when a contracting pharmacy requests drug preparation services, including unit-dose packaging, from a contracting pharmacy: Unit-dose packaging outsourcing information table 13A, Unit-dose packaging outsourcing details information table 13B, Packaging information table 13C, Packaging repair information table 13D, Set status table 13E, Set repair information table 13F, Medicine bag table 13G, Medicine bag repair information table 13H, and Machine audit information table 13I.

[0047] The unit-dose packaging outsourcing information table 13A stores information such as a unit-dose packaging outsourcing information ID to identify outsourced work (outsourcing case) including unit-dose packaging, a contracting pharmacy ID of the outsourcing pharmacy that outsourced the unit-dose packaging work, a contracting pharmacist ID of the contracting pharmacist in charge belonging to the outsourcing pharmacy, a contracting pharmacist ID of the contracting pharmacist in charge belonging to the receiving pharmacy, a contracting worker ID of the contracting worker in charge belonging to the receiving pharmacy, a patient ID, the prescription period, issue date, expiration date of the prescription, specification of the packaging method (roll type, medication calendar, dispensing tray, etc.), delivery destination information (address, facility name, recipient name, etc.), a two-dimensional code for outsourcing information, and a work completion status (flag). The unit-dose packaging outsourcing information table 13A is associated with the aforementioned contracting pharmacist master 11A, contracting pharmacy master 11B, receiving pharmacist master 12A, and contracting worker master 12B.

[0048] The unit-dose packaging order details table 13B stores the unit-dose packaging order information ID, drug details number, drug code, prescribed quantity, etc. The unit-dose packaging order information table 13A and the unit-dose packaging order details table 13B are linked by the unit-dose packaging order information ID. The stored drug master 12C is also linked to the unit-dose packaging order details table 13B.

[0049] The packaging information table 13C is a table created for each individual packaging package 1 described above, and stores the packaging ID that identifies each individual packaging package 1, the packaging outsourcing information ID, the coordinate range (described later), the date of administration, the day of the week of administration, the time of administration (timing, method of use), the auditing device confirmation status (flag), the outsourcing pharmacist confirmation status (flag), the receiving pharmacist confirmation status (flag), and the packaging two-dimensional code. The packaging outsourcing information table 13A and the packaging information table 13C are linked by the packaging outsourcing information ID.

[0050] The package repair information table 13D is created for each defective (defective) single-dose package 1, and stores the package ID, repair information number, timestamp, verifier ID, repairer ID, defect details (selectable), details of defect details, repair method (selectable), details of repair method, repair status (flag), and details of the repair work for the defective single-dose package 1. The package ID links the package information table 13C and the package repair information table 13D.

[0051] The set status table 13E is a table that stores the audit (verification) results of whether the unit-dose package 1 is correctly set according to the set method specified in the "Specification of Set Method" of the unit-dose package outsourcing information table 13A described above. It stores the unit-dose package outsourcing information ID, set status detail number, timestamp, verification image, contracted pharmacist verification status (flag), commissioned pharmacist verification status (flag), etc. The unit-dose package outsourcing information table 13A and the set status table 13E are associated by the unit-dose package outsourcing information ID.

[0052] The set repair information table 13F is a table created for sets with defects (for example, medication calendar 20) where defects have been discovered. It stores information such as the unit-dose packaging order information ID, set status detail number, repair information number, verifier ID, corrector ID, timestamp, details of the defect, details of the repair method, repair status (flag), and details of the repair work. The unit-dose packaging order information ID is associated with the unit-dose packaging order information table 13A, and the set status detail number is associated with the set status table 13E.

[0053] The medicine bag table 13G is a table that stores the audit (verification) results when a single-dose package 1 is placed in a medicine bag, and stores the single-dose package order information ID, medicine bag detail number, medicine bag PDF information, timestamp, verification image, contracted pharmacist verification status (flag), contracted pharmacist verification status (flag), etc. The single-dose package order information table 13A and the medicine bag table 13G are linked by the single-dose package order information ID.

[0054] The medicine bag repair information table 13H is created for medicine bags with defects (defects discovered), and stores information such as the unit-dose packaging order information ID, medicine bag item number, repair information number, verifier ID, corrector ID, timestamp, details of the defect, details of the repair method, repair status (flag), and details of the repair work. The unit-dose packaging order information ID is linked to the unit-dose packaging order information table 13A, and the medicine bag item number is linked to the medicine bag table 13G.

[0055] The machine audit information table 13I is a table that stores the results of machine audits performed on each individual package 1, specifically image audits by an image matching machine (not shown), and stores package ID, machine audit number, timestamp, audit image, audit information details, and correction information from the contracted pharmacist. The package ID links the package information table 13C and the machine audit information table 13I.

[0056] For each individual dose 1, the contract pharmacy uses an image verification device (not shown) to verify whether the drug 7 is correctly packaged. The image verification device takes an image of the individual dose 1 from its back side and uses the information obtained by analyzing the image (quantity of drug packaged in individual dose 1, shape, dimensions, color, markings, etc.) to determine whether the drug 7 is correctly packaged in individual dose 1. If a medicine bag (not shown) is used, the image is also used to determine whether the printed contents of the medicine bag are correct. For example, if an error is found in the drug contained in individual dose 1 and it is corrected, the correction information is registered in the package correction information table 13D. The same applies to medicine bags.

[0057] As described below, the medication dispensing verification device 31 is used to determine whether the individual-dose package 1 is correctly set in the medication calendar 20, and if it is repaired, the repair information is registered in the set repair information table 13F. Registering the repair information can improve the accuracy of medication dispensing verification.

[0058] Figures 10 to 12 are flowcharts showing the processing flow of the medication dispensing confirmation device 31.

[0059] The mobile terminal device 32 captures an image of the medication calendar 20, and the image data including the medication calendar 20 is transmitted from the mobile terminal device 32 to the medication confirmation device 31 (see Figure 7). The medication confirmation device 31 receives the image data including the medication calendar 20 transmitted by the mobile terminal device 32 (step 40).

[0060] From the image represented by the received image data, the portion of the image representing the medication calendar 20 (the portion of the image excluding the medication calendar 20) is trimmed by image cropping, and the trimmed medication calendar image is resized to a predetermined size, for example, 750 pixels wide and 1060 pixels high (step 41).

[0061] A coordinate range is set for each image portion of pocket 21 included in the medication calendar image (for example, temporarily stored in memory) (step 42).

[0062] Figure 13 shows the coordinate ranges 1 to 28 set for each of the 28 pocket 21 image portions included in the medication calendar image portion 20A after the trimming and resizing processes described above. The medication calendar 20 has 28 pockets 21, and the medication calendar image portion 20A includes 28 pocket image portions. Each of the 28 pocket image portions is assigned a coordinate range of 1 to 28.

[0063] The coordinate range 1 to 28 is represented by a pair of coordinate data points, specifically the upper left corner and the lower right corner, with the upper left corner of the medication calendar image portion 20A being the origin (0,0). This indicates the size and position of the rectangular range 1 to 28.

[0064] The medication calendar 20 provided to patients by contracted pharmacies is generally of a specific type, and the locations of the pockets 21 on the medication calendar 20, that is, the ranges and positions of each pocket image portion, are known, as are the coordinate ranges 1 to 28 (the pairs of coordinate data for the two locations mentioned above). Therefore, in the setting process for coordinate ranges 1 to 28 (step 42), the coordinate ranges 1 to 28 are pre-stored in the storage device of the medication confirmation device 31, and these can simply be read into memory.

[0065] If there are multiple types of medication calendars 20 and one of them is given to the patient, then the coordinate range 1 to 28 should be stored in the storage device for each type of medication calendar 20. When transmitting medication calendar image data from the mobile terminal device 32, if the type information (such as the product number) of the captured medication calendar 20 is transmitted, the coordinate range 1 to 28 can be set according to the type of medication calendar 20 that was captured.

[0066] Returning to Figure 10, the character information that should be included within each coordinate range is set (for example, temporarily stored in memory) (step 43).

[0067] The character information that should be included in each of the coordinate ranges from coordinate range 1 to coordinate range 28 is stored in the package information table 13C of the package management database 33. Specifically, the package information table 13C stores the package ID, date of administration, day of the week of administration, and time of administration (dosage) for each individual package 1, and also stores the coordinate range (or its number) (i.e., data that identifies the pocket where the individual package 1 identified by the package ID should be placed) (Figure 9). As a result, for example, the character information that should be included in "coordinate range 1" is read from the package information table 13C as "after breakfast" (time of administration (dosage)), "December 25th" (date of administration), and "month" (day of the week of administration). The same applies to the other coordinate ranges 2 to 28. In the following explanation, the character information set in step 43, that is, the character information that should be included in each coordinate range stored in the package information table 13C, will be called "correct character information".

[0068] OCR (Optical Character Recognition) analysis is performed on the cropped and resized portion 20A of the medication calendar image (step 44). The OCR analysis extracts the characters contained in the medication calendar image portion 20A, and the coordinate range (position) of the extracted characters is also extracted.

[0069] The OCR analysis process can extract not only the characters contained in the medication calendar image portion 20A, but also words composed of multiple characters and their coordinate ranges. Dictionary data can be used to extract words. Based on the dictionary data, according to the sequence of multiple characters extracted, words contained in the medication calendar image portion 20A are extracted, and the coordinate range (location information) of the extracted words is also extracted. Hereafter, the character information extracted by the OCR analysis process will be referred to as "extracted character information".

[0070] For example, the word "after breakfast" contained in the medication calendar image portion 20A can be extracted using OCR analysis. The coordinate range (position information) of the word is represented by a set of coordinate data for four locations: the upper left corner, upper right corner, lower left corner, and lower right corner, with the upper left corner of the medication calendar image portion 20A being the origin (0,0).

[0071] Next, the extracted character information and the correct character information are compared for each coordinate range (Step 45).

[0072] Referring to Figure 11, the counter i is initially initialized (i=1) (step 46), and the character information with location information within coordinate range 1 from the extracted character information extracted by the OCR analysis process is read into memory. Then, by comparing this with the correct character information that should be included within coordinate range 1 stored in the packaging information table 13C, it is determined whether the extracted character information within coordinate range 1 is appropriate (step 47).

[0073] For example, suppose in the OCR analysis process in step 44, the extracted character information with location information within coordinate range 1 is "After breakfast", "12 / 25", "Monday", and "Patent Taro". Then, suppose the correct character information for coordinate range 1 set in step 43 (information stored in the package information table 13C) is "After breakfast", "20241225", and "Monday". In this case, since the extracted character information in the OCR analysis process ("After breakfast", "12 / 25", "Monday", and "Patent Taro") contains all of the correct character information ("After breakfast", "20241225", and "Monday") (12 / 25 is judged to be the same as 20241225), it is determined that the correct single-dose package 1 is set (distributed) in coordinate range 1 (YES in step 47). The counter i is incremented, and the process proceeds to determine coordinate range 2 (NO in step 48, steps 50, and 47).

[0074] Assume that the incorrect placement of the individual-dose package 1 into pocket 21, i.e., misdelivery, means that not all of the correct character information is included in the extracted character information during the OCR analysis process in step 44. For example, the OCR analysis process extracts "after lunch", "12 / 25", "Monday", and "Patent Taro", while the correct character information is set to "after breakfast", "20241225", and "Monday". In this case, since the extracted character information "after lunch" is not included in the correct character information, it is determined that the correct individual-dose package 1 has not been delivered to that coordinate range i (misdelivery) (NO in step 47). Error processing is performed to identify (record) the coordinate range (i.e. pocket 21) where the misdelivery occurred (step 49).

[0075] Once the determination for all coordinate ranges i (i=1~28) is complete (YES in step 48), it is determined whether the extracted character information for all coordinate ranges i was appropriate (step 52). If it is determined that the extracted character information for all coordinate ranges i is correct, that is, that the individual-dose packets 1 are correctly set in all pockets 21 (YES in step 52), data indicating this is transmitted from the medication confirmation device 31 to the mobile terminal device 32. For example, a large circle is displayed on the display screen of the mobile terminal device 32 (not shown), and the user of the mobile terminal device 32 is notified that the individual-dose packets 1 are correctly set in each pocket 21 of the imaged medication calendar 20.

[0076] On the other hand, if there is a coordinate range with errors (NO in step 52), image data (hereinafter referred to as mis-dispensed medication image data) is created in which the coordinate range with errors (pocket image portion) is highlighted, for example, by superimposing a thick-bordered image 25 onto the medication calendar image portion 20A, and error screen data including the mis-dispensed medication image data is transmitted from the medication confirmation device 31 to the mobile terminal device 32 (Figure 8).

[0077] The error screen (Figure 8) also displays the error message "There is a medication error." Because the error message is displayed and the pocket image area (coordinate range) with the incorrect medication is highlighted by a thick-bordered image 25, the user of the mobile terminal device 32 can easily notice the existence of the medication error and the pocket 21 with the incorrect medication, and correct the medication error.

[0078] If there is a mistake in the set of the unit-dose packaging 1 (mis-dispensed medication), the details of the deficiency, a timestamp, etc. are recorded in the set repair information table 13F of the packaging management database 33 (step 55). The error screen (Figure 8) includes a "corrected" button, and when the user of the mobile terminal device 32 corrects the mis-dispensed medication and taps the "corrected" button, the ID of the person who performed the repair (for example, the ID of the contracted pharmacist who is performing the final audit of the medication calendar 20 using the mobile terminal device 32), details of the repair work, etc. are recorded in the set repair information table 13F. Of course, the imaging device can also be restarted on the mobile terminal device 32 and the above process can be repeated.

[0079] In the embodiment described above, a medication calendar 20 was shown as an example in which the seven days of the week, from Monday to Sunday, are arranged vertically. However, a medication calendar in which the dates from the 1st to the 31st are arranged vertically instead of the days of the week may also be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1 single package 6A~6D Usage Tags 7. Medications 13C Packaging Information Table 20 Medication Calendar 20A Medication calendar image section 21 pockets 25 Thick-bordered images 31. Medication Dispensing Verification Device 32 Mobile terminal devices 33. Package Management Database

Claims

1. A medication calendar image receiving means that receives image data including a medication calendar in which medications are stored in multiple pockets partitioned by date or day of the week and timing of administration, each pocket containing a single-dose package of medication printed with at least one of the characters representing the date and day of the week in which the stored medication should be taken, and a character representing the timing of administration. OCR means for recognizing characters and their positions contained in a medication calendar image, and Based on the characters and their positions recognized by the above-mentioned OCR means, the medication calendar includes a dispensing verification means that determines whether each of the individually packaged packets set in the pockets of the medication calendar is set in the correct pocket where it should be set. Medication dispensing verification device.

2. The system includes a trimming means for trimming the medication calendar image portion from an image represented by image data received by a medication calendar image receiving means, and a resizing means for resizing the trimmed medication calendar image portion to a predetermined size. The medication dispensing confirmation device according to claim 1.

3. The system includes a means for creating misdelivery image data, which, when the medication verification means determines that a single-dose package is not set in the correct pocket, creates misdelivery image data by overlaying an image on the medication calendar image that clearly indicates the pocket where the incorrectly set single-dose package is placed. The medication dispensing confirmation device according to claim 1.

4. It is equipped with a storage means for storing pocket image range identification data that identifies the range and position of each of the multiple pocket images included in the medication calendar image. The medication dispensing confirmation device according to claim 1.

5. Each individually packaged dose is equipped with pocket identification data that identifies which of multiple pockets the medication should be placed in, a dose information table that registers at least one of the dates and days of the week the medication is to be taken, and the timing of administration. The medication dispensing confirmation device according to claim 1.

6. The medication calendar image receiving means receives image data including a medication calendar in which medications are stored in multiple pockets partitioned by date or day of the week and timing of administration, and each pocket contains a single-dose package of medication printed with at least one of the characters representing the date and day of the week, as well as characters representing the timing of administration. The OCR means recognizes the characters and their positions contained in the medication calendar image. Based on the recognized characters and their positions, the medication verification means determines whether each of the individually packaged medications set in the pockets of the medication calendar is placed in the correct pocket where it should be placed. How to verify medication distribution.

7. A program that causes a computer to perform the method described in claim 6.

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