Systems, methods, and computer program products for medication management

Abstract

The method may include obtaining route data associated with a medication delivery route for delivering a medication to a patient, the medication delivery route including at least one of at least one catheter, at least one lumen, at least one port, or any combination thereof; obtaining prescription data associated with (1) a medication prescribed for delivery to the patient and (2) other medications that have been delivered, are being delivered, or have been prescribed for delivery to the patient; determining a medication delivery route for delivery of the medication to the patient based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with a rule set; and assigning the medication for delivery to the patient via the medication delivery route.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to medication management and, in some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, to systems, methods, and articles of manufacture for determining a medication delivery route for delivery of a medication to a patient. [Background technology]

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 034,755, filed June 4, 2020, and entitled "System, Method, and Computer Program Product for Medication Administration," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0003] Various existing systems provide information related to medication compatibility. However, while a healthcare practitioner may need to access these systems to determine the compatibility of various prescribed medications for a patient, these systems do not provide the healthcare practitioner with information about available medication delivery routes for delivering the medication to the patient and / or which medications have been delivered to the patient and / or are currently being delivered through which medication delivery routes. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Accordingly, improved systems, methods, and / or articles of manufacture for medication management are provided.

[0005] According to some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, a computer-implemented method is provided that includes: acquiring, with at least one processor, route data associated with at least one medication delivery route for delivering medication to a patient, the at least one medication delivery route including at least one of at least one catheter, at least one lumen, at least one port, or any combination thereof; acquiring, with the at least one processor, prescription data associated with (1) one or more medications prescribed for delivery to the patient and (2) at least one other medication that has been delivered, is being delivered, or has been prescribed for delivery to the patient; determining, with the at least one processor, one or more medication delivery routes for delivery of the one or more medications to the patient based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with at least one rule set; and allocating, with the at least one processor, the one or more medications for delivery to the patient via the one or more medication delivery routes.

[0006] According to some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, a system is provided comprising one or more processors programmed and / or configured to: acquire route data associated with at least one medication delivery route for delivering medication to a patient, the at least one medication delivery route including at least one of at least one catheter, at least one lumen, at least one port, or any combination thereof; acquire prescription data associated with (1) one or more medications prescribed for delivery to the patient and (2) at least one other medication that has been delivered, is being delivered, or has been prescribed for delivery to the patient; determine one or more medication delivery routes for delivery of the one or more medications to the patient based on the route data and the prescription data according to at least one rule set; and allocate the one or more medications for delivery to the patient via the one or more medication delivery routes.

[0007] According to certain non-limiting embodiments or aspects, a computer program product is provided comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: obtain route data associated with at least one medication delivery route for delivering medication to a patient, the at least one medication delivery route including at least one of at least one catheter, at least one lumen, at least one port, or any combination thereof; obtain prescription data associated with (1) one or more medications prescribed for delivery to the patient and (2) at least one other medication that has been delivered, is being delivered, or has been prescribed for delivery to the patient; determine one or more medication delivery routes for delivery of the one or more medications to the patient based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with at least one rule set; and allocate the one or more medications for delivery to the patient via the one or more medication delivery routes.

[0008] Further non-limiting embodiments or aspects are described in the following numbered paragraphs.

[0009] Clause 1. A computer-implemented method comprising: acquiring, with at least one processor, route data associated with at least one medication delivery route for delivering medication to a patient, the at least one medication delivery route including at least one of at least one catheter, at least one lumen, at least one port, or any combination thereof; acquiring, with at least one processor, prescription data associated with (1) one or more medications prescribed for delivery to the patient and (2) at least one other medication that has been delivered, is being delivered, or has been prescribed for delivery to the patient; determining, with at least one processor, one or more medication delivery routes for delivery of the one or more medications to the patient based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with at least one rule set; and allocating, with at least one processor, the one or more medications for delivery to the patient via the one or more medication delivery routes.

[0010] Clause 2. The computer-implemented method of clause 1, wherein determining the one or more medication delivery routes includes determining, in accordance with the at least one rule set and based on the route data and the prescription data, whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same medication delivery route as at least one medication based on the route data and the prescription data.

[0011] Clause 3. The computer-implemented method of clause 1 or 2, wherein determining whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same medication delivery route as the at least one medication includes determining, in accordance with the at least one rule set and based on the route data and the prescription data, whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same medication delivery route as the at least one medication if the same medication delivery route is washed out between delivery of the one or more medications and the at least one medication.

[0012] Clause 4. The computer-implemented method of any one of clauses 1-3, wherein the one or more medication delivery routes include the at least one medication delivery route, and wherein allocating the one or more medications for delivery to the patient via the one or more medication delivery routes includes prompting a user to flush the one or more medication delivery routes at least one of before and after delivering the one or more medications via the one or more medication delivery routes.

[0013] Clause 5. The computer-implemented method of any one of clauses 1-4, wherein allocating the one or more medications for delivery to the patient via the one or more medication delivery routes includes prompting a user to introduce the one or more medication delivery routes into the patient's body.

[0014] Clause 6. The computer-implemented method of any one of clauses 1 to 5, further comprising: using at least one processor, segmenting the one or more medications and the at least one medication into a plurality of medication groups based on whether the one or more medications and the at least one medication are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same medication delivery route according to the at least one rule set; and using at least one processor, determining, based on the route data and the prescription data, the one or more medication delivery routes for delivery of the plurality of medication groups based on the route data and the prescription data according to the at least one rule set.

[0015] Clause 7. The computer-implemented method of any one of clauses 1-6, wherein determining whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same medication delivery route as the at least one medication includes determining whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same catheter as the at least one medication in accordance with the at least one rule set and based on the route data and the prescription data.

[0016] Clause 8. The computer-implemented method of any one of clauses 1 to 7, wherein determining whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same medication delivery route as the at least one medication includes determining whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same lumen of the catheter as the at least one medication in accordance with the at least one rule set and based on the route data and the prescription data.

[0017] Clause 9. The computer-implemented method of any one of clauses 1 to 8, wherein determining whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same medication delivery route as the at least one medication includes determining whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient through the same port of the catheter as the at least one medication in accordance with the at least one rule set and based on the route data and the prescription data.

[0018] Clause 10. The computer-implemented method of any one of clauses 1 to 9, wherein the route data is associated with at least one type of the at least one medication delivery route, and determining the one or more medication delivery routes includes determining, in accordance with the at least one rule set and based on the route data and the prescription data, whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the one or more types of the at least one medication delivery route.

[0019] Clause 11. The computer-implemented method of any one of clauses 1 through 10, wherein the at least one or more types of the at least one drug delivery route include at least one of the following: a peripheral intravenous line (PIV), a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC), a central catheter, a midline catheter, or any combination thereof.

[0020] Clause 12. The computer-implemented method of any one of clauses 1-11, wherein the route data is associated with at least one location on the patient's body to which the at least one medication delivery route is configured to deliver medication, and determining the one or more medication delivery routes includes determining whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient at the one or more locations on the patient's body based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with the at least one rule set.

[0021] Clause 13. The computer-implemented method of any one of clauses 1 to 12, wherein the route data is associated with at least one device of the at least one medication delivery route, and wherein determining the one or more medication delivery routes includes determining, in accordance with the at least one rule set and based on the route data and the prescription data, whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via a route that includes the one or more devices.

[0022] Clause 14. The computer-implemented method of any one of clauses 1 to 13, wherein determining whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the at least one medication delivery route that includes the one or more devices comprises determining, in accordance with the at least one rule set and based on the route data and the prescription data, a period of time during which the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the route that includes the one or more devices.

[0023] Clause 15. The computer-implemented method of any one of clauses 1-14, wherein the prescription data is associated with one or more delivery types of the one or more medications, dosage amounts of the one or more medications, dosage rates of the one or more medications, time periods during which delivery of one or more medications to the patient is permissible, or any combination thereof.

[0024] Clause 16. The computer-implemented method of any one of clauses 1 to 15, wherein determining the one or more medication delivery routes includes determining one or more first time periods for delivery of the one or more medications via the one or more medication delivery routes based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with the at least one rule set.

[0025] Clause 17. The computer-implemented method of any one of clauses 1-16, wherein determining the one or more medication delivery routes includes determining one or more second time periods after the one or more first time periods for delivery of one or more second doses of the one or more medications via the one or more medication delivery routes based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with the at least one rule set.

[0026] Clause 18. The computer-implemented method of any one of clauses 1 to 17, wherein the at least one rule set includes the one or more medications and a priority for delivery of the at least one medication.

[0027] Clause 19. The computer-implemented method of any one of clauses 1 to 18, wherein the at least one rule set includes a priority for delivery of the one or more medications via type, device, and / or location of a medication delivery pathway.

[0028] Clause 20. The computer-implemented method of any one of clauses 1 to 19, wherein the at least one other medication has been or is being delivered via the at least one medication delivery pathway, the pathway data is received from at least one sensor coupled to the at least one medication delivery pathway, and the pathway data is associated with the at least one other medication that has been or is being delivered via the at least one medication delivery pathway.

[0029] Clause 21. A system comprising one or more processors programmed and / or configured to: acquire route data associated with at least one medication delivery route for delivering medication to a patient, the at least one medication delivery route including at least one of at least one catheter, at least one lumen, at least one port, or any combination thereof; acquire prescription data associated with (1) one or more medications prescribed for delivery to the patient and (2) at least one other medication that has been delivered, is being delivered, or has been prescribed for delivery to the patient; determine one or more medication delivery routes for delivery of the one or more medications to the patient based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with at least one rule set; and allocate the one or more medications for delivery to the patient via the one or more medication delivery routes.

[0030] Clause 22. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: obtain route data associated with at least one medication delivery route for delivering medication to a patient, the at least one medication delivery route including at least one of at least one catheter, at least one lumen, at least one port, or any combination thereof; obtain prescription data associated with (1) one or more medications prescribed for delivery to the patient and (2) at least one other medication that has been delivered, is being delivered, or has been prescribed for delivery to the patient; determine one or more medication delivery routes for delivery of the one or more medications to the patient based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with at least one rule set; and allocate the one or more medications for delivery to the patient via the one or more medication delivery routes.

[0031] These and other features and characteristics of the present disclosure, as well as the method and function of operation and economy of manufacture of the combination of associated elements and parts of structure, will become more apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims, with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification and in which like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in the various views. It is to be expressly understood, however, that these drawings are for the purposes of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of limitations. As used in this specification and claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0032] Additional advantages and details are described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments or aspects illustrated in the accompanying schematic drawings.

[0033] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a non-limiting embodiment or aspect of an environment in which the systems, devices, products, apparatus, and / or methods described herein may be implemented. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram of one implementation of a non-limiting embodiment or aspect of one or more systems and / or one or more devices of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram of a non-limiting embodiment or aspect of one or more devices and / or components of one or more systems of FIGS. 1 and 2. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart of a non-limiting embodiment or aspect of a process for medication management. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart of a non-limiting embodiment or aspect of a process for medication management. [Figure 6a] 1 is a flowchart of one implementation of a non-limiting embodiment or aspect for medication management. [Figure 6b]1 is a flowchart of one implementation of a non-limiting embodiment or aspect for medication management. [Figure 6c] 1 is a flowchart of one implementation of a non-limiting embodiment or aspect for medication management. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] It is to be understood that the present disclosure may assume various alternative modifications and step sequences, unless expressly specified to the contrary. Also, it is to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and described in the following specification, are merely exemplary and non-limiting embodiments or aspects. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics related to the embodiments or aspects disclosed herein are not to be considered limiting.

[0035] As used herein, no aspect, component, element, structure, act, step, function, instruction, and / or the like should be construed as critical or essential unless expressly described as such. Also, as used herein, the articles "a" and "an" are intended to include one or more items and may be used interchangeably with "one or more" and "at least one." Furthermore, as used herein, the term "set" is intended to include one or more items (e.g., related items, unrelated items, combinations of related and unrelated items, etc.) and may be used interchangeably with "one or more" or "at least one." Where only one item is intended, the term "one" or similar language is used. Also, as used herein, terms such as "has," "have," "having," and the like are intended to be open-ended terms. Furthermore, the phrase "based on" is intended to mean "based at least in part on," unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0036] As used herein, the terms “communication” and “communicating” may refer to the receipt or transmission of one or more signals, messages, commands, or other types of data. Having one unit (e.g., any device, system, or component of a device or system) in communication with another unit means that the one unit can directly or indirectly receive data from and / or transmit data to the other unit. This may refer to a direct or indirect connection that is wired and / or wireless in nature. Furthermore, two units may be in communication with each other even if the transmitted data may be modified, processed, interrupted, and / or routed between the first and second units. For example, a first unit may be in communication with a second unit even if the first unit passively receives data and does not actively transmit data to the second unit. As another example, a first unit may be in communication with a second unit if at least one intermediate unit processes data from the unit and transmits the processed data to the second unit. It will be understood that numerous other configurations are possible.

[0037] It will be apparent that the systems and / or methods described herein can be implemented in different forms, such as hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual dedicated control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or systems does not limit the implementation. Thus, it will be understood that the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods are described herein without reference to dedicated software code, and that software and hardware can be designed to implement the systems and / or methods based on the description herein.

[0038] Some non-limiting embodiments or aspects are described herein in connection with thresholds. As used herein, meeting a threshold may refer to a value being greater than the threshold, more than the threshold, higher than the threshold, equal to or greater than the threshold, less than the threshold, less than the threshold, lower than the threshold, less than or equal to the threshold, or equal to the threshold.

[0039] For purposes of explanation, the terms "end," "upper," "lower," "right," "left," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "lateral," and "longitudinal," and their derivatives, will be used hereinafter to describe non-limiting embodiments or aspects as oriented in the drawing figures. However, it should be understood that non-limiting embodiments or aspects may take on various alternative variations and step sequences, unless expressly specified to the contrary. It should also be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification are merely exemplary embodiments or aspects. Therefore, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics related to the embodiments or aspects disclosed herein should not be considered limiting, unless otherwise indicated.

[0040] As used herein, the terms “computing device” or “computer device” may refer to one or more electronic devices configured to communicate across or directly or indirectly with one or more networks. A computing device may be a mobile device, a desktop computer, etc. Furthermore, the term “computer” may refer to any computing device that includes the components necessary to receive, process, and output data, typically including a display, a processor, memory, input devices, and a network interface. An “application” or “application program interface (API)” refers to computer code or other data organized on a computer-readable medium that can be executed by a processor to facilitate interaction between software components, such as a client-side front end for receiving data from a client and / or a server-side back end. An “interface” refers to a generated display, such as one or more graphical user interfaces (GUIs), with which a user may directly or indirectly interact (e.g., through a keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, etc.).

[0041] As used herein, the term "server" refers to or includes one or more processors, computers, storage devices, or similar computer configurations operated by or facilitating communication and processing among multiple parties in a network environment such as the Internet, although it will be understood that communication can be facilitated over one or more public or private network environments and that various other configurations are possible. Furthermore, multiple computers, e.g., servers, or other computerized devices, such as POS devices, communicating directly or indirectly in a network environment may constitute a "system," such as a commercial POS system.

[0042] Non-limiting embodiments or aspects of the present disclosure are directed to systems, devices, articles of manufacture, apparatus, and / or methods.

[0043] In this manner, non-limiting embodiments or aspects of the present disclosure provide for (1) reducing in-line medication incompatibility issues (e.g., settling of two incompatible medications clogging a line, etc.) through the generation and / or use of a dynamic patient-specific record of available medication delivery routes for a patient, and (2) providing which medications are being delivered through which of the medication delivery routes for a patient by evaluating and optimizing the assignment of new medication orders or prescriptions to medication delivery routes according to a rule set (e.g., patient-specific history, hospital rules, medication rules, medication-drug compatibility rules, etc.), as well as improving medication delivery route assignment to reduce future requests for flushes, reduce future need for additional medication delivery routes for the patient, and / or reduce future occurrences of medication incompatibility.

[0044]

[0013] Referring now to Figure 1, Figure 1 is a diagram of an example environment 100 in which the systems, devices, products, apparatus, and / or methods described herein may be implemented. As shown in Figure 1, environment 100 includes a medication management system 102, a medication delivery pathway sensor system 104, a communications network 106, and / or a remote computing system 108. The systems and / or devices of environment 100 may be interconnected via wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of wired and wireless connections.

[0045] The medication management system 102 may include one or more devices capable of receiving information and / or data (e.g., via the communications network 106, etc.) from and / or communicating information and / or data (e.g., via the communications network 106, etc.) to the medication delivery pathway sensor system 104 and / or the remote computing system 108. For example, the medication management system may include one or more computing systems including one or more processors (e.g., one or more devices, one or more mobile computing devices, one or more servers, etc.).

[0046] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the medication management system 102 may be capable of receiving information and / or data (e.g., route data, prescription data, etc.) (e.g., from the medication delivery pathway sensor system 104, etc.) via a near-field communication connection (e.g., an NFC communication connection, an RFID communication connection, a Bluetooth® communication connection, and / or the like) and / or communicating information and / or data (e.g., route data, prescription data, etc.) (e.g., to the medication delivery pathway sensor system 104, etc.) via a near-field communication connection.

[0047] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the medication management system 102 may include and / or access one or more internal and / or external databases, including routing data, prescription data, one or more rule sets including one or more rules (e.g., rule set data, etc.), and the like.

[0048] The medication delivery pathway sensor system 104 may include one or more devices capable of receiving information and / or data from (e.g., via the communications network 106, etc.) and / or communicating (e.g., via the communications network 106, etc.) to the medication management system 102 and / or the remote computing system 108. For example, the medication management system may include one or more computing systems including one or more processors (e.g., one or more computing devices, one or more mobile computing devices, one or more servers, etc.).

[0049] In non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the medication delivery pathway sensor system 104 may be capable of receiving information and / or data (e.g., pathway data, prescription data, etc.) (e.g., from the medication management system 102, etc.) via a near field communication connection (e.g., an NFC communication connection, an RFID communication connection, a Bluetooth communication connection, and / or the like) and / or communicating information and / or data (e.g., pathway data, prescription data, etc.) (e.g., to the medication management system 102, etc.) via a near field communication connection.

[0050] 2 , in some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the drug delivery pathway system 104 can include one or more sensors 202a, 202b,... 202n connected to one or more drug delivery pathways 203a, 203b,... 203n for delivering drugs to a patient. For example, the drug delivery pathways can include at least one of the following: at least one catheter, at least one lumen, at least one port, or any combination thereof. As an example, the one or more drug delivery pathways 203a, 203b,... 203n can include one or more ports 204a, 204b,... 204n (e.g., fluid ports for receiving fluids and / or drugs) and / or one or more lumens 206a, 206b,... 206n (e.g., fluid lines for delivering fluids and / or drugs to a patient) of one or more catheters. For example, one or more sensors 202a, 202b,... 202n may be configured to sense, detect, and / or determine pathway data associated with one or more medication delivery pathways 203a, 203b,... 203n (e.g., pathway data associated with one or more ports 204a, 204b,... 204n and / or one or more lumens 206a, 206b,... 206n of one or more catheters, etc.) and / or one or more medications delivered or being delivered to a patient via one or more medication delivery pathways 203a, 203b,... 203n (e.g., via one or more ports 204a, 204b,... 204n and / or one or more lumens 206a, 206b,... 206n of one or more catheters, etc.). However, non-limiting embodiments or aspects are not so limited, and the drug delivery pathway sensor system 104 may include any number of drug delivery pathways, such as an IV set in the form of multiple drug delivery pathways that converge from various connectors and lumens or lines terminating in a single catheter. For example, different medications can be injected into different pathway branches of an IV set.As an example, and as described in more detail herein below with respect to Figures 4 and 5, the medication management system 102 may, according to a rule set, determine based on the routing data and prescription data the least incompatible route to the catheter (e.g., the most compatible route), the shortest route to the catheter (or the longest route to the catheter if the medication needs to be diluted by the main fluid passing through the IV set), the set of flushed branches, and / or the set of branches with the most compatible fluid and / or flow rate for the medication.

[0051] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the drug delivery pathway sensor system 104 may include one or more systems and / or devices described in International Application No. PCT / US2020 / 0165391, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. For example, one or more sensors 202a, 202b, . . . 202n may include one or more smart devices as described in International Application No. PCT / US2020 / 0165391.

[0052] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the medication management system 102, the medication delivery pathway sensor system 104, and / or the remote computing system 108 may include one or more devices capable of receiving, storing, processing, and / or providing pathway data associated with medication delivery pathways for delivering medication to a patient. For example, the pathway data may define or identify medication delivery pathways for delivering medication to a patient (e.g., each medication delivery pathway for delivering medication to a patient, etc.) and / or attributes of one or more medication delivery pathways (e.g., associated with metadata, etc.). By way of example, the attributes of a medication delivery pathway may include at least one of the following: which medication delivery pathway is connected to the patient, the location in the patient's body of the medication delivery pathway configured to deliver medication, the catheter of the medication delivery pathway, the lumen of the medication delivery pathway, the port of the medication delivery pathway, the type of medication delivery pathway (e.g., peripheral intravenous line (PIV), peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC), central catheter, midline catheter, etc.), the device of the medication delivery pathway, the medication previously delivered or currently being delivered through the medication delivery pathway, the time previously delivered or currently being delivered through the medication delivery pathway, any flush events performed within the medication delivery pathway, the time of any flush events that occurred within the medication delivery pathway, the distance of the medication delivery pathway port from the patient (e.g., lumen or line length, etc.), the optical characteristics of the medication delivery pathway (e.g., whether the tubing is amber and / or otherwise dull to protect light-sensitive medications, whether the tubing is translucent, etc.), or any combination thereof. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the pathway data may include prescription data.For example, the pathway data can identify each medication delivery pathway (e.g., each catheter, each lumen, each port, etc.) associated with the patient, and may include a history of each medication delivered or being delivered through each medication delivery pathway to the patient (e.g., what medication was delivered through what catheter, lumen, and / or port, etc.), and / or each medication delivered or being delivered to the patient via another delivery route (e.g., injection, oral, etc.).

[0053] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the medication management system 102, medication delivery pathway sensor system 104, and / or remote computing system 108 may include one or more devices capable of receiving, storing, processing, and / or providing prescription data associated with medications that have been delivered, are being delivered, or are prescribed for delivery to a patient. For example, the prescription data may define or identify medications that have been delivered, are being delivered, or are prescribed for delivery to a patient (e.g., each medication that has been delivered to the patient (e.g., a previous medication administration), is being delivered (e.g., a current or ongoing medication administration), or is prescribed for delivery (e.g., a new or future medication administration), etc.) and / or one or more attributes of the medication (e.g., associated with metadata, etc.). By way of example, the attributes of the medication may include at least one of the following: a delivery type of the medication (e.g., push-delivered medication, drip medication delivery, pump medication delivery, etc.), a dosage of the medication, a dosage rate of the medication, a time period during which the medication may be allowed to be delivered to the patient, or any combination thereof.

[0054] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the medication management system 102, medication delivery pathway sensor system 104, and / or remote computing system 108 may include one or more devices capable of receiving, storing, processing, and / or providing rule set data associated with at least one rule set including at least one rule that is applied to pathway data and / or prescription data associated with a patient to instruct or determine one or more medication delivery pathways to be used to deliver one or more medications to the patient. For example, the rule may determine whether a medication is suitable (e.g., subsequent time, etc.) to be delivered to a patient via the same medication delivery pathway as another medication; whether a medication containing certain attributes (e.g., chemical properties, physical properties, medication osmolality, pH, etc.) is suitable (e.g., subsequent time, etc.) to be delivered to a patient via the same medication delivery pathway as another medication containing other attributes (e.g., other chemical properties, other physical properties, other medication osmolality, other pH, etc.); whether a medication is suitable (e.g., subsequent time, etc.) to be delivered to a patient via the same medication delivery pathway as another medication if the same medication delivery pathway experiences washout between the delivery of the medication and the other medication. whether a drug is suitable for delivery to a patient via a drug delivery route including a device; the time period during which a drug is suitable for delivery to a patient via a drug delivery route including a device; whether a drug is suitable for delivery to a patient along with other drugs (e.g., the time period between); (1) the priority of delivery of a drug relative to other drugs (e.g., a "stat" drug may have a higher priority for delivery than a drug associated with a defined acceptable time window); and (2) the priority of delivery of a type of drug (e.g., red, yellow, or green drugs; critical drugs versus non-critical drugs; etc.).whether to prompt the user to flush the drug delivery pathway before and / or after delivering the drug through the drug delivery pathway, for delivering the drug to the patient, via a type, device, and / or location of the drug delivery pathway (e.g., catheter, lumen, and / or port type, color, size, and / or patient location, etc.) with respect to another type, device, and / or location of the drug delivery pathway (e.g., hospital preferences, patient preferences, manufacturer preferences, etc. may dictate that a particular type of drug delivery pathway be used over or before another type of drug delivery pathway, etc.); the drug delivery route for the drug to the patient; whether to prompt the user to introduce a new drug delivery route for the drug; whether to determine an existing drug delivery route for delivering the drug to the patient; whether the concentration of the drug is suitable for delivery to the patient via the same drug delivery route as the concentration of another drug; whether the diluent associated with the drug is suitable for delivery to the patient via the same drug delivery route as the diluent associated with another drug; whether the delivery vehicle for the drug is suitable for delivery to the patient via the same drug delivery route as the delivery vehicle of another drug; or any combination thereof.

[0055] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, vesicants may be divided into groups or lists based on the amount of inflammation they are likely to cause, their potential to cause site reactions, inflammation, and / or tissue or venous damage (e.g., phlebitis). For example, groups or lists of vesicants may be detailed and standardized on a hospital-specific and / or more general basis. As an example, vesicants may be divided into the following: red (R), green (G), and yellow (Y). In one such example, R vesicants may be most likely to cause inflammation and / or site reactions, G vesicants may be least likely to cause inflammation and / or site reactions, and Y vesicants may have a potential for causing inflammation and / or site reactions somewhere between R and G vesicants.

[0056] The communication network 106 may include one or more wired and / or wireless networks. For example, the communication network 106 may include a cellular network (e.g., a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, a third-generation (3G) network, a fourth-generation (4G) network, a fifth-generation (5G) network, a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, etc.), a public land mobile network (PLMN), a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a telephone network (e.g., a public switched telephone network (PSTN)), a private network, an ad hoc network, an intranet, the Internet, an optical fiber-based network, a cloud computing network, etc., and / or any combination of these or other types of networks.

[0057] The remote computing system 108 may receive information and / or data from the medication management system 102 and / or the medication delivery pathway sensor system 104 (e.g., over a communication network). 106 , etc.) and / or to the medication management system 102 and / or the medication delivery pathway sensor system 104. 106 For example, the remote computing system 108 may include one or more computing systems including one or more processors (e.g., one or more computing devices, one or more mobile computing devices, one or more servers, etc.). In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the remote computing system 108In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the remote computing system 108 includes a secure hospital server and / or one or more secure hospital databases that store personally identifiable information (PII) and / or Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protected information.

[0058] The number and configuration of systems and devices shown in Figures 1 and 2 are provided as an example. Additional, fewer, or differently configured systems and / or devices are possible. Furthermore, two or more systems or devices shown in Figures 1 and 2 may be implemented within a single system or device, or a single system or device shown in Figures 1 and 2 may be implemented as multiple, distributed systems or devices. Additionally or alternatively, a set of systems or devices (e.g., one or more systems, one or more devices, etc.) of environment 100 may perform one or more functions described as being performed by another set of systems or another set of devices of environment 100.

[0059] Referring now to Figure 3, Figure 3 is a diagram of example components of a device 300. The device 300 includes: Medication Management System 102 one or more devices and / or remote computing systems 108 In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the device may correspond to one or more of: Medication Management System 102 one or more devices and / or remote computing systems 108One or more devices of may include at least one device 300 and / or at least one component of device 300. As shown in Figure 3, device 300 may include a bus 302, a processor 304, a memory 306, a storage component 308, an input component 310, an output component 312, and a communication interface 314.

[0060] The bus 302 may include components that enable communication between the components of the device 300. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the processor 304 may be implemented in hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. For example, the processor 304 may include a processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an accelerated processing unit (APU), etc.), a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and / or any processing component (e.g., a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a microcontroller (MCU), etc.) that can be programmed to perform functions. The memory 306 may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and / or another type of dynamic or static storage device (e.g., flash memory, magnetic memory, optical memory, etc.) that stores information and / or instructions for use by the processor 304.

[0061] The storage component 308 may store information and / or software related to the operation and use of the device 300. For example, the storage component 308 may include a hard disk (e.g., a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, solid state disk, etc.), a compact disk (CD), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a floppy disk, a cartridge, a magnetic tape, and / or another type of computer-readable medium along with a corresponding drive.

[0062] The input components 310 may include components that enable the device 300 to receive information, such as via user input (e.g., a touchscreen display, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, buttons, switches, a microphone, a camera, an electroencephalogram (EEG) monitor, a patient monitoring system, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, the input components 310 may include sensors for sensing information (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) component, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an actuator, etc.). The output components 312 may include components that provide output information from the device 300 (e.g., a display, a speaker, one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and the like).

[0063] The communication interface 314 may include transceiver-like components (e.g., a transceiver, a separate receiver and transmitter, etc.) that enable the device 300 to communicate with other devices, such as via a wired connection, a wireless connection, or a combination of wired and wireless connections. The communication interface 314 may enable the device 300 to receive information from and / or provide information to other devices. For example, the communication interface 314 may include an Ethernet interface, an optical interface, a coaxial interface, an infrared interface, a radio frequency (RF) interface, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a Wi-Fi interface, a cellular network interface, etc.

[0064] The device 300 may perform one or more processes described herein. The device 300 may perform these processes based on the processor 304 executing software instructions stored by a computer-readable medium, such as the memory 306 and / or the storage component 308. A computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable medium) is defined herein as a non-transitory memory device. A non-transitory memory device includes a memory space located within a single physical storage device or a memory space spread across multiple physical storage devices.

[0065] Software instructions may be read into memory 306 and / or storage component 308 from another computer-readable medium or from another device via communication interface 314. When executed, the software instructions stored in memory 306 and / or storage component 308 may cause processor 304 to perform one or more operations described herein. Additionally or alternatively, hardwired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to perform one or more operations described herein. Thus, embodiments or aspects described herein are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.

[0066] The memory 306 and / or storage component 308 may include data storage or one or more data structures (e.g., databases, etc.). The device 300 may be capable of receiving information from, storing information in, communicating information to, or retrieving information stored in the data storage or one or more data structures in the memory 306 and / or storage component 308. For example, the information may include route data, prescription data, rule set data, or any combination thereof.

[0067] The number and configuration of components shown in Figure 3 are provided as an example. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, device 300 may include additional, fewer, different, or differently configured components than those shown in Figure 3. Additionally or alternatively, a set of components (e.g., one or more components) of device 300 may perform one or more functions described as being performed by another set of components of device 300.

[0068] 4, which is a flowchart of a non-limiting embodiment or aspect of a process for medication management. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, one or more steps of process 400 are performed (e.g., completely, partially, etc.) by medication management system 102 (e.g., one or more devices of medication management system 102, etc.). In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, one or more steps of process 400 are performed by another device or devices separate from or including medication management system 102, such as medication delivery pathway sensor system 104 (e.g., one or more devices of medication delivery pathway sensor system 104, etc.) and / or remote computing system 108 (e.g., one or more devices of remote computing system 108, etc.).

[0069] 4, in step 402, the process 400 includes obtaining route data associated with a delivery route for delivering a medication to a patient. For example, the medication management system 102 may obtain route data associated with a medication delivery route for delivering a medication to a patient. As an example, the medication management system 102 may obtain route data associated with at least one of the medication delivery routes 203 a, 203 b, . . . 203 n for delivering a medication to a patient (e.g., route data associated with each medication delivery route for delivering a medication to a patient).

[0070] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the medication management system 102 may acquire route data from at least one sensor associated with at least one medication delivery pathway. For example, the medication management system 102 may acquire route data from the medication delivery pathway sensor system 104. As an example, the medication management system 102 may acquire route data from one or more sensors 202a, 202b, ... 202n associated with one or more medication delivery pathways 203a, 203b, ... 203n. In such an example, at least one other medication may be delivered or can be delivered via at least one or more medication delivery pathways, and one or more associated medications may be prescribed for delivery to the patient. However, non-limiting embodiments or aspects are not limited thereto, and the medication management system 102 may acquire route data by one or more users to one or more user interfaces of the medication management system 102, the medication delivery pathway sensor system 104, and / or the remote computing system 108.

[0071] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the medication management system 102 can communicate (e.g., via a user interface, etc.) route data associated with the patient to the pharmacist concurrently with the medication order, allowing the pharmacist to have firsthand knowledge of what medication is being delivered to the patient via which medication delivery route, as well as proactively providing advice to the healthcare practitioner via the label associated with the medication order.

[0072] 4, in step 404, process 400 includes obtaining prescription data associated with medications prescribed for delivery to the patient. For example, medication management system 102 may obtain prescription data associated with medications prescribed for delivery to the patient (e.g., prescription data associated with each medication prescribed for delivery to the patient). As one example, medication management system 102 may obtain prescription data associated with (1) one or more medications prescribed for delivery to the patient and (2) at least one other medication that has been delivered, is being delivered, or prescribed for delivery to the patient.

[0073] 4 , in step 406, the process 400 includes determining a medication delivery route for delivering medication to the patient based on the route data and / or the prescription data in accordance with a rule set. For example, the medication management system 102 may determine a medication delivery route for delivering medication to the patient based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with a rule set. As an example, the medication management system 102 may determine one or more medication delivery routes 203 a, 203 b, . . . 203 n for delivering one or more medications to the patient based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with at least one rule set. In such an example, the medication management system 102 may determine one or more medication delivery routes for delivering one or more medications to the patient by applying at least one rule of the at least one rule set to the route data and / or the prescription data.

[0074] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, a user may selectively determine one or more rule sets and / or one or more rules of one or more rule sets from a plurality of available rule sets including a plurality of available rules to use in determining a medication delivery route for delivering a medication to a patient. For example, a hospital may have the option to determine which medication compatibility rule sets and / or rules are to be used to drive the determination of delivery route compatibility.

[0075] Further details regarding non-limiting embodiments or aspects of step 406 of process 400 are provided below with respect to FIG.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 4 , in step 408, the process 400 includes assigning a medication for delivery to the patient via a medication delivery route. For example, the medication management system 102 may assign (e.g., assign, recommend, alert, etc.) a medication for delivery to the patient via a medication delivery route. As an example, the medication management system 102 may assign one or more medications for delivery to the patient via one or more medication delivery routes 203 a, 203 b, ... 203 n (e.g., through an update or assignment in the medication management system 102, e.g., through an assignment or recommendation to a user, etc.). In such an example, after assigning one or more medications for delivery to the patient via one or more medication delivery routes, processing may return to step 402, where the medication management system 102 may obtain route data associated with the medications that have been delivered and / or are currently being delivered, and may proceed to step 404, where the medication management system 102 may obtain additional prescription data associated with one or more additional medications prescribed for delivery to the patient. It is contemplated herein that multiple permissible ports may be identified for a single medication.

[0077] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the medication management system 102 may allocate one or more medications for delivery to a patient via an oral medication delivery route. For example, the medication management system 102 may obtain route data associated with oral administration of medications for a patient, obtain prescription data associated with the medication or medications prescribed for delivery to the patient, determine an oral medication delivery route for delivery of the medication or medications to the patient based on the route data and the prescription data according to a rule set, and allocate one or more medications for delivery to the patient via the oral administration route.

[0078] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the medication management system 102 may communicate to one or more users (e.g., pharmacists, healthcare practitioners, etc.) the allocation of one or more medications for delivery to the patient via one or more medication delivery routes and / or the allocation of one or more time periods for delivery of the one or more medications to the patient via one or more medication delivery routes. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the medication management system 102 may communicate to one or more users post-medication administration advice, such as one or more patient physiological parameters to monitor post-medication administration, one or more post-administration procedures to perform (e.g., medication depletion, disposal, logging, etc.), and / or the like, based on the type of one or more medications allocated for delivery to the patient via one or more medication delivery routes.

[0079] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the medication management system 102 may prompt a user to flush a medication delivery route when a medication is allocated for delivery to a patient via the medication delivery route. For example, the medication management system 102 may prompt a user to flush one or more medication delivery routes at least one before and after delivering one or more medications via the one or more medication delivery routes (e.g., in response to a determination that one or more medications are suitable for delivery to a patient via the same medication delivery route as at least one medication, such as when the same medication delivery route is flushed between delivery of one or more medications and the at least one medication, as described in more detail below with respect to FIG. 5). In such an example, the one or more medication delivery routes include at least one medication delivery route for delivering a medication to a patient.

[0080] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the medication management system 102 may prompt the user to install a medication delivery route when a medication is assigned for delivery to the patient via the medication delivery route. For example, the medication management system 102 may prompt the user to install one or more medication delivery routes in the patient's body (e.g., in response to one or more determinations that one or more medications are not suitable for at least one or more medication delivery routes for delivering the medication to the patient, such as described in more detail below with respect to FIG. 5).

[0081] 5, which is a flowchart of a non-limiting embodiment or aspect of a process 500 for medication management. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, one or more steps of process 500 are performed (e.g., completely, partially, etc.) by medication management system 102 (e.g., one or more devices of medication management system 102, etc.). In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, one or more steps of process 500 are performed by another device or devices separate from or including medication management system 102, such as medication delivery pathway sensor system 104 (e.g., one or more devices of medication delivery pathway sensor system 104, etc.) and / or remote computing system 108 (e.g., one or more devices of remote computing system 108, etc.).

[0082] 5, in step 502, process 500 includes determining, based on the route data and / or prescription data, whether medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same medication delivery route, according to a rule set. For example, medication management system 102 may determine, based on the route data and / or prescription data, whether medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same medication delivery route, according to a rule set. As an example, medication management system 102 may determine, based on the route data and / or prescription data, whether one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same medication delivery route as at least one medication based on the route data and prescription data, according to at least one rule set.

[0083] 5, in step 504, the process 500 includes determining, based on the route data and / or the prescription data and in accordance with a rule set, whether the medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same medication delivery route if the same medication delivery route is flushed between deliveries of the medications. For example, the medication management system 102 may determine, based on the route data and / or the prescription data and in accordance with a rule set, whether the medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same medication delivery route if the same medication delivery route is flushed between deliveries of the medications. As an example, the medication management system 102 may determine, based on the route data and the prescription data and in accordance with at least one rule set, whether one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same medication delivery route as at least one medication if the same medication delivery route is flushed between deliveries of the one or more medications and the at least one medication.

[0084] 5, in step 506, the process 500 includes segmenting each medication prescribed for delivery to the patient into multiple medication groups based on the route data and / or the prescription data according to at least one rule set. For example, the medication management system 102 may segment each medication prescribed for delivery to the patient into multiple medication groups based on the route data and / or the prescription data according to at least one rule set. As an example, the medication management system 102 may segment one or more medications and at least one medication into multiple medication groups based on whether the one or more medications and at least one medication are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same medication delivery route and / or whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same medication delivery route as the at least one medication if the same medication delivery route is flushed between delivery of the one or more medications and the at least one medication. In such an example, the medication management system 102 may segment medications into the same prescription or order based on their compatibility with each other and / or may generate the largest group of medications that are compatible with an existing medication delivery route for the patient.

[0085] 5, in step 508, the process 500 includes determining whether the medication is suitable for delivery to the patient via a type of medication delivery route based on the route data and / or prescription data in accordance with a rule set. For example, the medication management system 102 may determine whether the medication is suitable for delivery to the patient via a type of medication delivery route based on the route data and / or prescription data. As an example, the medication management system 102 may determine whether one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via one or more types of at least one medication delivery route based on the route data and prescription data in accordance with at least one rule set.

[0086] 5, at step 510, the process 500 includes determining, based on the route data and / or the prescription data and in accordance with a rule set, whether a medication is suitable for delivery at a location in the patient's body for which a medication delivery pathway is configured for medication delivery. For example, the medication management system 102 may determine, based on the route data and / or the prescription data and in accordance with a rule set, whether a medication is suitable for delivery at a location in the patient's body for which a medication delivery pathway is configured for medication delivery. As an example, the medication management system 102 may determine, based on the route data and the prescription data and in accordance with at least one rule set, whether one or more medications are suitable for delivery at one or more locations in the patient's body.

[0087] 5, in step 512, the process 500 includes determining, based on the route data and / or prescription data and in accordance with a rule set, whether a medication is suitable for delivery to the patient via a medication delivery route that includes an appliance. For example, the medication management system 102 may determine, based on the route data and / or prescription data and in accordance with a rule set, whether a medication is suitable for delivery to the patient via a medication delivery route that includes an appliance. As an example, the medication management system 102 may determine, based on the route data and prescription data and in accordance with at least one rule set, whether one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via a route that includes one or more appliances.

[0088] 5, in step 514, the process 500 includes determining, based on the route data and / or the prescription data and in accordance with a rule set, a period of time during which the medication is suitable for delivery to the patient via a route including one or more devices. For example, the medication management system 102 may determine, based on the route data and / or the prescription data and in accordance with a rule set, a period of time during which the medication is suitable for delivery to the patient via a route including one or more devices. As an example, the medication management system 102 may determine, based on the route data and the prescription data and in accordance with at least one rule set, a period of time during which the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via a route including one or more devices.

[0089] 5, in step 516, the process 500 includes determining a time period for delivery of the medication to the patient via the medication delivery route based on the route data and / or the prescription data in accordance with a rule set. For example, the medication management system 102 may determine a time period for delivery of the medication to the patient via the medication delivery route based on the route data and / or the prescription data in accordance with a rule set. As an example, the medication management system 102 may determine one or more first times for delivering one or more medications via one or more medication delivery routes based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with at least one rule set (e.g., according to a priority of delivery of the medication with respect to another medication, according to a priority of delivery of a type of medication via a type, device, and / or location of the medication delivery route, etc.). In such an example, the prescription data may be associated with one or more delivery types of the one or more medications, one or more dosage amounts of the one or more medications, one or more dosing rates of the one or more medications, one or more time periods acceptable for delivering the one or more medications to the patient, or any combination thereof. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the medication management system 102 may assign medications to available medication delivery routes according to the following order of priority: 1) medication associated with the shortest available time window for delivery, 2) Blister R-Blister Y-Blister G, 3) according to medication group size, or 4) alphabetically according to medication name. Thus, the medication management system 102 may determine and provide a timeline for delivering one or more medications to a patient and the medication delivery route through which the one or more medications are assigned to be delivered.

[0090] 5, in step 518, the process 500 includes determining, based on the route data and / or the prescription data and in accordance with a rule set, a second time period after the first time period for delivery of a second administration of the medication to the patient via the medication delivery route. For example, the medication management system 102 may determine, based on the route data and / or the prescription data and in accordance with a rule set, a second time period after the first time period for delivery of a second administration of the medication to the patient via the medication delivery route. As an example, the medication management system 102 may determine, based on the route data and the prescription data and in accordance with at least one rule set, one or more second time periods after the one or more first time periods for delivery of one or more second administrations of one or more medications via one or more medication delivery routes. Thus, the medication management system 102 may determine and / or provide determined retiming of medications (e.g., directly to a pharmacist upon an order for one or more medications) to reduce the need for placement of additional medication delivery pathways (e.g., additional catheters, etc.) and / or to reduce medication incompatibilities that result in medication delivery pathway problems, such as the formation of precipitates in catheter lines, and the like.

[0091] 5 , in step 520, process 500 includes determining a medication delivery route (e.g., a catheter, a lumen, a port, etc.) for delivery of the medication to the patient according to one or more of the decisions of steps 502 through 518. For example, the medication management system 102 may determine a medication delivery route for delivery of the medication to the patient based on one or more of the decisions of steps 502 through 518 according to a rule set. As an example, the medication management system 102 may determine one or more medication delivery routes for delivery of one or more medications to the patient according to at least one rule in at least one rule set applied to the one or more decisions of steps 512 through 518. For example, the medication management system may determine one or more medication delivery routes for delivery of multiple medication groups to the patient based on the route data and prescription data according to one or more of the decisions of steps 512 through 518. As an example, the medication management system 102 may determine, based on one or more determinations of steps 502 through 518 in accordance with a rule set, a medication delivery route for delivery of a medication to a patient from a group of existing medication delivery routes (e.g., medication delivery routes already installed) and / or from available medication delivery routes (e.g., medication delivery routes that can be installed by the user) that provide the least incompatible medication delivery route (e.g., the most compatible medication delivery route), the shortest distance medication delivery route to the patient (or the longest distance medication delivery route to the patient if the medication needs to be diluted by primary and / or secondary infusion fluids), a set of flushed branches or routes, a set of branches with the most compatible fluids and / or flow rates, or any combination thereof.

[0092] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the medication management system 102 may provide for the assignment of one or more medications for delivery via one or more medication delivery routes via a user interface. For example, the user interface may include a visual map of medication delivery routes for the patient and instructions indicating which of the medication delivery routes to use to deliver which medication and / or the time period over which the medication will be delivered, and / or instructions indicating where to insert or introduce any new medication delivery routes determined to deliver one or more medications to the patient.

[0093] Referring now to FIGS. 6a-6c, FIGS. 6a-6c are flowcharts of an overview of a non-limiting embodiment or aspect of an implementation 600 of a medication management process.

[0094] As shown by reference numeral 602 in Figures 6a-6c, the medication management system 102 may receive prescription data associated with medications prescribed for the patient on the prescription. As shown by reference numeral 604 in Figures 6a-6c, the medication management system 102 may create an order sequence based on the prescription data. As shown by reference numeral 606 in Figures 6a-6c, the medication management system 102 may identify available medication delivery routes for the patient. As shown by reference numeral 608 in Figures 6a-6c, the medication management system 102 may identify a highest priority medication delivery route. As shown by reference numeral 610 in Figures 6a-6c, the medication management system 102 may determine whether there is an incompatibility between medications in the prescription and / or whether there is an incompatibility between medications in the prescription and medication delivery routes for the patient.

[0095] If the drug management system 102 determines at reference numeral 610 that there are no incompatibilities, then at reference numeral 612, the drug management system 102 may determine whether each drug is a vesicant. If the drug management system 102 determines at reference numeral 612 that none of the drugs are vesicants, then at reference numeral 614, the drug management system 102 may allocate the drug for delivery via an existing drug delivery pathway (e.g., via the proximal y-portion of the line (or via the lumen if no line is present)). If the drug management system 102 determines at reference numeral 612 that the drug includes a vesicant, then at reference numeral 616, the drug management system 102 may determine whether the existing drug administration pathway includes a saline line. If the drug management system 102 determines at reference numeral 616 that the existing drug administration pathway includes a saline line, then at reference numeral 618, the drug management system 102 may allocate the vesicant for delivery via the distal y-portion of the saline line. At reference numeral 616, if the medication management system 102 determines that the existing medication administration pathway does not include a saline line, the medication management system 102 may allocate a vesicant for delivery through the open port.

[0096] If the medication management system 102 determines at reference numeral 610 that there is an incompatibility, the medication management system 102 may determine the type of incompatibility at reference numeral 622. If the medication management system 102 determines at reference numeral 622 that the type of incompatibility is an incompatibility between the medication and the medication delivery route, the medication management system 102 may determine whether another compatible medication delivery route is available at reference numeral 624. If the medication management system 102 determines at reference numeral 624 that another compatible medication delivery route is available, the medication management system 102 may allocate the medication for delivery via the alternative medication delivery route at reference numeral 626. If the medication management system 102 determines at reference numeral 624 that another compatible medication delivery route is not available, the medication management system 102 may determine at reference numeral 628 whether the medication includes a vesicant.

[0097] If the medication management system 102 determines at 628 that the medication is a vesicant (and / or is not a G vesicant), then at 630, the medication management system 102 determines whether the medication is an R vesicant. If the medication management system 102 determines at 630 that the medication is an R vesicant, then at 632, the medication management system 102 prompts the user to insert or install a central line and allocates the R vesicant for delivery via the central line. If the medication management system 102 determines at 630 that the medication is not an R vesicant (e.g., determines that the medication is a Y vesicant), then at 634, the medication management system 102 prompts the user to follow hospital protocol for delivering a Y vesicant to the user and may allocate the Y vesicant for delivery via PIV with additional flushing or via a newly introduced medication delivery route. If, at reference numeral 628, the medication management system 102 determines that the medication is not a vesicant (or is a G vesicant), at reference numeral 636, the medication management system 102 may prompt the user to install a new medication delivery route (e.g., PIV, etc.) and allocate the medication for delivery via the newly installed medication delivery route.

[0098] If the medication management system 102 determines at reference numeral 622 that the type of incompatibility is between the medication and another medication, then at reference numeral 638, the medication management system 102 may determine the type of drug-drug incompatibility. If the medication management system 102 determines at reference numeral 638 that the type of incompatibility is between medications within the same prescription, then at reference numeral 640, the medication management system 102 may segment the medications within the prescription into groups or sub-prescriptions of compatible medications. For example, at reference numeral 64 1In this example, the medication management system 102 may divide the prescription into N groups, where N is the minimum number of medications, such that there are no incompatibilities among the medications present in the groups. As an example, the medication management system 102 may create new prescriptions and evaluate each new prescription sequentially. In such an example, the medication management system 102 may assign medications to available medication delivery routes according to the following order of priority: 1) medication associated with the shortest available time window for delivery, 2) Blister R-Blister Y-Blister G, 3) according to medication group size, and 4) alphabetically by medication name.

[0099] If the medication management system 102 determines at reference numeral 638 that the type of incompatibility is an incompatibility between the medication in the prescription and a currently ongoing medication (e.g., a medication currently being delivered to a patient), the medication management system 102 may determine at reference numeral 642 whether delivery of the currently ongoing medication can be stopped. If the medication management system 102 determines at reference numeral 642 that the currently ongoing medication can be stopped, the medication management system 102 may determine at reference numeral 644 whether stopping the currently ongoing medication and performing a flush of the medication delivery route will make the medication delivery route compatible for the medication in the prescription. If the medication management system 102 determines at reference numeral 644 that stopping the currently ongoing medication and performing an additional flush will achieve compatibility, the medication management system 102 may include instructions at reference numeral 646 to perform a flush of the medication delivery route to which the medication is assigned, and processing may return to reference numeral 612 to determine the medication delivery route to which the medication is assigned.

[0100] If, at reference numeral 642, the medication management system 102 determines that the currently ongoing medication cannot be stopped, then, at reference numeral 648, the medication management system 102 may determine whether another medication delivery route (e.g., another lumen, etc.) is available for delivering the medication to the patient. If, at reference numeral 648, the medication management system 102 determines that another medication delivery route is available for delivering the medication to the patient, then processing may return to reference numeral 608 for the medication management system 102 to consider the next highest priority medication delivery route for delivering the medication to the patient. If, at reference numeral 648, the medication management system 102 determines that another medication delivery route is not currently available for delivering the medication to the patient, then the medication management system 102 may determine whether the medication includes a vesicant. If, at reference numeral 650, the medication management system 102 determines that the medication does not include a vesicant, processing may return to reference numeral 636, where the medication management system 102 may prompt the user to install a new medication delivery route (e.g., PIV, etc.) and allocate the medication for delivery via the newly installed medication delivery route. If, at reference numeral 650, the medication management system 102 determines that the medication does include a vesicant, at reference numeral 652, the medication management system 102 may prompt the user to insert or install a new medication delivery route (e.g., a central line, etc.) for delivery of the vesicant.

[0101] If, at reference numeral 638, the medication management system 102 determines that the type of incompatibility is between a medication in the prescription and a medication previously delivered via the same medication delivery route, then, at reference numeral 654, the medication management system 102 may determine whether performing a medication delivery route flush will make the medication delivery route compatible for the medication in the prescription. If, at reference numeral 654, the medication management system 102 determines that performing a medication delivery route flush will make the medication delivery route compatible for the medication in the prescription, then processing may return to reference numeral 646, which may include instructions for the medication management system 102 to flush the medication delivery route to which the medication is assigned, and processing may return to reference numeral 612, where the medication management system 102 determines the medication delivery route to which the medication is assigned. If, at reference numeral 654, the medication management system 102 determines that flushing the medication delivery pathway does not render the medication delivery pathway compatible for the medication in the prescription, processing may return to reference numeral 648, where the medication management system 102 may determine whether another medication delivery pathway (e.g., another lumen, etc.) is available for medication delivery to the patient.

[0102] While embodiments or aspects have been described in detail for purposes of illustration and description, it should be understood that such details are for that purpose only and are not intended to limit the embodiments or aspects to the disclosed embodiments or aspects, but on the contrary, are intended to cover modifications and equivalent arrangements within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, it should be understood that the present disclosure contemplates that, to the extent possible, one or more features of any embodiment or aspect may be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment or aspect. In fact, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically recited in the claims and / or disclosed herein. Although each dependent claim listed below may depend directly on only one claim, the disclosure of possible implementations includes each dependent claim in combination with any other claims in the claims.

Claims

1. 1. A computer-implemented method comprising at least one processor, the method comprising: acquiring route data associated with at least one medication delivery route for delivering a medication to a patient, the route data being associated with at least one type of the at least one medication delivery route, the at least one medication delivery route including at least one of at least one catheter, at least one lumen, at least one port, or any combination thereof; obtaining prescription data associated with (1) one or more medications prescribed for delivery to the patient and (2) at least one other medication that has been delivered, is being delivered, or has been prescribed for delivery to the patient; determining one or more medication delivery routes for delivery of the one or more medications to the patient based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with at least one rule set, wherein determining the one or more medication delivery routes includes determining whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the one or more types of the at least one medication delivery route based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with the at least one rule set; allocating the one or more medications for delivery to the patient via the one or more medication delivery routes; A method for providing the above.

2. determining the one or more drug delivery routes determining, in accordance with the at least one rule set and based on the route data and the prescription data, whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same medication delivery route as at least one medication based on the route data and the prescription data; The method of claim 1.

3. Determining whether the one or more drugs are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same drug delivery route as the at least one drug includes: determining, in accordance with the at least one rule set and based on the route data and the prescription data, whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same medication delivery route as the at least one medication, if the same medication delivery route is washed out between delivery of the one or more medications and the at least one medication; The method of claim 2.

4. the one or more medication delivery routes include the at least one medication delivery route, and allocating the one or more medications for delivery to the patient via the one or more medication delivery routes includes: prompting a user to flush the one or more drug delivery pathways at least one of before and after delivering the one or more drugs via the one or more drug delivery pathways. The method of claim 3.

5. Allocating the one or more medications for delivery to the patient via the one or more medication delivery routes comprises: prompting a user to introduce the one or more drug delivery pathways into the patient's body. The method of claim 3.

6. Segmenting the one or more drugs and the at least one drug into a plurality of drug groups based on whether the one or more drugs and the at least one drug are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same drug delivery route in accordance with the at least one rule set; determining, based on the route data and the prescription data, the one or more medication delivery routes for delivery of the plurality of medication groups based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with the at least one rule set. The method of claim 2.

7. Determining whether the one or more drugs are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same drug delivery route as the at least one drug comprises: determining, in accordance with the at least one rule set and based on the route data and the prescription data, whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same catheter as the at least one medication. The method of claim 2.

8. Determining whether the one or more drugs are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same drug delivery route as the at least one drug comprises: determining, in accordance with the at least one rule set and based on the route data and the prescription data, whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient through the same lumen of the catheter as the at least one medication. The method of claim 7.

9. Determining whether the one or more drugs are suitable for delivery to the patient via the same drug delivery route as the at least one drug comprises: determining, in accordance with the at least one rule set and based on the routing data and the prescription data, whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient through the same port of the catheter as the at least one medication. The method of claim 8.

10. The at least one or more types of the at least one medication delivery route include at least one of the following: a peripheral intravenous line (PIV), a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC), a central catheter, a midline catheter, or any combination thereof; The method of claim 1.

11. The pathway data is further associated with at least one location on the patient's body to which the at least one medication delivery pathway is configured to deliver a medication, and determining the one or more medication delivery pathways comprises: determining whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient at the one or more locations on the patient's body based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with the at least one rule set; The method of claim 1.

12. The path data is further associated with at least one device of the at least one drug delivery path, and determining the one or more drug delivery paths includes: determining, in accordance with the at least one rule set and based on the route data and the prescription data, whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via a route that includes the one or more devices; The method of claim 1.

13. Determining whether the one or more drugs are suitable for delivery to the patient via the at least one drug delivery pathway that includes the one or more devices includes: determining, in accordance with the at least one rule set and based on the route data and the prescription data, a period of time appropriate for the one or more medications to be delivered to the patient via the route including the one or more devices; The method of claim 12.

14. the prescription data is associated with one or more delivery types of the one or more medications, dosage amounts of the one or more medications, dosage rates of the one or more medications, time periods during which delivery of the one or more medications to the patient is permissible, or any combination thereof; The method of claim 1.

15. determining the one or more drug delivery routes determining one or more first time periods for delivery of the one or more medications via the one or more medication delivery routes based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with the at least one rule set; 15. The method of claim 14.

16. determining the one or more drug delivery routes determining, in accordance with the at least one rule set and based on the route data and the prescription data, one or more second time periods after the one or more first time periods for delivery of one or more second doses of the one or more medications via the one or more medication delivery routes; 16. The method of claim 15.

17. the at least one rule set includes the one or more medications and a priority for delivery of the at least one medication; 16. The method of claim 15.

18. the at least one rule set includes a priority for delivery of the one or more medications via type, device, and / or location of the medication delivery pathway; 16. The method of claim 15.

19. the at least one other medication has been or is being delivered via the at least one medication delivery route, the route data is received from at least one sensor connected to the at least one medication delivery route, and the route data is further associated with the at least one other medication that has been or is being delivered via the at least one medication delivery route. The method of claim 1.

20. acquiring route data associated with at least one drug delivery route for delivering a drug to a patient, the route data being associated with at least one type of the at least one drug delivery route, the at least one drug delivery route including at least one of at least one catheter, at least one lumen, at least one port, or any combination thereof; obtaining prescription data associated with (1) one or more medications prescribed for delivery to the patient and (2) at least one other medication that has been delivered, is being delivered, or has been prescribed for delivery to the patient; determining one or more medication delivery routes for delivery of the one or more medications to the patient based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with at least one rule set, wherein determining the one or more medication delivery routes includes determining whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the one or more types of the at least one medication delivery route based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with the at least one rule set; allocating the one or more medications for delivery to the patient via the one or more medication delivery routes; one or more processors programmed and / or configured to: A system comprising:

21. A computer program which, when executed by at least one processor, acquiring route data associated with at least one medication delivery route for delivering a medication to a patient, the route data being associated with at least one type of the at least one medication delivery route, the at least one medication delivery route including at least one of at least one catheter, at least one lumen, at least one port, or any combination thereof; obtaining prescription data associated with (1) one or more medications prescribed for delivery to the patient and (2) at least one other medication that has been delivered, is being delivered, or has been prescribed for delivery to the patient; determining one or more medication delivery routes for delivery of the one or more medications to the patient based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with at least one rule set, wherein determining the one or more medication delivery routes includes determining whether the one or more medications are suitable for delivery to the patient via the one or more types of the at least one medication delivery route based on the route data and the prescription data in accordance with the at least one rule set; allocating the one or more medications for delivery to the patient via the one or more medication delivery routes; a computer program product for causing said at least one processor to perform the steps of:

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