Pharmaceutical Dispensing System Inventory Prediction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Automated pharmacy dispensing systems face challenges in efficiently managing pill inventory and predicting replenishment needs, leading to potential stock-outs and inefficiencies in pharmaceutical dispensing processes.

Innovation Solution

A pharmaceutical dispensing system with a processor and memory that uses historical dispensing data to determine a replenish point and quantity for each cell, adjusting based on stock-out risk, and predicts future needs to automatically order pills, ensuring adequate inventory and optimizing stock management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If automated pharmacy dispensing systems are implemented, then dispensing efficiency and productivity are improved, but inventory management complexity and device complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedispensing efficiencyVSAvoidinventory management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically monitors pill inventory levels in cells and generates replenishment notifications without requiring manual counting or tracking by pharmacists. The automated system serves itself by detecting when cells need refilling and alerting appropriate personnel, thereby improving dispensing efficiency while managing inventory complexity through automation rather than manual processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If manual inventory monitoring is used, then system complexity is reduced, but stock-out risk and loss of time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestock-out preventionVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors pill inventory levels in each cell and provides real-time feedback through replenishment notifications. When the system detects that a cell's inventory falls below a threshold, it automatically generates and displays a notification, creating a closed-loop feedback system that prevents stock-outs while maintaining manageable complexity through automated detection and alerting rather than complex predictive algorithms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If automated replenishment prediction is implemented, then inventory accuracy and reliability are improved, but use of energy and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinventory accuracyVSAvoidcomputational resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a threshold-based monitoring approach where replenishment notifications are generated only when inventory levels fall below a predetermined threshold, rather than continuously predicting and optimizing all inventory decisions. This partial action approach maintains adequate inventory accuracy by preventing stock-outs while avoiding the excessive computational energy consumption of complex predictive algorithms, achieving a balance between precision and resource usage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS9361748B2Pharmaceutical dispensing systems, methods and computer program products for determining and displaying replenishment information
Publication Date: 2016.06.07 PARATA SYSTEMS LLC
  • US9361748B2 patent drawing
  • US9361748B2 patent drawing
  • US9361748B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A pharmaceutical dispensing system includes a frame having first and second opposed sides, a plurality of cells configured to house pharmaceutical pills, and a display on the frame first side. A plurality of dispensing shelves configured to receive filled pill containers are accessible from the second side of the frame for removal of pill containers therein. The pharmaceutical dispensing system includes a processor and memory coupled thereto. A computer program resides in the memory and is executable by the processor for displaying a cell inventory graphical user interface (GUI) within the display. The cell inventory GUI includes a GUI control that is responsive to user activation for displaying replenishment information about one or more of the cells. The computer program is configured to determine a replenish point and replenish quantity for each cell and is configured to adjust the replenish quantity for each cell according to a stock-out risk.