Pharmacy Will-Call Storage Layout With Coded Location Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pharmacy will-call systems are inefficient due to the need for pharmacy technicians to manually search through co-mingled, monochromatic bags, leading to increased time and space usage, and result in suboptimal storage density, making it difficult to locate and manage prescription orders effectively.
Innovation Solution
A system with discrete storage locations and machine-readable codes, combined with visual indicators, allows for the precise location and retrieval of prescription order containers, enabling efficient storage and pick-up by associating each container with a unique storage location, thus optimizing space usage and reducing search time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If prescription orders are grouped alphabetically in will-call bins, then organization by patient surname is achieved, but storage space efficiency deteriorates and retrieval time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The will-call system is segmented into discrete storage locations rather than using open bins. Each location is individually addressable and can hold specific prescription orders, allowing for both alphabetical organization and efficient retrieval without searching through entire bins.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates visual indicators that provide feedback about the location and status of prescription orders. When a prescription is ready for pickup, the system activates visual indicators at the specific storage location, enabling immediate retrieval without manual searching through alphabetically grouped bins.
2Device complexity
If all bags are co-mingled in alphabetical bins, then simple system structure is maintained, but difficulty in locating specific prescription orders increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of co-mingled bags in open bins, the system divides the storage space into discrete, addressable locations. Each location can be individually identified and accessed, making it easy to locate specific prescription orders while maintaining relatively simple system structure through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses visual indicators that can change color or illuminate to indicate the location of specific prescription orders. This allows pharmacy personnel to quickly detect and locate the correct bins without manually searching through co-mingled bags, solving the detection difficulty while keeping the physical structure simple.
3Ease of operation
If will-call bins are overfilled for frequently occurring surnames, then alphabetical organization is maintained, but storage space utilization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments storage into discrete locations that can be dynamically assigned and monitored. This allows for optimized space utilization by distributing prescription orders across multiple discrete locations based on actual usage patterns, rather than having fixed alphabetical bins that become overfilled or underutilized.
Solution Approach 2:
The will-call system implements dynamic storage location assignment where prescription orders can be moved between locations based on pickup frequency and space availability. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain alphabetical organization while optimizing storage space utilization, preventing overfilling of high-frequency surname bins.
4Device complexity
If manual searching through bins is required, then simple storage structure is used, but pharmacy technician productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides real-time feedback through visual indicators that show the exact location of prescription orders ready for pickup. This eliminates the need for manual searching through bins, significantly improving pharmacy technician productivity while maintaining a relatively simple modular storage structure that can be easily implemented.
Solution Approach 2:
The will-call system enables self-service retrieval where the system itself identifies and indicates the location of prescription orders through visual indicators. Pharmacy personnel simply need to respond to the visual cues rather than manually searching through bins, dramatically improving efficiency while keeping the storage structure simple and maintainable.
Data Source
AI summary
A pharmacy will-call and prescription order article management system and method for managing articles selected to fulfill patient prescription orders awaiting patient pick-up from the pharmacy. An exemplary system includes a storage module including a plurality of separate spaced-apart storage locations for storing containers containing the articles. The containers may be stored at any of the storage locations, thereby maximizing storage density. A visual indicator is provided to indicate each storage location and each storage location has a unique machine-readable identification code identifying that storage location. A code reader is provided to read a unique identification code associated with each container and the unique code at each storage location. Control apparatus controls system operation by locating each container at a storage location and operating the indicator to indicate the relevant storage location when a pick-up request for the prescription order articles is made. Hanging bags may be utilized and exemplary storage apparatus may include hanging rack apparatus.