System and method for tracking drugs in a hospital
US6170746A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 12, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jan 9, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 12, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG16H20/13
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A drug tracking system and method for use in hospitals, pharmacies, etc. uses a portable barcode scanning and printing system to reduce errors in the tracking information and to facilitate the ease and efficiency of the drug tracking operation. The portable scanning and printing system automatically prompts the user to enter data necessary for tracking one or more drugs. The portable scanning and printing system also prompts the user to select a particular drug and/or quantity. Automatic verification of the user entered data is performed by the portable system so as to warn the user via a displayed message that the wrong drug and/or quantity was selected or to prompt the user to recount and/or re-enter data so that any discrepancies can be immediately corrected. The portable scanning and printing system also prints alpha-numeric and barcode information on labels that are used to continue the drug tracking operation at other locations. Because the portable scanning and printing system is mobile, all of the drug tracking operations can be performed at the drug's situs to improve the accuracy of the drug tracking operation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.