Abstract: A medication packaging system can include a tray with a slot and a literature receiving area to hold literature in a position above the slot, and a robotic arm with a literature grabbing mechanism that can have a plurality of fingers that extend parallel to one another. The plurality of fingers including a central finger and a pair of outer fingers that are located on opposite sides of the central finger which are relatively movable between a disengaged position on one side of the slot of the tray to an engaged position at least partially on the other side of the slot to engage and fold the literature in the literature receiving area of the tray. The robotic arm can move the literature and place it in a shipping bag or container.

Abstract: A hopper of a pharmaceutical counter comprises a housing defining an interior sized to hold a plurality of pharmaceuticals. The housing defines an outlet in communication with the interior that is sized and shaped to permit the plurality of pharmaceuticals to move therethrough. The hopper also includes a baffle supported by the housing and disposed in the interior. The baffle is disposed between upper and lower ends of the interior. The baffle is arranged to support a portion of the plurality of pharmaceuticals above the baffle when the plurality of pharmaceuticals is held in the interior of the housing. This relieves the head pressure of the pharmaceuticals at the outlet.

Abstract: The medication container includes a receptacle that has an inner space for holding medications. The cap assembly is coupled with the receptacle for retaining the medications in the inner space. The cap assembly includes at least one passage that can be selectively opened and closed and includes at least one medication sensor that is configured to detect any medications travelling through the passage and out of the receptacle in a contactless manner. A microprocessor is in electrical communication with the at least one medication sensor and with a memory. The microprocessor is configured to record data to the memory in response to the at least one medication sensor detecting a medication travelling through the passage. A wireless module is in electrical communication with the microprocessor for uploading the data to an external device.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical order filling system includes an order processing device, an automated dispensing device in communication with the order processing device for dispensing a pharmaceutical into a container. The system includes pallets for transporting containers and a container sorting device in communication with the order processing device, the container sorting device for transferring the containers from the pallets to distribution areas. The container sorting device includes a pallet unloading area for retaining a pallet in a pallet unloading position, an exception conveyor, a standard order conveyor, and a container manipulation device including a gripper assembly for moving containers in order from pallets to the exception conveyor or the standard order conveyor.

Abstract: The medication container includes a generally card-shaped housing with an interior. The housing has a first opening that is sized to allow a plurality of pills to simultaneously be inserted into the interior of the housing and a first door that is movable between an open position and a closed position to selectively open and close the first opening. The housing also has a second opening that is spaced from the first opening and is configured to only allow a single dose of pills to be dispensed at a time. A second door is movable between open and closed positions. Electronic circuitry is disposed in the interior of the housing and is configured to detect the passage of the pills through the second opening and also to record data pertaining to each dispensing event to a memory contained within the interior of the housing.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical order processing system, components thereof, and associated methods. The pharmaceutical order processing system includes an order processing device, a container former, and a pharmaceutical dispensing device. The order processing device receives a pharmaceutical order of one or more pharmaceuticals and determines a container volume for containing at least a portion of the one or more pharmaceuticals based on the one or more pharmaceuticals. The container former is communicatively coupled to the order processing device. The container former forms a pharmaceutical container having the container volume determined by the order processing device. The pharmaceutical dispensing device is also communicatively coupled to the order processing device. The pharmaceutical dispensing device dispenses said at least a portion of the one or more pharmaceuticals into the pharmaceutical container formed by the container former.

Abstract: The medication container includes a generally card-shaped housing with an interior. The housing has a first opening that is sized to allow a plurality of pills to simultaneously be inserted into the interior of the housing and a first door that is movable between an open position and a closed position to selectively open and close the first opening. The housing also has a second opening that is spaced from the first opening and is configured to only allow a single dose of pills to be dispensed at a time. A second door is movable between open and closed positions. Electronic circuitry is disposed in the interior of the housing and is configured to detect the passage of the pills through the second opening and also to record data pertaining to each dispensing event to a memory contained within the interior of the housing.

Abstract: The medication container includes a receptacle and a cap. The cap includes a gate that can be selectively opened to enable access to medications in the receptacle and closed to restrict access to medications in the receptacle. The gate has a locking mechanism that only unlocks to allow the gate to open from the closed position in response to an application of a downward force on a portion of the gate to resiliently deflect a portion of the gate. The cap further includes electronic components that are configured to monitor movement of medications through the cap and into and out of the receptacle, the electronic components including a memory that is configured to store data pertaining to such passages of medications.

Abstract: A medication packaging system can include a tray with a slot and a literature receiving area to hold literature in a position above the slot, and a robotic arm with a literature grabbing mechanism that can have a plurality of fingers that extend parallel to one another. The plurality of fingers including a central finger and a pair of outer fingers that are located on opposite sides of the central finger which are relatively movable between a disengaged position on one side of the slot of the tray to an engaged position at least partially on the other side of the slot to engage and fold the literature in the literature receiving area of the tray. The robotic arm can move the literature and place it in a shipping bag or container.

Abstract: The medication dispensing assembly includes a housing having an interior. A medication bottle is disposed in the interior with its cap assembly facing vertically downwardly. The cap assembly includes outer, middle, and inner pieces. The outer and inner pieces are fixed with one another, and the middle piece is fixed with the bottle. A drive unit is disposed in the interior of the housing and is configured to rotate the bottle and the middle piece of the cap assembly about a vertical axis. The three pieces of the cap assembly have respective medication openings, and rotating the bottle causes individual pills to travel first from the bottle into the inner piece, then into the middle piece, then around the vertical axis, and then outside of the cap assembly through the medication opening of the outer piece.

Abstract: A package delivery system for delivering a plurality of packages with one or more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) includes a package receptacle to receive and store the plurality of packages. A charging station charges a plurality of UAV batteries which power the one or more UAVs. A UAV landing pad permits the one or more UAVs to land thereon. A loader loads a package of the plurality of packages and/or a UAV battery of the plurality of UAV batteries onto the UAVs when the UAVs are on the UAV landing pad. A transporter moves the packages and/or the UAV batteries s toward the loader.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical order processing system for processing a plurality of pharmaceutical containers includes a container repository, a container selector, an order consolidator transporter and an order consolidator. The container repository supports the pharmaceutical containers. The container selector has a picker to pick the pharmaceutical containers from the pharmaceutical container repository. The container selector includes a carriage supporting the picker and movable relative to the container repository to move the picker around the container repository. The order consolidator receives the pharmaceutical containers and places the pharmaceutical containers in a shipping package. The order consolidator transporter receives the pharmaceutical containers after they have been picked by the picker and transports the pharmaceutical containers toward the order consolidator.

Abstract: An edible receptacle for pharmaceuticals, components thereof, and associated methods. The edible pharmaceutical receptacle includes a plurality of pharmaceuticals including different first and second pharmaceuticals and an edible pharmaceutical card. The edible pharmaceutical card includes a plurality of edible dosing sections joined together. The plurality of edible dosing sections include a first edible dosing section directly joined to a second edible dosing section. The first and second edible dosing sections are arranged to be manually broken apart to separate the first and second edible dosing sections from one another. The first edible dosing section contains the first pharmaceutical of the plurality of pharmaceuticals and the second edible dosing section contains the second pharmaceutical of the plurality of pharmaceuticals.

Abstract: A temperature-controlled medication packaging system includes a storage with a temperature-controlled interior containing at least one medication. The packaging system further includes at least one shipping container and at least one coolant that is sized to fit within the at least one shipping container. A first robot is adapted to retrieve the at least one medication from the storage and transport the at least one medication to a second robot. The second robot is adapted to receive the at least one medication from the first robot and to bring the at least one medication and the at least one shipping container and the at least one coolant together for packaging.

Abstract: The medication container includes a receptacle that has an inner space for holding medications. The cap assembly is coupled with the receptacle for retaining the medications in the inner space. The cap assembly includes at least one passage that can be selectively opened and closed and includes at least one medication sensor that is configured to detect any medications travelling through the passage and out of the receptacle in a contactless manner. A microprocessor is in electrical communication with the at least one medication sensor and with a memory. The microprocessor is configured to record data to the memory in response to the at least one medication sensor detecting a medication travelling through the passage. A wireless module is in electrical communication with the microprocessor for uploading the data to an external device.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical container processing system for removing pharmaceuticals from a batch of containers includes a cutter to cut open the batch of containers. A holder has a plurality of container receivers defining container receiving spaces sized and shaped to hold the batch of containers. One or both of the holder or the cutter are movable between a loading position and a cutting position. In the loading position, the plurality of container receiving spaces are accessible to receive the batch of containers. In the cutting position, the cutter is in registration with the batch of containers held by holder to cut the batch of containers.

Abstract: One aspect of the present disclosure is related to a medication dispensing device. The medication dispensing device includes a housing and a tray. The tray carries a plurality of pods with interiors that can contain pills and is moveable between an open position where the pods are exposed to a user and a closed position where the pods are not exposed to the user. At least one of the pods is at least partially made of an elastomeric material that can deflect to open a passage. When the tray is in the open position, the pods are able to be individually opened to either receive pills or to dispense pills. The medication dispensing device also includes a controller that is configured to monitor the insertion of pills into the pods and the dispensing of pills out of the pods.

Abstract: The medication container includes a receptacle that has an inner space for holding medications. The cap assembly is coupled with the receptacle for retaining the medications in the inner space. The cap assembly includes at least one passage that can be selectively opened and closed and includes at least one medication sensor that is configured to detect any medications travelling through the passage and out of the receptacle in a contactless manner. A microprocessor is in electrical communication with the at least one medication sensor and with a memory. The microprocessor is configured to record data to the memory in response to the at least one medication sensor detecting a medication travelling through the passage. A wireless module is in electrical communication with the microprocessor for uploading the data to an external device.

Abstract: The temperature-controlled medication packaging system includes a storage with a temperature-controlled interior that contains at least one medication that is disposed within a shipping box. The temperature-controlled medication packaging system also includes at least one shipping container in a packager. The temperature-controlled medication packaging system further includes at least one coolant that is sized to fit within the at least one shipping container. At least one robot is adapted to retrieve the at least one medication directly from the shipping box within the storage and transport the at least one medication to the shipping container in the packager. The at least one robot is also adapted to retrieve the at least one coolant and to transport the at least one coolant to the shipping container in the packager.