An automated drug dispensing system includes a cabinet adapted to store a
variety of prepackaged pharmaceuticals in a plurality of bins for filling
patient prescriptions. Each bin stores a particular variety of packaged
multiple-dose pharmaceutical. Each variety of pharmaceutical is associated
with a particular code. A controller receives request signals and in
response generates dispense signals. Each bin includes a dispenser coupled
to the controller for dispensing the packaged pharmaceuticals therefrom in
response to a dispense signal sent from the controller. After a package is
dispensed, a code reader determines the code of the dispensed package and
verifies whether the code on the dispensed package matches the code of the
requested package.
