Claims

1. A system for automatically packaging prescription orders, each order comprising one or more prescription containers, the system comprising: (a) a printer subsystem for generating literature associated with each order; and (b) a packer subsystem for receiving prescription containers composing each order and the literature associated with each order and packing the prescription containers and the literature into a package, the packer subsystem comprising: (i) a means for determining the weight of the prescription containers and transmitting container weight information; (ii) a packer controller in communication with the means for determining the weight of the prescription containers, the packer controller receiving the container weight information and calculating package weight information based at least in part on the container weight information; (iii) a mail manifest system in communication with the packer controller, the mail manifest system receiving the package weight information and generating shipping information comprising postage; (iv) a labeler in communication with the mail manifest system, the labeler receiving the shipping information and applying the shipping information to the package; and (v) a loading mechanism for inserting the prescription containers and the literature into the package.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the printer subsystem is in communication with the packer controller, and wherein the printer subsystem determines document weight information relating to the weight of the literature associated with each order and transmits the document weight information to the packer controller, and wherein the package weight information is based at least in part on the document weight information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for determining the weight of the prescription containers comprises a scale for weighing the prescription containers.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises an order database comprising information regarding the contents of each prescription container and wherein the means for determining the weight of the prescription containers comprises a software program for retrieving the information regarding the contents of the containers and calculating the prescription container weight based on predetermined information regarding the weight of the container and the container contents.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each prescription container has a machine-readable code comprising information for identifying the order associated with the prescription container, and wherein the packer subsystem further comprises: (a) an input conveyor for receiving the prescription containers; (b) a code reader for reading the code on the prescription containers and transmitting the identifying information to the packer controller; and (c) a container pick-and-place mechanism for removing the prescription containers from the input conveyor and transporting the prescription containers to the scale, wherein the packer controller controls the container pick-and-place mechanism in accordance with the identifying information.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a container tip sensor for stopping the input conveyor of the packer subsystem if a tipped prescription container is detected.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising a queue full sensor for stopping the input conveyor to the packer subsystem if a full queue is detected.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the container pick-and-place mechanism comprises one or more vacuum operated pick heads for picking up one or more prescription containers.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the container pick-and-place mechanism rotates the prescription containers to allow the code reader to read the code on each prescription container.

10. The system of claim 5, further comprising a host computer in communication with the packer controller and the printer subsystem, and wherein the packer controller communicates data to the host computer to initiate printing of literature associated with each order.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the labeler applies a machine-readable code to the package containing an identifier for identifying the order associated with the package.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the packer subsystem further comprises a code reader for reading the code on the package to allow verification that the prescription containers being packaged and the labeled package correspond to the same order.

13. The system of claim 5, wherein the package is a bag and wherein the packer subsystem further comprises a bag pick-and-place mechanism for transporting the bag for labeling and loading.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the loading mechanism comprises a document picking member for picking up literature corresponding to the order and a container pick-and-place having one or more vacuum operated pick heads for picking up one or more prescription containers.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the printer subsystem is in communication with a host computer having access to a database of information relating to each order.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the printer subsystem prints a machine-readable code on the literature containing information identifying the order associated with the literature.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the printer subsystem includes a code reader for reading the code on the literature to allow verification that the literature is being packaged with the correct order.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the packer subsystem comprises a printer controller that transmits data relating to the weight of the literature to the packer controller.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sorter for sorting prescription containers into an order comprising one or more associated prescription containers, wherein the packer subsystem receives sorted prescription containers from the sorter.

20. A system for automatically packaging prescription orders and literature associated with each order, each order comprising one or more prescription containers, each prescription container having a machine-readable code comprising information for identifying the order associated with the prescription container, the system comprising: (a) a packer for receiving prescription containers composing each order and the literature associated with each order and packing the prescription containers and the literature into a package, the packer comprising a code reader for reading the code on the prescription containers received by the packer; and (b) a printer dedicated to the packer for generating literature associated with each order and delivering the literature to the packer once a prescription container associated with the order has been received by the packer.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the printer is adjacent to or integrated with the packer.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising a literature packet transport mechanism comprising a swing arm for transporting the literature from the printer to the packer.

23. The system of claim 20, further comprising a packer controller in communication with the code reader for receiving order identifying information from the code reader and transmitting the order identifying information and a print request.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising a host computer in communication with the packer controller for receiving the order identifying information and print request from the packer controller and transmitting data associated with the order to the printer to initiate printing.

25. A system for automatically packaging prescription orders, each order comprising one or more prescription bottles, wherein each bottle has a machine-readable code thereon containing coded information comprising a prescription identifier associated with one of the orders, the system comprising: (a) a host computer having access to a database comprising a plurality of order identifiers, each order identifier being associated with order information for one of the orders, the order information comprising an identification of the shipping name and address and one or more associated prescription identifiers identifying one or more prescriptions; (b) a sorter for sorting prescription bottles into orders; (c) a printer subsystem for generating literature associated with each order, the printer subsystem comprising a print controller in communication with the host computer, wherein the printer controller generates weight information relating to the weight of literature associated with each order; and (d) a packer subsystem for receiving bottles composing each order and the literature associated with each order and packing the bottles and the literature into a package, the packer subsystem comprising: (i) a code reader for reading the machine-readable code on each bottle; (ii) a scale for weighing the bottles and transmitting bottle weight information; (iii) a packer controller in communication with the code reader, scale host computer, and print controller, wherein the packer controller: a. receives the coded information from the code reader and transmits the prescription identifier to the host computer; and b. receives the bottle weight information from the scale and document weight information from the printer controller and calculates package weight information based at least in part on the bottle weight information and document weight information; (iv) a mail manifest system in communication with the packer controller and the host computer, the mail manifest system receiving the package weight information and at least a portion of the order information and generating shipping information comprising postage; (v) a labeler in communication with the mail manifest system, the labeler receiving the shipping information and applying the shipping information to the package; and (vi) a loading mechanism for inserting the bottles and the literature into the package; and wherein the host computer prompts the printer subsystem to print literature associated with an order once one or more of the bottles associated with the order have been received by the packer.

26. A method for automatically packaging prescription orders, each order comprising one or more prescription containers, the method comprising: (a) printing literature associated with each order; (b) packing the prescription containers and the literature associated with each order into a package, the step of packing the prescription containers and literature comprising: (i) determining the weight of the prescription containers and literature; (ii) calculating package weight based at least in part on the weight of the prescription containers and the weight of the literature; (iii) generating shipping information comprising postage; (iv) applying the shipping information to the package; and (v) inserting the prescription containers and the literature into the package.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of sorting prescription containers into orders.