A system for controlling a plurality of drug libraries includes a computing device on which is stored a master drug library, the master drug library comprising a plurality of drug definitions. The system also includes a plurality of programmable patient devices coupled to the server, each patient device having an individual drug library stored thereon, the individual drug library comprising a reference only to at least one of the drug definitions in the master drug library. In addition, a method for controlling a plurality of drug libraries includes storing on a computing device a master drug library, the master drug library comprising a plurality of drug definitions. The method also includes storing on each of a plurality of programmable patient devices an individual drug library, the individual drug library comprising a reference only to at least one of the drug definitions in the master drug library.
