Systems and methods for allocating medication in a high-volume pharmacy dispensing system

A method includes identifying drugs to be dispensed from medication containers within filling cabinets in a pharmacy dispensing system. The drugs are automatically dispensed from the medication containers into pill containers. The method also includes determining a distribution parameter for the medication containers. The distribution parameter represents one or more of a quantity of the drugs that is dispensed or a limit on dispensing the drugs. The method also includes determining at least one allocation of the drugs in the medication containers that differs from a current allocation of the drugs in the medication containers, and changing the current allocation of the drugs in the medication containers to increase a distribution velocity at which the drugs are dispensed from the pharmacy dispensing system.