U.S. patent application number 10/062251 was filed with the patent office on 2003-05-15 for controlled substance tracking system and method.
Invention is credited to Anon, Jeffrey A., Bornfreund, Jesse J., Lilly, Ralph B..
Application Number | 20030093295 10/062251 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26742031 |
Filed Date | 2003-05-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030093295 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lilly, Ralph B. ; et
al. |
May 15, 2003 |
Controlled substance tracking system and method
Abstract
A method for tracking prescriptive medications is provided
whereby a complete prescriptive medication history including active
and inactive prescriptive medications is stored for a plurality of
patients utilizing a plurality of pharmacies wherein the pharmacies
may be affiliated or unaffiliated. The information may be
selectively retrieved through a secure computer connection by
entities such as hospitals, doctors, pharmacies, insurance
companies, government agencies and the like. The information may be
utilized to benefit the patient whereby a doctor is able to obtain
an accurate view of the complete prescriptive medication history of
the patient including prescriptive medications by other doctors.
Hospitals will be able to obtain, in accord with the invention, a
prescriptive medication history prior to treatment such as
emergency treatment where such information is not normally
available. The stored data for each prescriptive medication
transaction includes searchable data such as the patient's name,
address, doctor, pharmacy, aberrant use flag, and the like.
Inventors: |
Lilly, Ralph B.; (Houston,
TX) ; Bornfreund, Jesse J.; (Houston, TX) ;
Anon, Jeffrey A.; (Houston, TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WILLIAM E. JOHNSON, JR.
THE MATTHEWS FIRM
STE. 1800
1900 WEST LOOP SOUTH
HOUSTON
TX
77027
US
|
Family ID: |
26742031 |
Appl. No.: |
10/062251 |
Filed: |
January 31, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60332807 |
Nov 14, 2001 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
705/2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G16H 10/00 20180101;
G16H 20/10 20180101; G16H 80/00 20180101; G16H 40/67 20180101; G06Q
10/10 20130101; G16H 10/60 20180101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/2 |
International
Class: |
G06F 017/60 |
Claims
It is claimed:
1. A method for tracking prescriptive medications, said method
comprising: providing respective computer connections to a
plurality of entities, said plurality of entities comprising a
plurality of unaffiliated pharmacies; storing pharmaceutical
computer data relating to prescriptive medication purchases
obtained by a plurality of prescriptive medication purchasers from
said plurality of unaffiliated pharmacies; and selectively
transferring said pharmaceutical computer data through said
computer connections to at least one of said plurality of entities
for obtaining a prescriptive history of a selected prescriptive
medication purchaser for all prescriptive medications purchased by
said selected prescriptive medication purchaser from all of said
plurality of unaffiliated pharmacies based on said transferred
pharmaceutical computer data.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing that said
at least one of said plurality of entities comprises a physician's
office and said selected prescriptive medication purchaser is a
patient of said physician, and said physician's office utilizing
said pharmaceutical computer data to verify said prescriptive
history of said selected prescriptive medication purchaser.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing that said
at least one of said plurality of entities comprises a pharmacy
with a pharmacist, said selected prescriptive medication purchaser
requesting that said pharmacist fill a new prescriptive medication,
and said pharmacist utilizing said pharmaceutical computer data to
compare said new prescriptive medication with respect to said
prescriptive history of said selected prescriptive medication
purchaser.
4. The method of claim 3, further comprising: said pharmacist
accepting or declining to fill said new prescriptive medication
based on said prescriptive history.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising: providing that said
plurality of entities comprises a plurality of affiliated and
unaffiliated pharmacies, and selectively transferring said
pharmaceutical computer data through said computer connections to
at least one of said plurality of entities for obtaining said
prescriptive history of said selected prescriptive medication
purchaser for all prescriptive medications purchased by said
selected prescriptive medication purchaser from all of said
plurality of affiliated and unaffiliated pharmacies based on said
transferred pharmaceutical computer data.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing that at
least one of said plurality of entities comprises a hospital and
said selected prescriptive medication purchaser is a patient of
said hospital, and said hospital utilizing said pharmaceutical
computer data to determine said prescriptive history of said
selected prescriptive medication purchaser.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing that said
pharmaceutical computer data for each of said prescriptive
medication purchases comprises a name of a respective prescriptive
medication purchaser, an address of said respective prescriptive
medication purchaser, a drug prescribed, said respective
prescriptive medication purchaser, a quantity of said drug, a
dosage of said drug, a pharmacist name, and a doctor name.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising: searching said stored
pharmaceutical computer data based on one or more of said name of a
respective prescriptive medication purchaser, said address of said
respective prescriptive medication purchaser, said drug prescribed,
said respective prescriptive medication purchaser, said quantity of
said drug, said dosage of said drug, said pharmacist name, and said
doctor name.
9. The method of claim 7, further comprising: storing
pharmaceutical data related to whether a request for filling a
prescriptive medication is filled or declined.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: providing that at
least one of said plurality of entities comprises a government
agency.
11. A method for tracking prescriptive medication needs, said
method comprising: providing respective computer connections to a
plurality of entities, said plurality of entities comprising a
plurality of unaffiliated pharmacies; storing pharmaceutical
computer data relating to prescriptive medication purchases
obtained by a plurality of prescriptive medication purchasers from
said plurality of unaffiliated pharmacies, said pharmaceutical
computer data for each of said prescriptive medication purchases
comprising a name of a respective prescriptive medication
purchaser, an address of said respective prescriptive medication
purchaser, a drug prescribed, said respective prescriptive
medication purchaser, a quantity of said drug, a dosage of said
drug, a pharmacist name, and a doctor name; and selectively
transferring said pharmaceutical computer data through said
computer connections to at least one of said plurality of
entities.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: searching said
stored pharmaceutical computer data based on one or more of said
name of said respective prescriptive medication purchaser, said
address of said respective prescriptive medication purchaser, said
drug prescribed, said respective prescriptive medication purchaser,
said quantity of said drug, said dosage of said drug, said
pharmacist name, and said doctor name.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising: storing
pharmaceutical computer data relating to approving prescriptive
medications and declining prescriptive medications.
14. The method of claim 11, further comprising: storing
pharmaceutical computer data relating to aberrant use of
prescriptive medications.
15. The method of claim 11, further comprising: providing that said
at least one of said plurality of entities comprises a physician's
office and said selected prescriptive medication purchaser is a
patient of said physician, and said physician's office utilizing
said pharmaceutical computer data to determine a prescriptive
history of said selected prescriptive medication purchaser.
16. The method of claim 11, further comprising: providing that said
at least one of said plurality of entities comprises a pharmacy
with a pharmacist, said selected prescriptive medication purchaser
requesting that said pharmacist fill a new prescriptive medication,
and said pharmacist utilizing said pharmaceutical computer data to
compare said new prescriptive medication with respect to a
prescriptive history of said selected prescriptive medication
purchaser.
17. The method of claim 11, further comprising: said plurality of
entities comprising a plurality of hospitals, a plurality of
doctors, at least one government agency, and a plurality of
doctors, and selectively transferring said pharmaceutical computer
data through said computer connections to at least one of said
plurality of hospitals, said plurality of doctors, or said at least
one government agency.
18. A method for tracking prescriptive medications, said method
comprising: providing respective computer connections to a
plurality of entities, said plurality of entities comprising a
plurality of pharmacies, a plurality of hospitals, a plurality of
doctors, at least one government agency, and a plurality of
doctors; storing pharmaceutical computer data relating to
prescriptive medication purchases obtained by a plurality of
prescriptive medication purchasers from said plurality of
pharmacies; and selectively transferring said pharmaceutical
computer data through said computer connections to at least one of
said plurality of hospitals, said plurality of doctors, or said at
least one government agency.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: storing
pharmaceutical computer data relating to prescriptive medication
purchases obtained by a plurality of prescriptive medication
purchasers from said plurality of unaffiliated pharmacies, and
obtaining a prescriptive history of a selected prescriptive
medication purchaser for all prescriptive medications purchased by
said selected prescriptive medication purchaser from all of said
plurality of unaffiliated pharmacies based on said transferred
pharmaceutical computer data.
20. The method of claim 18, further comprising: storing
pharmaceutical computer data relating to prescriptive medication
purchases obtained by said plurality of prescriptive medication
purchasers from a plurality of unaffiliated pharmacies, said
pharmaceutical computer data for each of said prescriptive
medication purchases comprising a name of a respective prescriptive
medication purchaser, an address of said respective prescriptive
medication purchaser, a drug prescribed, said respective
prescriptive medication purchaser, a quantity of said drug, a
dosage of said drug, a pharmacist name, and a doctor name.
21. A method for tracking prescriptive medications, said method
comprising: providing respective computer connections to a
plurality of physician offices; storing pharmaceutical computer
data relating to prescriptive medication purchases obtained by a
plurality of prescriptive medication purchasers from a plurality of
pharmacies; and selectively transferring said pharmaceutical
computer data through said computer connections to at least one of
said plurality of physician offices for obtaining a prescriptive
history of a selected prescriptive medication purchaser for all
prescriptive medications purchased by said selected prescriptive
medication purchaser from said plurality of pharmacies based on
said transferred pharmaceutical computer data.
22. A method for tracking prescriptive medications, said method
comprising: providing respective computer connections to a
plurality of entities, said plurality of entities comprising at
least one of a group comprising a plurality of hospitals, a
plurality of doctors, at least one government agency, and a
plurality of doctors; storing pharmaceutical computer data relating
to prescriptive medication purchases obtained by a plurality of
prescriptive medication purchasers from a plurality of pharmacies;
and selectively transferring said pharmaceutical computer data
through said computer connections to said at least one of said
plurality of entities for obtaining a prescriptive history of a
selected prescriptive medication purchaser for all prescriptive
medications purchased by said selected prescriptive medication
purchaser from all of said plurality of pharmacies based on said
transferred pharmaceutical computer data.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/332,807, filed on Nov. 14, 2001.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates generally to methods for
tracking controlled substances and, more specifically, to methods
especially suitable for tracking and managing prescription
information in aggregate.
BACKGROUND ART
[0003] Although the exact frequency of prescription drug abuse is
unknown in the United States, it has been reported that more than
fifty percent of all emergency room visits for drug-related
problems are connected to prescription drug misuse or accidental
overdose. It has also been estimated that in some communities, more
than sixty percent of medical examiner cases are related to
prescription drugs.
[0004] It is estimated that more than four million people a year in
the U.S. misuse or abuse prescription drugs. For instance,
according to an August 1999 article in the Journal of the American
Geriatrics Society, older Americans (age 65 and older) currently
account for 12.5% of the total US population, but consume 25% of
all prescription medications. It is documented that 17% of the
senior population misuses medications, accounting for approximately
$2 billion loss annually.
[0005] The AMA estimates that 5% of physicians are grossly
negligent and 1-1.5% are dishonest in their prescribing of
pharmaceuticals. This would amount to a cost of $2.5 billion
annually.
[0006] Three hundred fifty thousand adverse medication errors
(probably far greater not reported) occur each year among one-half
million nursing home residents in the United States. One employee
in ten has a problem with alcohol/drugs. Absenteeism is 66% higher
among drug users.
[0007] Among drug users, health benefit utilization is 300% higher,
disciplinary actions are 90% higher, and employee turnover is
significantly higher. Forty-seven percent of workplace accidents
are drug related.
[0008] In fact, it is clear that the Healthcare industry is facing
a number of challenges today unlike ever faced before. An educated,
consuming public has ever increasing expectations for exponential
improvement in healthcare delivery, while at the same time,
economic pressures are forcing tighter controls over cost,
efficiency and quality.
[0009] The industry has widely recognized a need for better
efficiencies, but without notable success in many areas, including
prescription abuse. For instance, the Healthcare Information
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) mandates making the
exchange of information more ubiquitous, secure, and efficient but
does not provide a solution with respect to prescription tracking
and abuse. While it is well known that it would be desirable to
reduce spiraling cost structures, mitigate health risks, provide
more efficient billing and business modeling, eliminate redundancy,
and improve informational flow, the solutions to such overwhelming
problems are generally unavailable.
[0010] In 1993, prescription drug sales were $25 billion. Since
that time prescriptions have risen more than 50%, totaling close to
three billion prescriptions annually. With soaring costs, the sum
of prescription drugs is currently greater that $50 billion
annually, with limited ability to control or manage those
costs.
[0011] These estimates are only for the cost of drugs themselves,
and don't include many of the highly significant tangential costs
associated with abuse, additional healthcare requirements and costs
associated with drug interactions, insurance fraud resulting from
purchase of class drugs for resale on the street, dispensing of
wrong prescriptions due to misread prescriptions, and the like,
which are proportionally of greater cost.
[0012] It would be desirable to provide a healthcare utility that
can assist substantially in reducing these misused and abused
prescriptions. It would be desirable to provide major changes in
the delivery of prescription drugs that produce measurable social
and economic impacts on spending within the healthcare value chain
including less abuse-related healthcare costs, fewer erroneous
prescriptions, more accountability, and better tracking and
management of prescriptions.
[0013] Patents that involve attempts to solve the above or related
problems include the following:
[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,524, issued May 23, 2000, to Byerly et
al., discloses a method and system for generating advisory messages
to pharmacy patients that includes appending patient-specific
information to a data record containing normally transmitted
information. The data record is transmitted between a third party
computer and a pharmacy computer during a pharmacy transaction. The
data record transmitted to the pharmacy computer is captured by an
advisory computer as the data record is received by the pharmacy
computer or after the data record is transmitted to the pharmacy
computer, and the patient-specific information is extracted from
the captured data record. The advisory computer generates an
advisory message based on the extracted patient-specific
information, and it transmits the generated advisory message to a
pharmacy printer. The advisory computer includes a memory
containing a data structure for storing the patient-specific
information, the normally transmitted information, and the
generated advisory message. A computer program product includes a
computer storage medium and a computer program code mechanism
embedded in the computer storage medium for causing a computer to
generate an advisory message. The computer program code mechanism
includes a first computer code device configured to append the
patient-specific information, a second computer code device
configured to capture the data record transmitted to the pharmacy
computer, a third computer code device configured to extract the
patient-specific information from the captured data record, a
fourth computer code device configured to generate the advisory
message based on the extracted patient specific information, and a
fifth computer code device configured to transmit the generated
advisory message to the pharmacy printer.
[0015] U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,507, issued Apr. 25, 2000, to D. W.
Cunningham, discloses a new and improved method of dispensing,
tracking and managing pharmaceutical product samples by
communicatively linking prescribers and pharmacies to a central
computing station. The method entails utilizing product trial media
that is exchanged for actual pharmaceutical product. The media is
encoded with information that identifies a particular
pharmaceutical trial product, such as by magnetic encoding similar
to that used with credit cards. The media is distributed to
participating medical doctors or prescribers who then activate the
media via the central computing station. The prescriber then
transfers the activated media to patients who then present the
media to participating pharmacies. Before filling the
pharmaceutical trial product identified by the media, the pharmacy
validates the media via a link with the central computing station.
Then, the pharmacy dispenses the prescribed pharmaceutical trial
product. The central computing station also includes a database
that records data related to the use of the media so that all
pharmaceutical trial products can be accounted for.
[0016] U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,420, issued Aug. 6, 1996, to Goldman et
al., discloses a health care system for specifying edibles to
individual subjects. The personalized method and system for
storage, communication, analysis and processing of health-related
data comprises a storage containing data relating to health and
edibles and is adapted to receive data on the conditions and
characteristics of the individual subjects. The health care system
further comprises input terminals adapted to be coupled to the
storage means for providing data on the conditions and
characteristics of the individual subjects, and a health computer
for correlating the data relating to health and edibles with the
data on the condition and characteristics of an individual subject
to provide a personalized prescription of edibles.
[0017] U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,530, issued May 13, 1997, to G. B.
Thornton, discloses a method and system for collectively tracking
demographics of physician prescribed starter drug samples dispensed
to a plurality of patients from a plurality of different dispensing
locations employs a multipart product specific sample drug voucher,
such as a smart card or a preprinted two part voucher, which has a
marketing information portion and a separable prescription portion
to be completed by the prescribing physician with starter drug
sample quantity and dosage information along with patient
demographic information. The prescription portion is segregated
from the marketing information portion at the pharmacy either
electronically by a card reader, if it had been encoded on a smart
card by the physician, or physically by separation along a
perforation, if recorded on a two part voucher, and is
electronically retreivably stored in the pharmacy computer from
where this tracking information is electronically transmitted to a
central remote computer, such as at the drug manufacturer, for
subsequent rapid market analysis.
[0018] U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,539, issued Apr. 7, 1998, to Edelson et
al., discloses an electronic prescription creation system for use
by professional prescribers at the point of care which has a
prescription division subsystem permitting creation of a single
prescription to be automatically divided into two components for
fulfilment of one portion quickly and locally at higher cost and of
another portion by remote mail order taking more time but providing
a cost saving for a major part of the prescription. The
prescription creation system has an ability to access remote source
databases for system presentation to the prescriber of relevant,
authorized and current drug, drug formulary and patient history
information, with dynamic creation of a transient virtual patient
record, the information being presented to the prescriber before
completion of the prescription, permitting enhancement of the
quality of prescribing decisions.
[0019] U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,095, issued May 26, 1998, to Albaum et
al., discloses a system and method for ordering and prescribing
drugs for a patient. This system includes an improved process for
facilitating and automating the process of drug order entry. The
user may interact with the system in a variety of ways such as
keyboard, mouse, pen-base entry or voice entry. The system includes
a database containing medical prescribing and drug information
which is both general and patient-specific. The system also permits
the user to view current and previously prescribed medications for
any patient. The system can alert the user to potentially adverse
situations as a result of the prescribed medication based on
information in the database. The system also can automatically
determine product selection based on descriptions and can
automatically communicate the order to a pharmacy. Further, the
system includes a means for automatically displaying messages to
the user relating to predetermined situations. For example, such
situations may include a medication which is not available in the
formulary or the prescription of a non-recommended medication. The
system streamlines the order entry process and makes information
important to the drug ordering process easily available.
[0020] U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,255, issued Dec. 1, 1998, to C. Mayaud,
discloses a wirelessly deployable, electronic prescription creation
system for physician use that captures into a prescription a
patient condition-objective of the prescribed treatment and
provides for patient record assembly from source elements, with
privacy controls for patient and doctor, adverse indication review
and online access to comprehensive drug information including
scientific literature. Extensions to novel multi-drug packages and
dispensing devices, and an "intelligent network" remote data
retrieval architecture as well as onscreen physician-to-pharmacy
and physician-to-physician e-mail are also provided.
[0021] U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,731, issued Nov. 23, 1999, to Colon et
al., discloses a computer system and method for managing data used
in conducting clinical studies concerning subjects at a plurality
of participating, geographically distributed clinical sites,
wherein each participating clinical site having a computer or
inputting, transmitting and receiving data over the Internet. An
Internet network server computer is interfaced to a database host
computer through a private network. The system communicates data
over the Internet to determine patient eligibility, randomization
and initial prescriptions, which can then be adjusted by the
physician online. The final prescription is printed out for
signature and sent electronically to a distribution center. Study
data is maintained in a database in the host computer behind a
firewall provided in the Internet server computer.
[0022] U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,449, issued Nov. 3, 1998, to D. W.
Cunningham, discloses a new and improved method of dispensing,
tracking and managing pharmaceutical product samples by
communicatively linking prescribers and pharmacies to a central
computing station. The method entails utilizing product trial media
that is exchanged for actual pharmaceutical product. The media is
encoded with information that identifies a particular
pharmaceutical trial product, such as by magnetic encoding similar
to that used with credit cards. The media is distributed to
participating medical doctors or prescribers who then activate the
media via the central computing station. The prescriber then
transfers the activated media to patients who then present the
media to participating pharmacies. Before filling the
pharmaceutical trial product identified by the media, the pharmacy
validates the media via a link with the central computing station.
Then, the pharmacy dispenses the prescribed pharmaceutical trial
product. The central computing station also includes a database
that records data related to the use of the media so that all
pharmaceutical trial products can be accounted for.
[0023] U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,156, issued May 30, 2000, to Liff et
al., discloses an automated drug dispensing system that 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.
[0024] U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,106, issued Jun. 6, 2000, to Rozen et
al., discloses a method whereby via Internet communications or via
phone/fax/mail, a participant is prompted to provide a constant
identifier and a selected password. Emergency and confidential
categories of medical information are identified, and the
participant is prompted to provide personal information in each of
the categories and a different personal identification number
(E-PIN, C-PIN) for each category. The participant is also prompted
to provide an instruction to disclose or to not disclose the
personal information in the emergency category in the event a
requester of the information is an emergency medical facility and
is unable to provide the participant's E-PIN. Alteration of any of
the participant's medical information is enabled upon presentation
of the participant's identifier and password by the requester. The
emergency information or the confidential information is disclosed
upon presentation of the participant's identifier and E-PIN or
C-PIN. In addition, the emergency information is disclosed to an
emergency medical facility verified as such by a service provider
in the event the participant has provided an instruction to
disclose the emergency information. Storage and access to health
related documents such as healthcare power of attorney, consent for
treatment, and eyeglass prescription is also provided.
[0025] U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,620, issued Oct. 3, 2000, to Pissanos et
al., discloses a medical database and associated methods especially
suited for compiling information in a medical malpractice
situation. A general medical database is provided and specific
medical information corresponding to a given situation is entered.
Entry of the information automatically cross-references some terms
of the entered data to definitions in the general medical database.
Terms are readily looked up when reviewing specific medical
information and definitions are easily inserted where desired. A
drug reference display provides two-way lookup from drugs to their
side effects (or contraindications or interactions) and back.
Significant information from an entered medical chronology is
easily copied to a significant information section when a reviewer
finds the information important.
[0026] U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,612, issued Feb. 27,2001, to T. L.
Pack-Harris, discloses a pharmacy benefit management system that
includes a pharmacy computer for generating pharmacy claim
information based on pharmacy activity of a medical group. A health
plan computer is responsive to the pharmacy claim information for
generating pharmacy activity information for the medical group. A
medical group computer receives the pharmacy activity information
from the health plan computer and stores the pharmacy activity
information. The pharmacy activity information is processed to
generate utilization information to enable the medical group to
monitor the pharmacy activity.
[0027] U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,104 B1, issued Apr. 10, 2001, to
Mosfeghi et al., discloses a Computer-based Patient Record (CPR)
system including user equipment devices which are configured for
speech synthesis in response to speech markup language text and
which are connected via a network to a middle tier of a server
system. The CPR system further includes a message delivery facility
for delivery of textual messages to any of pager, electronic mail,
or voice mail (after text-to-speech synthesis) message delivery
vehicles. The server system accesses a user specific data store
containing speech synthesis profiles which include prosodic
information of the voices and speech of users, and message delivery
profiles which specify which of the aforementioned message delivery
vehicles are to be used and in what order. The stored speech
synthesis information associated with an originator of a message
and the stored message delivery information associated with the
recipient of message are provided by the server to user equipment
or a reminder generator to produce speech markup files containing
information needed to synthesize the vocal and speech
characteristics of the originator accompanied by delivery
instructions reflecting the message delivery preferences of the
recipient.
[0028] U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,674 B1, issued Apr. 17, 2001, to J. B.
Classen, discloses systems and methods for creating and using
product data to enhance the safety of a medical or non-medical
products. The systems receive vast amounts of data regarding
adverse events associated with a particular product and analyze the
data in light of already known adverse events associated with the
product. The system develops at least one proprietary database of
newly discovered adverse event information and new uses for the
product and may catalog adverse event information for a large
number of population sub-groups. The system may also be programmed
to incorporate the information into intellectual property and
contract documents. Manufacturers can include the information in
consumer product information which they provide to consumers or, in
the case of certain medical products, prescribers of the medical
products.
[0029] U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,142 B1, issued May 8, 2001, to Benigno
et al., discloses systems useful for analyzing data related to
clinical pathways and performing actions based upon the analyses. A
self-analyzing system for suggesting default clinical pathways for
various procedures. A self-analyzing system for suggesting
deviation from a current clinical pathway and entry into an
alternative clinical pathway based upon historical information
about the results of actions. Statistical analysis systems based on
clinical pathways. A rating system for care providers or proposed
pathways based on historical information. Systems for gathering
clinical pathway information. Systems for tracking clinical pathway
outcomes based on data collected post-treatment. A system for
prequalification for appropriate discharge and post-discharge
handling of and communication with a new class of patient, those
requiring stable acute care. A questionnaire computer language and
subsystem are used in various stages of the systems of the
invention. Corresponding methods are also disclosed.
[0030] U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,322 B1, issued Sep. 4, 2001, to Liff et
al., discloses an automated drug dispensing system that 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.
[0031] U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,394 B1, issued May 29, 2001, to Uecker
et al., discloses a system for generating targeted advisory
messages for pharmacy patients based on selected monitored data
components of each transaction. When a pharmacy computer prints
transaction data, the system monitors the data using printer data
capture hardware interposed between the pharmacy computer and its
printer. An additional processor compares selected components of
the monitored transaction data with preselected combinations of the
these components in a database. The database associates the
preselected combinations of transaction data components with
advisory message components retrieved from the database and used to
build an advisory message for output to a printer, which may be the
pharmacy computer or an additional printer. Targeting of the
advisory messages is based on selected combinations of the identity
of the drug being dispensed to the patient, the patient's age and
gender, the new or renewal status of the prescription, and the
identity of the party primarily responsible for payment to the
pharmacy for the transaction.
[0032] The above-cited patents do not solve the problem of misused
and abused prescriptions discussed above. Consequently, there
remains a need for an improved system for tracking prescription
drugs and/or controlled substances. Those of skill in the art will
appreciate the present invention which addresses the above and
other problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0033] An objective of the present invention is to provide an
improved method for controlling information related to controlled
substances and/or prescriptive medications.
[0034] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a
complete prescriptive medication history of patients for use by
doctors, hospitals, pharmacists, and other health care workers.
[0035] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a
means for searching massive amounts of data for selected criteria
to reduce costs involved with prescriptive medications.
[0036] These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the
present invention will become apparent from the drawings, the
descriptions given herein, and the appended claims. However, it
will be understood that the above-listed objectives of the
invention are intended only as an aid in quickly understanding
aspects of the invention, and are not intended to limit the
invention in any way, and therefore do not form a comprehensive or
restrictive list of objectives, and/or features, and/or
advantages.
[0037] Accordingly, the invention comprises, in one embodiment
thereof, a method for tracking prescriptive medications. The method
may comprise one or more steps such as, for instance, providing
respective computer connections to a plurality of entities wherein
the plurality of entities may comprise a plurality of unaffiliated
and/or affiliated pharmacies, storing pharmaceutical computer data
relating to prescriptive medication purchases obtained by a
plurality of prescriptive medication purchasers from the plurality
of unaffiliated pharmacies, and selectively transferring the
pharmaceutical computer data through the computer connections to at
least one of the plurality of entities for obtaining a medication
history of a selected prescriptive medication purchaser for all
prescriptive medications purchased by the selected prescriptive
medication purchaser from all of the plurality of unaffiliated
pharmacies based on the transferred pharmaceutical computer
data.
[0038] The method may further comprise providing that the at least
one of the plurality of entities comprises a physician's office and
the selected prescriptive medication purchaser is a patient of the
physician such that the physician's office utilizes the
pharmaceutical computer data to verify the medication history of
the selected prescriptive medication purchaser.
[0039] Other steps may further comprise providing that the at least
one of the plurality of entities comprises a pharmacy with a
pharmacist, such that when the selected prescriptive medication
purchaser requests that the pharmacist fill a new prescriptive
medication then the pharmacist utilizes the pharmaceutical computer
data to compare the new prescriptive medication with respect to the
medication history of the selected prescriptive medication
purchaser. The method may further comprise the pharmacist accepting
or declining to fill the new prescriptive medication based on the
medication history.
[0040] Other steps may further comprise providing that at least one
of the plurality of entities comprises a hospital and the selected
prescriptive medication purchaser is a patient of the hospital such
that the hospital utilizes the pharmaceutical computer data to
determine the medication history of the selected prescriptive
medication purchaser.
[0041] The method may further comprise providing that the
pharmaceutical computer data for each of the prescriptive
medication purchases comprises a name of a respective prescriptive
medication purchaser, an address of the respective prescriptive
medication purchaser, a drug prescribed, the respective
prescriptive medication purchaser, a quantity of the drug, a dosage
of the drug, a pharmacist name, and a doctor name.
[0042] The method may further comprise searching the stored
pharmaceutical computer data based on one or more of the name of a
respective prescriptive medication purchaser, the address of the
respective prescriptive medication purchaser, the drug prescribed,
the respective prescriptive medication purchaser, the quantity of
the drug, the dosage of the drug, the pharmacist name, and the
doctor name.
[0043] Other steps may further comprise storing pharmaceutical data
related to whether a request for filling a prescriptive medication
is filled or declined and/or providing that at least one of the
plurality of entities comprises a government agency and/or storing
pharmaceutical computer data relating to aberrant use of
prescriptive medications.
[0044] The method of claim may further comprise providing that the
plurality of entities may comprise a plurality of hospitals, a
plurality of doctors, and at least one government agency, and
selectively transferring the pharmaceutical computer data through
the computer connections to at least one of the plurality of
hospitals, the plurality of doctors, or the at least one government
agency.
[0045] This summary is not intended to be a limitation with respect
to the features of the invention as claimed, and this and other
objects can be more readily observed and understood in the detailed
description of the preferred embodiment and in the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0046] For a further understanding of the nature and objects of the
present invention, reference should be had to the following
detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, in which like elements are given the same or analogous
reference numbers and wherein:
[0047] FIG. 1 is a block diagrammatic view showing one possible
organization interconnection structure in accord with the present
invention; and
[0048] FIG. 2 is a block diagrammatic view showing a presently
preferred flow diagram of operation in accord with the present
invention.
[0049] While the present invention will be described in connection
with presently preferred embodiments, it will be understood that it
is not intended to limit the invention to those embodiments. On the
contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications,
and equivalents included within the spirit of the invention.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FOR CARRYING OUT THE
INVENTION
[0050] In accord with the method of the present invention, a
secure, private, independent, network-based, centralized method
operable for tracking and managing prescriptive medication
information in aggregate is provided which allows electronic
querying and realtime notification of patients' prescriptive
medication history at the time of prescriptive medication creation.
According to the method of the invention, this information is
accessible within a controlled and appropriate context for use by
healthcare professionals involved in the delivery of care to that
patient.
[0051] Referring now to the drawings and, more particularly to FIG.
1, there is shown one possible computer interconnection arrangement
10 between various entities/organizations and pharmaceutical
information control organization 12 that may be utilized to
implement the method of the present invention. Pharmaceutical
information control organization 12 may be implemented as an
independent information utility that acts as the central service
center for the management of prescriptive medication drugs. By
allowing ready access to appropriate information at various points
within the prescriptive medication process, pharmaceutical
information control organization 12 helps to protect the patient
from a variety of potential risks associated with the prescribing
of drugs and creates an audit capability that can help protect the
healthcare professional, while eliminating significant financial
overspending due to information gaps and misuse. Pharmaceutical
information control organization 12 may be effectively operated
utilizing different types of organization structures, e.g.,
for-profit business entity, nonprofit business entity, and the
like. Pharmaceutical information control organization 12 may be
monitored as desired using any suitable oversight group, e.g., a
representative group from the various healthcare value chain
members to ensure acceptable levels of information security, access
and protection. Pharmaceutical information control organization 12
may be created as an independent, nonaffiliated entity to act as
the information liaison between all members of the healthcare
community.
[0052] Many different types of entities/organizations may be
electronically interconnected in accord with the present invention
with respect to pharmaceutical information control organization 12.
The types of data available to each organization may be filtered
depending on the type of organization/entity and the need thereof
for the various types of pharmaceutical information available from
pharmaceutical information control organization 12.
[0053] Consumers and patients 16 get the most benefit from the
present invention. They will have a comfort knowing that their
physician and other healthcare professionals involved in their care
will have secure and private access to historical information about
their active and inactive prescriptive medications that can create
problems or interactions. Pharmaceutical information control
organization 12 will permit consumers and their physicians to
better manage the patient's prescriptive plan, lessening risk of
misuse and counter indications. If desired, consumers may have
access only to their own pharmaceutical records. Schedules of use
may be provided and means for tracking, such as reminders, clocks,
and so forth may be provided. If desired, consumers may provide
feedback through pharmaceutical information control organization 12
as to the patient's perceived condition that may be accessed by
physicians 18, pharmaceutical drug companies and/or research
organizations 22 interested in drug efficacy, managed care
organizations 20, and the like.
[0054] Government oversight entities 14, such as the DEA, FBI, CDC,
and so forth, may be able to utilize data as required to reach the
organization goals and within the limitations required therefore.
For instance, the DEA may review data to determine areas where
violations may be occurring. Presently, legal regulations may
require that each time a prescriptive medication is filled that a
paper copy of the transaction is forwarded to the DEA. However,
compiling and using such data, which may involve billions of
transactions, is overwhelming governmental manpower availability
and results in high manpower costs with reduced investigative
overview capability. Moreover, pharmacies waste manpower and time
filling out and filing such papers. Government agencies such as the
DEA, FBI, Veterans Administration Medical System, National
Institutes of Health, and the like, will find new efficiencies by
utilizing the present invention. Even the pending new Medicare
Programs, which include Pharmaceutical programs, can be brought to
public availability with the comprehensive management support that
is lacking today. The present invention removes many of the
management limitations that affect such efficiencies and will help
control costs of program delivery. All of these entities can have
immediate access to potential medication abuse by identification of
needless prescription duplications, potential drug interactions,
and multi-source interstate prescriptive medication abuse. The
system of the present invention may be utilized to recognize
fraudulent prescriptive medications, geographically track selected
drug purchases as may be desired in tracking disease spread, track
purchases related to security investigations such as use of
antidotes for certain bioweapons, track pharmaceutical purchase for
other investigative reasons, obtain feedback from prescriptive
medication users as discussed subsequently, and/or provide many
types of information and statistics not presently available
today.
[0055] Pharmaceutical companies and researchers 22 are in a
constant race to provide the public with pharmacological
formulations that are compatible with constantly evolving
therapeutic formulations, and whose availability is being
accelerated by the rapid expansion of effective clinical trials and
research protocols. The pharmaceutical industry's ability to
respond effectively to the competitive as well as regulatory
demands is challenging because of the difficulty in realizing real
or near term information access and tracking information. This
responsibility requires an ongoing current database of
pharmaceutical demands, immediate identification of adverse
reactions, and recognition of the costly development of redundant
pharmaceutical products. Pharmaceutical information control
organization 12 provides the pharmaceutical industry with a vehicle
to help them track and access appropriate information about
prescriptive drugs. Pharmaceutical information control organization
12 provides the pharmaceutical industry with services which will
assist in better planning, real time assessment and forecasting of
regional pharmaceutical demands, helping to prevent essential
medication shortages or unavailability. As well, the need for
recalls can be more quickly determined based on focused adverse
drug reactions which are noted to occur.
[0056] Insurance companies 24, health organizations 28 such as
employers' health organizations, workers' compensation providers,
private third party payers, PPO's, HMO's, MCO's 20, Medicare
programs, life insurance companines, and the like, can monitor
information to immediately determine needless prescription
duplications, potential drug interactions, and multi-source
interstate prescriptive medication abuse to thereby significantly
reduce insurance costs.
[0057] Pharmacies 26 may check to personally verify the drug usage
of each purchaser to immediately detect problems related to abuse,
fraud, and misuse of medications. Pharmacies require a more precise
method of monitoring the efficiency of the distribution of the more
than three billion prescriptive medications they fill each year.
The number of chain pharmacies has now risen to approximately
35,000 stores. The ability of pharmacies 26 to provide the highest
quality service is placing a strain on staffing and the delivery of
rapid, timely and accurate products. Pharmacists are constantly
challenged to circumvent duplication, abuse, fraud, and misuse of
these medications while providing a cost effective medication
delivery system. In the present health system the wide availability
of pharmaceuticals from different pharmacies raises the risks of
negative drug interactions and its associated destructive medical
outcome. Pharmaceutical information control organization 12 can
flag these issues in real time, thereby completely preventing or at
least minimizing their occurrences. Pharmaceutical information
control organization 12 reduces or eliminates reliance on poorly
trained pharmacy technicians or assistants in ensuring compliance
with the regulatory agency demands in the accurate delivery of
pharmaceuticals.
[0058] Physicians 18 and other healthcare providers are at risk
every time they prescribe a drug. These physicians, seeking to
provide their patients with the best possible healthcare possible,
do not currently have a vehicle for ensuring they have an accurate
view of their patients' use of prescription drugs. Information
about prescriptive medications from specialists or other referral
services may not be communicated appropriately. Patients may not
remember prescriptive medications they are taking, forgetting about
them completely or not being able to pronounce them. Patients with
regular prescriptive medication patterns can empower physicians to
proactively deal with potential abuse problems. Pharmaceutical
information control organization 12 can also provide audit
information that helps protect the professional from lawsuits and
other potential liabilities. Physicians or their staff can also
interact with patients 16 through information control organization
12, if desired. As well, physicians and/or their staff can keep
records of patients in the system as well as provide researchers
valuable information about the effects of prescriptive medications
on literally hundreds of millions of patients.
[0059] Hospitals' 30 therapeutics, e.g. emergency room, often
requires administration of medications on an acute and subacute
basis with little or no knowledge of each patient's outpatient
medication profile. Pharmaceutical information control organization
12 provides this vital data in a manner that will change the
hospital medication delivery system in a dramatic fashion. The
added information immediately reduces costs, adverse drug
reactions, and eliminates the risks of facilitating drug abuse and
misuse.
[0060] Application products/industry service providers 32, such as
healthcare informatics providers, may use industry standard XML
interfaces W3C which may define a dialect of SGML suitable for use
on the World-Wide Web. SGML provides a generic markup language for
representing documents and/or other data. SGML is an International
Standard that describes the relationship between a document's
content and its structure. SGML allows document-based information
to be shared and reused across applications and computer platforms
in an open, vendor-neutral format. SGML is sometimes compared to
SQL, in that it enables companies to structure information in
documents in an open fashion, so that it can be accessed or reused
by any SGML-aware application across multiple platforms. SGML is
defined in "ISO 8879:1986 Information processing--Text and office
systems--Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML)," an ISO
standard produced by JTC 1/SC 18 and amended by "Amendment 1:1988."
Unlike other common document file formats that represent both
content and presentation, SGML represents a document's content data
and structure (interrelationships among the data). Removing the
presentation from content establishes a neutral format. SGML
documents and the information within can easily be reused by
publishing and non-publishing applications. SGML identifies
document elements such as titles, paragraphs, tables, and chapters
as distinct objects, allowing users to define the relationships
between the objects for structuring data in documents. The
relationships between document elements are defined in a Document
Type Definition (DTD). This is roughly analogous to a collection of
field definitions in a database. Once a document is converted into
SGML and the information has been `tagged,` it becomes a
database-like document. It can be searched, printed or even
programmatically manipulated by SGML-aware applications. If
desired, secure access applets will allow informatics providers to
integrate their products and services to include data access from
pharmaceutical information control organization 12 in a seamless
fashion. Thus, pharmaceutical information control organization 12
creates an independent utility service that adds value to
application products and other service providers 32 while
maintaining the overall goal of benefitting the public.
[0061] Thus, healthcare informatics and applications (such as
physician practice management systems or Pharmacy systems) will be
provided vehicles to securely access and interact with
pharmaceutical information control organization 12 using industry
standards such as XML and security tools. As appropriate,
pharmaceutical information control organization 12 may provide
secure applets that will make it easier to integrate computer
interactions with pharmaceutical information control organization
12, as well as minimize the development costs associated with
interfacing these applications.
[0062] FIG. 2 discloses a presently preferred pharmaceutical
information flow diagram 100 for a method of operation of
pharmaceutical information control organization 12 in accord with
the present invention. A plurality of entities, networks,
organizations may be utilized in accord with the present invention
including doctors 102. Pharmacies 104 include pharmacies that are
affiliated with each other as well as pharmacies that are
unaffiliated with each other. Other entities include hospitals 106,
pharmaceutical companies 108, insurance companies 110 (which may
include health or life insurance companies or any other type of
insurance companies), government agencies 112, health care
informatics companies 114, health researchers 116, managed care
organizations 118, and other healthcare providers 120. Such users
may typically maintain their own database(s) of information as well
as desire to access the overall information concerning each
patient's pharmaceutical information which is not presently
available. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention
provides that data storage 122 is able to access the databases of
the above-listed entities and/or other member organizations as
needed and/or store the corresponding pharmaceutical data in data
storage 122 which is external to each entity's database(s). Thus,
the present invention may be implemented using various types of
data storage and data access including distributed searchable
databases throughout the entities listed above whereby selected
pharmaceutical data access to each database is available to data
storage 122 and/or the above-listed entities, and/or a composite
data storage 122 that is external with respect to the databases of
the above entities but includes the relevant pharmaceutical data
within each of the above entity's database(s). Data storage 122
provides a scalable, robust data store that maintains all pertinent
information about prescriptive medication activities. Data storage
122 preferably has the ability to allow the software schemas to be
changed without disruption of system 100.
[0063] In a preferred embodiment, when pharmaceutical data is
needed by entities 102-120, or other suitable entities, then a
login request is made as indicated at 124. The login request may be
made through one or more different types of computer network
interconnections, three possibilities of which are in FIG. 2.
However, other types computer connections are also possible. A
secure applet may be utilized as indicated at 126. The applet
executes and initiates the login procedure. The applet may
typically be supplied by pharmaceutical information control
organization 12 or a third party vendor. Applets are Java programs
which can be distributed as an attachment in a World-Wide Web
document and executed in a Java-enabled web browser. Web browsers
can also be extended with plugins though these differ from applets
in that they usually require manual installation and are platform
specific. Server-side Java programs which may be called servlets
may also be utilized.
[0064] Alternatively, or in conjunction therewith, an application
program interfaces (API) may be utilized to effect the login as
indicated at 128. The API is the interface (calling conventions) by
which an application program accesses the pharmaceutical data. An
API may typically be defined as source code level and provides a
level of abstraction between the application and the kernel (or
other privileged utilities) to ensure the portability of the code.
The API can provide an interface between a high level language and
lower level utilities and services which were written without
consideration for the calling conventions supported by compiled
languages. In this case, the API's main task may be the translation
of parameter lists from one format to another and the
interpretation of call-by-value and call-by-reference arguments in
one or both directions.
[0065] As another option, a consumer accessing pharmaceutical
information control organization 12 may utilize a secure web
browser as indicated at 130 to initiate the login. By web browser
it is meant a program which allows a person to read hypertext. The
browser gives some means of viewing the contents of nodes (or
"pages") and of navigating from one node to another.
[0066] Login authentication system 132 is provided to authenticate
the validity of the login to provide verification of the identity
of a person/entity or process that is attempting to access
pharmaceutical information control organization 12. Authentication
verifies that messages really come from their stated source.
Various means of authentication may be utilized including
login/password, biometrics, digital signatures, public and private
digital encryption keys, digital certificates, and the like. The
login process will identify the user and restrict the type of data
transmitted according to the predetermined data sets that the
particular user may access. If the login step is not successful,
then the attempted login is automatically reported to security as
indicated at 134.
[0067] Various types of security information may be stored by
pharmaceutical information control organization 12 within data
storage 122 or elsewhere. Such information may typically include
the login name, login password, an optional biometric identifier,
authentication of the user, authorized data set access for each
user, authorized types of information transactions, an information
log of access attempts (both successful and unsuccessful, an
information log of transaction attempts (both successful and
unsuccessful), encryption keys, digital signatures, and application
programming interfaces where possible.
[0068] Assuming login process is successful, then the user may
request a pharmaceutical information transaction as indicated at
134. Such transactions may be of various types and include
searches, updates, selecting specific information, displaying
information, and the like. The so-determined pharmaceutical
information is available in the appropriate context via the secure
applet, API, and/or browser as discussed hereinbefore in connection
with the login as indicated at 126, 128, and 130. In this manner,
current prescriptive medication information may be requested. The
various programs discussed above and/or others may be used to
select specific types of data for transfer as indicated at
information access filter 136, and to send data either to or from
the computer system of pharmaceutical information control
organization 12, and change the format of the data as needed
between that used by the computer software of pharmaceutical
information control organization 12 and the user software.
[0069] Various types of data may be stored and/or obtained such as
the doctor name, the doctor DEA number, patient name, patient ID
(e.g. SS#, passport #, driver's license, etc.), patient address,
city, state, zip, patient phone number, drugs prescribed, dosage,
frequency, start/end date, duration, quantity, number refills,
whether substitution is allowed, generic allowed, notes, aberrant
use flag, date prescription filed, place prescription filled,
pharmacist name, pharmacist phone number, pharmacist DEA number,
and application programming interfaces utilized.
[0070] The request of data from the pharmaceutical transaction 134
is sent to data storage 122. Various types of transactions may be
utilized such as updates, key word or other types of searches, name
searches, drug type searches, and/or other types of searches based
on the above-listed types of data stored and/or other types of data
which may be stored. Transactions include authentication
transactions, display of active medication history, display of
inactive medication history, display of complete medication
history. The display may be made by a patient identifier, patient
name, date, drug name, doctor prescribing the medication, pharmacy,
geography (city, state, zip code), by phone number, and/or by
aberrant use flag. Other transactions may include adding a new
record, update/change a record, add log entry, update log entry,
display log entries, approve prescriptive medication, decline
prescriptive medication, aberrant use flag true or false, accept
results, decline results, logon, logoff, time out for inactivity,
time out for disconnection, encryption, and creating reports.
[0071] The data is filtered as to availability for the particular
user, as indicated at 136. The data may be sent for display 137
and/or printing. Data may be retrieved for updating data storage
122 as indicated at 148. The data may then be checked by the user
or the user's application in a preset time frame as indicated at
138. Depending on the type of user, red flag issues may be
indicated. For instance, if a pharmacist is checking on a
prescriptive medication prior to dispensing the prescriptive
medication, a red flag as indicated at 140 may be issued if the
prescription presents a problem, e.g., is a conflicting type of
drug (contraindicated prescriptive medication) or perhaps a similar
type of drug which in combination with a previous prescriptive
medication might be harmful to the consumer. Red flags may be
issued as a result of automatic or manual operation. System 100
and/or the pharmacist and/or the doctor may require or suggest
declining or approving the prescriptive medication, and otherwise
add notes, comments, and flags, as desired. Assuming the user
reviews and checks the information supplied within the time frame,
the control may be returned to the user's application as indicated
at 142 which may require action as indicated at 144 such as
updating 146 either a local system and/or data storage 122.
Updating of data storage 122 may be programmed to occur at any
time, depending on system operation, and may occur outside of or
during the transaction process as indicated at 148 whereby a
connection is provided directly to the databases of the subscribers
102-120. Data storage 122 may also receive other provider
information for use with applications and services as indicated at
150.
[0072] In a presently preferred embodiment, if the user does not
respond to the check request within a desired time frame, if
necessary, such as by stating whether the prescriptive medication
is approved/declined or so forth, such as after the pharmacist has
checked a new request to fill a prescription with respect to the
requesters medical history, then the system resends the request to
check the data as indicated at 152. Thus, the system seeks to know
whether any new prescription is filled and the various data
associated with the new prescriptive medication. Depending on the
type of entity, different types of data may be requested. For
instance, for the hospital, information as to treatment and
prescriptive medications may be requested by the system. If no
response is received as indicated at 154, then the data such as
displayed data is cleared from the screen, the user is
automatically logged off at 156, and a report is sent as may be
required by an oversight agency as indicated at 158. For instance,
there may be a requirement to enter new data related to
prescriptive medications, whether prescriptions are filled or
declined, and so forth. In either case, a log is made of the
request, status, time, data, requester, as indicated at 160, and
the access log is updated.
[0073] Pharmaceutical information control organization 12 will
provide appropriate levels of reporting, as desired, to any
selected oversight body or committee, as well as other healthcare
members as appropriate and necessary. Such reporting/informational
access can include up-to-date patient prescriptive medication
information to their primary care physician or pharmacy,
comparisons for potential drug interactions, and/or emergency
information access.
[0074] For hosting and management, deployment of computer
connections with pharmaceutical information control organization 12
is preferably made via a secure, redundant, hosted environment.
Operational and administrative personnel will need to pass rigorous
screening processes, and will only have access to information as is
contextually necessary.
[0075] The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is
therefore illustrative and explanatory of one or more presently
preferred embodiments of the invention and variations thereof, and
it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various
changes in the design, organization, order of operation, means of
operation, equipment structures and location, methodology, and use
of mechanical equivalents, as well as in the details of the
illustrated construction or combinations of features of the various
elements, may be made without departing from the spirit of the
invention. As well, the drawings are intended to describe the
concepts of the invention so that the presently preferred
embodiments of the invention will be plainly disclosed to one of
skill in the art but are not intended to be manufacturing level
drawings or renditions of final products and may include simplified
conceptual views as desired for easier and quicker understanding or
explanation of the invention. As well, the relative arrangement of
the components may be greatly different from that shown and still
operate well within the spirit of the invention as described
hereinbefore and in the appended claims. It will be seen that
various changes and alternatives may be used that are contained
within the spirit of the invention. Because many varying and
different embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive
concept(s) herein taught, and because many modifications may be
made in the embodiment herein detailed in accordance with the
descriptive requirements of the law, it is to be understood that
the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in
a limiting sense.
* * * * *