System and method for automatically generating a prescription refill order via a reply electronic message

• US 10,210,311 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2013
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Inventors: Taneja, Anshuman
• Primary Examiner(s): Tomaszewski, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/738,556
• Time in Patent Office: 2,231 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 3
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The method and system may provide a service that allows a customer to order refills of one or more prescription medications in a quick and hassle-free manner from a remote location using a computer or mobile device. The customer replies to an electronic refill reminder that includes refill-eligible prescription numbers and a refill reminder identifier. The system receives the refill reply electronic message from the customer and validates the refill reminder identifier associated with the refill reply electronic message. The system then generates a refill order number associated with the refill reminder identifier, retrieves one or more prescription numbers associated with the refill reminder identifier, and transmits the generated refill order number and retrieved one or more prescription numbers for fulfillment. The customer receives a refill order confirmation electronic message from the system.

Claims

1. A method of generating a refill order for one or more prescription medications via a reply electronic message to an electronic refill reminder, the method executed by one or more computer processors programmed to perform the method, the method comprising:

determining whether one or more prescription medications are eligible for refill for a customer;

retrieving one or more prescription numbers corresponding to the one or more determined refill-eligible prescription medications for the customer;

generating a unique refill reminder identifier associated with the one or more retrieved prescription numbers;

transmitting, over a network, an electronic refill reminder to the customer, the electronic refill reminder including at least the generated unique refill reminder identifier;

receiving, over the network and in near real-time, a reply electronic message from the customer, the reply electronic message being sent in response to the customer receiving the electronic refill reminder;

parsing the reply electronic message to (i) obtain the unique refill reminder identifier and (ii) identify whether the reply electronic message is generated by the customer or by an automated system; and

when the reply electronic message is generated by the customer;

validating the unique refill reminder identifier by verifying that the unique refill reminder identifier exists in a database of refill reminder identifiers, the refill reminder identifiers corresponding to previously sent electronic refill reminders;

generating a unique refill order number associated with the unique refill reminder identifier;

retrieving, using the unique refill reminder identifier, one or more prescription numbers associated with the unique refill reminder identifier, each prescription number corresponding to a previously filled prescription medication and a patient;

transmitting, over the network, the generated unique refill order number and retrieved one or more prescription numbers for fulfillment of the one or more prescription medications corresponding to the one or more prescription numbers; and

transmitting, over the network, a refill order confirmation electronic message to the customer, the refill order confirmation electronic message including refill order confirmation information for the one or more prescription medications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the one or more prescription numbers corresponding to the one or more determined refill-eligible prescription medications for the customer further includes retrieving a customer identifier associated with the customer,

wherein generating the unique refill reminder identifier includes generating the unique refill reminder identifier associated with the one or more retrieved prescription numbers and the retrieved customer identifier,

wherein transmitting, over the network, the electronic refill reminder includes transmitting, over the network, the electronic refill reminder to the customer, the electronic refill reminder including at least the generated unique refill reminder identifier and the customer identifier, and further comprising:

validating the customer identifier by verifying that the customer identifier exists in a database of customer identifiers, the customer identifiers corresponding to customers that previously filled at least one prescription medication.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether one or more prescription medications are eligible for refill for the customer includes determining, using the customer identifier associated with the customer, all prescription medications associated with the customer identifier that are eligible for refill.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the refill order number includes:

verifying whether a previously generated refill order number that is associated with the unique refill reminder identifier exists in a database of refill order numbers corresponding to previously filled orders; and

generating the refill order number only if no previously generated refill order number that is associated with the unique refill reminder identifier is found the database of refill order numbers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein validating the unique refill reminder identifier includes determining whether the unique refill reminder identifier includes a delimiter.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein validating the unique refill reminder identifier includes transmitting, over the network, in response to the unique refill reminder identifier being invalid, an instructional electronic message that instructs the customer to reply to the electronic refill reminder again without modifying the refill reminder identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the refill order confirmation electronic message includes transmitting pharmacy information and a status of the refill order.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the electronic message includes receiving at least one of an email, a text, or an instant message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, over the network, the electronic message from the customer includes receiving the electronic message in an inbox and processing the received electronic message with other previously received electronic messages in a batch.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a set of instructions, executable by a processor, for generating a refill order for one or more prescription medications via a reply electronic message to an electronic refill reminder, the instructions comprising:

instructions for determining whether one or more prescription medications are eligible for refill for a customer;

instructions for retrieving one or more prescription numbers corresponding to the one or more determined refill-eligible prescription medications for the customer;

instructions for generating a unique refill reminder identifier associated with the one or more retrieved prescription numbers;

instructions for transmitting, over a network, an electronic refill reminder to the customer, the electronic refill reminder including at least the generated unique refill reminder identifier;

instructions for receiving, over the network and in near real-time, a reply electronic message from the customer, the reply electronic message being sent in response to the customer receiving the electronic refill reminder;

instructions for parsing the reply electronic message to (i) obtain the unique refill reminder identifier and (ii) identify whether the reply electronic message is generated by the customer or by an automated system; and

when the reply electronic message is generated by the customer;

instructions for validating the unique refill reminder identifier by verifying that the unique refill reminder identifier exists in a database of refill reminder identifiers, the refill reminder identifiers corresponding to previously sent electronic refill reminders;

instructions for generating a unique refill order number associated with the unique refill reminder identifier;

instructions for retrieving, using the unique refill reminder identifier, one or more prescription numbers associated with the unique refill reminder identifier, each prescription number corresponding to a previously filled prescription medication and a patient;

instructions for transmitting, over the network, the generated unique refill order number and retrieved one or more prescription numbers for fulfillment of the one or more prescription medications corresponding to the one or more prescription numbers; and

instructions for transmitting, over the network, a refill order confirmation electronic message to the customer, the refill order confirmation electronic message including refill order confirmation information for the one or more prescription medications.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions for retrieving the one or more prescription numbers corresponding to the one or more determined refill-eligible prescription medications for the customer further includes instructions for retrieving a customer identifier associated with the customer,

wherein the instructions for generating the unique refill reminder identifier includes instructions for generating the unique refill reminder identifier associated with the one or more retrieved prescription numbers and the retrieved customer identifier,

wherein the instructions for transmitting, over the network, the electronic refill reminder includes instructions for transmitting, over the network, the electronic refill reminder to the customer, the electronic refill reminder including at least the generated unique refill reminder identifier and the customer identifier, and the instructions further comprising:

instructions for validating the customer identifier by verifying that the customer identifier exists in a database of customer identifiers, the customer identifiers corresponding to customers that previously filled at least one prescription medication.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions for determining whether one or more prescription medications are eligible for refill for the customer includes instructions for determining, using the customer identifier associated with the customer, all prescription medications associated with the customer identifier that are eligible for refill.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions for generating the refill order number includes:

instructions for verifying whether a previously generated refill order number that is associated with the unique refill reminder identifier exists in a database of refill order numbers corresponding to previously filled orders; and

instructions for generating the refill order number only if no previously generated refill order number that is associated with the unique refill reminder identifier is found the database of refill order numbers.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions for validating the unique refill reminder identifier includes instructions for determining whether the unique refill reminder identifier includes a delimiter.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions for validating the unique refill reminder identifier includes instructions for transmitting, over the network, in response to the unique refill reminder identifier being invalid, an instructional electronic message that instructs the customer to reply to the electronic refill reminder again without modifying the refill reminder identifier.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions for transmitting the refill order confirmation electronic message includes instructions for transmitting pharmacy information and a status of the refill order.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions for receiving the electronic message includes instructions for receiving at least one of an email, a text, or an instant message.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions for receiving the electronic message from the customer includes instructions for receiving the electronic message in an inbox and instructions for processing the received electronic message with other previously received electronic messages in a batch.

19. A system receiving and generating a refill order for one or more prescription medications via an electronic message, the system comprising:

a communication network;

a client device communicatively coupled to the communication network;

a server communicatively coupled to the communication network, the server comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, executable by a processor in the server to;

determine whether one or more prescription medications are eligible for refill for a customer;

retrieve one or more prescription numbers corresponding to the one or more determined refill-eligible prescription medications for the customer;

generate a unique refill reminder identifier associated with the one or more retrieved prescription numbers;

transmit, over a network, an electronic refill reminder to the customer, the electronic refill reminder including at least the generated unique refill reminder identifier;

receive, over the network and in near real-time, a reply electronic message from the customer, the reply electronic message being sent in response to the customer receiving the electronic refill reminder;

parse the reply electronic message to (i) obtain the unique refill reminder identifier and (ii) identify whether the reply electronic message is generated by the customer or by an automated system; and

when the reply electronic message is generated by the customer;

validate the unique refill reminder identifier by verifying that the unique refill reminder identifier exists in a database of refill reminder identifiers, the refill reminder identifiers corresponding to previously sent electronic refill reminders;

generate a unique refill order number associated with the unique refill reminder identifier;

retrieve, using the unique refill reminder identifier, one or more prescription numbers associated with the unique refill reminder identifier, each prescription number corresponding to a previously filled prescription medication and a patient;

transmit, over the network, the generated unique refill order number and retrieved one or more prescription numbers for fulfillment of the one or more prescription medications corresponding to the one or more prescription numbers; and

transmit, over the network, a refill order confirmation electronic message to the customer, the refill order confirmation electronic message including refill order confirmation information for the one or more prescription medications.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the computer-readable medium is further executable by the processor in the server to:

retrieve a customer identifier associated with the customer;

generate the unique refill reminder identifier associated with the one or more retrieved prescription numbers and the retrieved customer identifier;

transmit, over the network, the electronic refill reminder to the customer, the electronic refill reminder including at least the generated unique refill reminder identifier and the customer identifier; and

validate the customer identifier by verifying that the customer identifier exists in a database of customer identifiers, the customer identifiers corresponding to customers that previously filled at least one prescription medication.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the computer-readable medium is further executable by the processor in the server to:

verify whether a previously generated refill order number that is associated with the unique refill reminder identifier exists in a database of refill order numbers corresponding to previously filled orders; and

generate the refill order number only if no previously generated refill order number that is associated with the unique refill reminder identifier is found the database of refill order numbers.