Methods and systems for fulfilling drug orders

• US 10,325,333 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2011
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc. (The Cigna Group)
• Original Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc. (The Cigna Group)
• Inventors: Eller, Charles E., Joplin, Jonathan W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sorey, Robert A
• Application Number:
  US13/340,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20130173277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,728 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Methods and systems for fulfillment gateway are described. In one embodiment, a prescription order for a prescription drug is received from an order processing station. An order message associated with the prescription order is generated. The order message has a prescription parameter and a dispensation preference for fulfilling the prescription order. The order message is assigned to an order fulfillment station based on the prescription parameter, the dispensation preference and a dispensary attribute of the order fulfillment station. In other embodiments, the order message is selected for delivery based on based on the prescription parameter, the dispensation preference and a dispensary attribute of the order fulfillment station. Additional methods and systems are disclosed.

Claims

1. A drug dispensing system comprising:

a plurality of fulfillment stations, wherein;

each station of the plurality of fulfillment stations is configured to, in response to an order message describing a prescription, fill a container with pills to fulfill the prescription;

at least one station of the plurality of fulfillment stations includes a high-volume drug dispenser apparatus;

each station of the plurality of fulfillment stations is characterized by dispensary attributes that describe physical capabilities of the station relating to fulfilling prescriptions; and

the dispensary attributes include at least one of (i) an indication of availability of specialty packaging, (ii) an indication of availability of cold storage, (iii) an indication of availability of security facilities for controlled substances, and (iv) an indication of ability to apply markings to containers; and

a fulfillment gateway comprising a memory and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute instructions from the memory, wherein the fulfillment gateway includes;

an order gateway subsystem including;

a communication module configured to communicate with an order processing station over a network to obtain prescription orders from the order processing station, wherein the order processing station is remote from the fulfillment gateway, and wherein a particular prescription order of the obtained prescription orders specifies pills of a particular type for a particular user;

a message drop module configured to store a plurality of order messages corresponding respectively to the obtained prescription orders, including a particular order message corresponding to the particular prescription order;

a data aggregation module configured to obtain;

dispensation preferences for at least one of (i) a plurality of users including the particular user and (ii) a plurality of clients including a particular client associated with the particular user; and

the dispensary attributes for the plurality of fulfillment stations; and

a determination module configured to, for each order message of the plurality of order messages, select one of the plurality of fulfillment stations based on compatibility between the dispensary attributes for the selected one of the plurality of fulfillment stations and the dispensation preferences of the order message,

wherein selecting a particular fulfillment station of the plurality of fulfillment stations for the particular order message is performed based on compatibility between (i) the dispensation preferences for at least one of the particular user and the particular client and (ii) the dispensary attributes for the particular fulfillment station, and

wherein the communication module is configured to transmit the plurality of order messages to respective selected ones of the plurality of fulfillment stations, including transmitting the particular order message to the particular fulfillment station to instruct the particular fulfillment station to fill a particular container with pills of the particular type for delivery to the particular user; and

an order status subsystem configured to receive status updates from the plurality of fulfillment stations regarding transmitted order messages, wherein the order status subsystem is configured to conditionally send a cancellation instruction relating to one of the plurality of order messages to the selected one of the plurality of fulfillment stations to cancel dispensing of pills, and wherein the selected one of the plurality of fulfillment stations is configured to, in response to receiving the cancellation instruction, cancel dispensing of pills for the one of the plurality of order messages.

2. The drug dispensing system of claim 1 wherein the fulfillment gateway includes an order materials subsystem configured to store electronic information to be rendered into printed form along with prescription containers, wherein the electronic information is included in at least some of the plurality of order messages for printing and inclusion with filled containers.

3. The drug dispensing system of claim 1 wherein the message drop module is configured to store an associated order message creation time with each of the plurality of order messages, wherein ones of the plurality of order messages are selected for transmission by the communication module according to their associated order message creation times.

4. The drug dispensing system of claim 1, wherein all information communicated between the order processing station and the plurality of fulfillment stations is communicated via the fulfillment gateway.

5. The drug dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the determination module is configured to selectively reassign the particular order message to a different one of the plurality of fulfillment stations.

6. The drug dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the particular prescription order specifies a name of a prescription drug, a patient identification, strength of the prescription drug, quantity of the prescription drug, identification of prescriber of the prescription drug, and directions for administering the prescription drug.

7. The drug dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the order status subsystem is configured to transmit a change request for the particular order message in response to a formulary change for the particular type of pills specified by the particular prescription order.

8. The drug dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the dispensary attributes include fulfillment station availability.

9. The drug dispensing system of claim 1, wherein:

the particular order message is associated with a generation time;

the dispensation preferences of the particular order message specify an age threshold; and

the order gateway subsystem is configured to transmit the particular order message to the particular fulfillment station in response to a time elapses since the generation time exceeding the age threshold.

10. The drug dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the order gateway subsystem is configured to transmit the particular order message to the particular fulfillment station in response to a pull request from the particular fulfillment station.

11. The drug dispensing system of claim 1, wherein:

the dispensation preferences of the particular order message specify a client priority; and

the order gateway subsystem is configured to transmit the particular order message to the particular fulfillment station in response to the client priority having higher precedence than client priorities of others of the plurality of order messages in the message drop module.

12. The drug dispensing system of claim 1, wherein:

the fulfillment gateway includes a cost module configured to, for each order message of the plurality of order messages, determine cost of fulfillment at each of the plurality of fulfillment stations; and

the determination module is configured to select from the plurality of fulfillment stations based at least in part on the determined costs of fulfillment.

13. The drug dispensing system of claim 12 wherein the cost module is configured to, for a given order message of the plurality of order messages and a given fulfillment station of the plurality of fulfillment stations, determine the cost of fulfillment based on (i) a cost of labor to fulfill the given order message at the given fulfillment station, (ii) a cost of shipping from the given fulfillment station, and (iii) a cost of materials for the given order message.

14. The drug dispensing system of claim 13 wherein the cost of materials for the given order message is based on a cost of pills indicated by the given order message.

15. The drug dispensing system of claim 14 wherein the cost of materials for the given order message is further based on a cost of at least one of a container, a container cap, and packaging materials.

16. The drug dispensing system of claim 12 wherein:

the cost module is configured to, for a given order message of the plurality of order messages, determine a maximum variance value; and

the determination module is configured to, for the given order message, exclude from selection any of the plurality of fulfillment stations having a determined cost of fulfillment greater than the maximum variance value.

17. The drug dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the communication module is configured to transmit the plurality of order messages to the plurality of fulfillment stations using at least one of post office protocol and internet message access protocol.

18. A method of operating a drug dispensing system, the method comprising:

obtaining dispensary attributes that describe physical capabilities relating to fulfilling prescriptions for each of a plurality of fulfillment stations, wherein;

the dispensary attributes include at least one of (i) an indication of availability of specialty packaging, (ii) an indication of availability of cold storage, (iii) an indication of availability of security facilities for controlled substances, and (iv) an indication of ability to apply markings to containers;

each station of the plurality of fulfillment stations is configured to, in response to an order message describing a prescription, fill a container with pills to fulfill the prescription; and

at least one station of the plurality of fulfillment stations includes a high-volume drug dispenser apparatus;

communicating with an order processing station over a network to obtain prescription orders from the order processing station, wherein the order processing station is remote from the drug dispensing system, and wherein a particular prescription order of the obtained prescription orders specifies pills of a particular type for a particular user;

storing a plurality of order messages corresponding respectively to the obtained prescription orders, including a particular order message corresponding to the particular prescription order;

obtaining dispensation preferences for at least one of (i) a plurality of users including the particular user and (ii) a plurality of clients including a particular client associated with the particular user;

for each order message of the plurality of order messages, selecting one of the plurality of fulfillment stations based on compatibility between the dispensary attributes for the selected one of the plurality of fulfillment stations and the dispensation preferences of the order message, wherein selecting a particular fulfillment station of the plurality of fulfillment stations for the particular order message is performed based on compatibility between (i) the dispensation preferences for at least one of the particular user and the particular client and (ii) the dispensary attributes for the particular fulfillment station;

transmitting the plurality of order messages to respective selected ones of the plurality of fulfillment stations, including transmitting the particular order message to the particular fulfillment station to instruct the particular fulfillment station to fill a particular container with pills of the particular type for delivery to the particular user;

receiving status updates from the plurality of fulfillment stations regarding transmitted order messages; and

conditionally sending a cancellation instruction relating to one of the plurality of order messages to the selected one of the plurality of fulfillment stations to cancel dispensing of pills, wherein the one of the plurality of fulfillment stations, in response to receiving the cancellation instruction, cancels dispensing of pills relating to the one of the plurality of order messages.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

obtaining dispensary attributes that describe physical capabilities relating to fulfilling prescriptions for each of a plurality of fulfillment stations, wherein;

the dispensary attributes include at least one of (i) an indication of availability of specialty packaging, (ii) an indication of availability of cold storage, (iii) an indication of availability of security facilities for controlled substances, and (iv) an indication of ability to apply markings to containers;

each station of the plurality of fulfillment stations is configured to, in response to an order message describing a prescription, fill a container with pills to fulfill the prescription; and

at least one station of the plurality of fulfillment stations includes a high-volume drug dispenser apparatus;

communicating with an order processing station over a network to obtain prescription orders from the order processing station, wherein the order processing station is remote from the one or more processors, and wherein a particular prescription order of the obtained prescription orders specifies pills of a particular type for a particular user;

storing a plurality of order messages corresponding respectively to the obtained prescription orders, including a particular order message corresponding to the particular prescription order;

obtaining dispensation preferences for at least one of (i) a plurality of users including the particular user and (ii) a plurality of clients including a particular client associated with the particular user;

for each order message of the plurality of order messages, selecting one of the plurality of fulfillment stations based on compatibility between the dispensary attributes for the selected one of the plurality of fulfillment stations and the dispensation preferences of the order message, wherein selecting a particular fulfillment station of the plurality of fulfillment stations for the particular order message is performed based on compatibility between (i) the dispensation preferences for at least one of the particular user and the particular client and (ii) the dispensary attributes for the particular fulfillment station;

transmitting the plurality of order messages to respective selected ones of the plurality of fulfillment stations, including transmitting the particular order message to the particular fulfillment station to instruct the particular fulfillment station to fill a particular container with pills of the particular type for delivery to the particular user;

receiving status updates from the plurality of fulfillment stations regarding transmitted order messages; and

conditionally sending a cancellation instruction relating to one of the plurality of order messages to the selected one of the plurality of fulfillment stations to cancel dispensing of pills, wherein in response to receiving the cancellation instruction, the selected one of the plurality of fulfillment stations cancels dispensing of pills relating to the one of the plurality of order messages.