Refill prescription by calendar reminder

• US 10,572,630 B1
• Filed: 04/14/2017
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schmeling, Todd, Subramanian, Kartik
• Primary Examiner(s): Tomaszewski, Michael
• Application Number:
  US15/487,718
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients

Abstract

The method and system may provide a service that allows a customer to order refills of prescription medications in a quick and hassle-free manner from a remote location using a virtual calendar on a computer or mobile device. The system identifies prescription medications eligible for refill by a customer on a particular date and transmits a calendar event to the customer. The calendar event includes a refill reminder identifier corresponding to the prescription medications eligible for refill. The customer replies to the calendar event that includes the refill reminder identifier. The system then receives the reply electronic communication from the customer and validates the refill reminder identifier associated with the reply electronic communication. Accordingly, the system retrieves prescription numbers associated with the refill reminder identifier and transmits the retrieved prescription numbers for filling and dispensing the prescription medications.

Claims

1. A method of providing a refill order via a calendar reminder, the method executed by one or more processors programmed to perform the method, the method comprising:

identifying, by one or more processors, one or more prescription drugs eligible for refill for a user on a particular refill date;

generating, by the one or more processors, a refill reminder identifier associated with the one or more prescription drugs for uniquely identifying each of the one or more prescription drugs;

transmitting, by the one or more processors to a client device of the user, a calendar event to be displayed on a virtual calendar of the client device on the particular refill date, the calendar event including the refill reminder identifier;

in response to transmitting the refill reminder identifier to the client device, receiving, at the one or more processors, an electronic communication from the virtual calendar of the user, the electronic communication including the refill reminder identifier;

in response to receiving the electronic communication, obtaining, by the one or more processors, an indicator for each of the one or more prescription drugs corresponding to the refill reminder identifier; and

providing, by the one or more processors, the indicators for filling and dispensing the one or more prescription drugs to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

parsing, by the one or more processors, the electronic communication to (i) obtain the refill reminder identifier and (ii) identify whether the electronic communication is generated by the user or by an automated system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein when the electronic communication is generated by an automated system, an indicator for each of the one or more prescription drugs associated with the refill reminder identifier is not obtained and the electronic communication is removed.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the one or more processors, one or more users authorized to order a refill for the one or more prescriptions drugs; and

parsing, by the one or more processors, the electronic communication to determine whether the user transmitting the electronic communication is an authorized user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the calendar event is compatible with a virtual calendar application on the client device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the one or more processors, a calendar subscription link to the client device; and

receiving, at the one or more processors from the client device, a confirmation communication indicating the calendar subscription link has been accepted.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the calendar subscription link is related to a user profile for the user and further comprising:

storing, by the one or more processors, indications of prescription drugs for the user that are eligible for refill in the user profile;

for a particular date, obtaining, by the one or more processors from the user profile, a subset of the indications of prescriptions drugs having the particular refill date;

generating, by the one or more processors, a refill reminder identifier associated with the subset of the indications of prescription drugs; and

transmitting, by the one or more processors via the calendar subscription link, the calendar event to be displayed on the virtual calendar of the client device, the calendar event including the refill reminder identifier.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

updating, by the one or more processors, the virtual calendar of the client device with new calendar events for additional prescription drugs having new refill dates.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator for each of the one or more prescription drugs is a prescription number.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the calendar event further includes an indication of a pharmacy location at which to pick up the one or more prescription drugs.

11. A system for providing a refill order via a calendar reminder, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

a communication network;

a non-transitory computer-readable memory coupled to the one or more processors, and the communication network, and storing thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

identify one or more prescription drugs eligible for refill for a user on a particular refill date;

generate a refill reminder identifier associated with the one or more prescription drugs for uniquely identifying each of the one or more prescription drugs;

transmit, via the communication network to a client device of the user, a calendar event to be displayed on a virtual calendar of the client device on the particular refill date, the calendar event including the refill reminder identifier;

in response to transmitting the refill reminder identifier to the client device, receive, via the communication network, an electronic communication from the virtual calendar of the user, the electronic communication including the refill reminder identifier;

in response to receiving the electronic communication, obtain an indicator for each of the one or more prescription drugs corresponding to the refill reminder identifier; and

provide the indicators for filling and dispensing the one or more prescription drugs to the user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the system to:

parse the electronic communication to (i) obtain the refill reminder identifier and (ii) identify whether the electronic communication is generated by the user or by an automated system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein when the electronic communication is generated by an automated system, an indicator for each of the one or more prescription drugs associated with the refill reminder identifier is not obtained and the electronic communication is removed.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the system to:

determine one or more users authorized to order a refill for the one or more prescriptions drugs; and

parse the electronic communication to determine whether the user transmitting the electronic communication is an authorized user.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the calendar event is compatible with a virtual calendar application on the client device.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the system to:

transmit, via the communication network, a calendar subscription link to the client device; and

receive, via the communication network from the client device, a confirmation communication indicating the calendar subscription link has been accepted.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the calendar subscription link is related to a user profile for the user and the instructions further cause the system to:

store indications of prescription drugs for the user that are eligible for refill in the user profile;

for a particular date, obtain, from the user profile, a subset of the indications of prescriptions drugs having the particular refill date;

generate a refill reminder identifier associated with the subset of the indications of prescription drugs; and

transmit, via the calendar subscription link, the calendar event to be displayed on the virtual calendar of the client device, the calendar event including the refill reminder identifier.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the system to:

update the virtual calendar of the client device with new calendar events for additional prescription drugs having new refill dates.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the indicator for each of the one or more prescription drugs is a prescription number.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the calendar event further includes an indication of a pharmacy location at which to pick up the one or more prescription drugs.