Remote prescription refill system

• US 20050060200A1
• Filed: 09/15/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digital Pharmacist, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TeleManager Technologies, Inc. (Digital Pharmacist, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kobylevsky, Paul, Gurovich, Valery
• Granted Patent: US 8,150,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A prescription refill system having Voice-over-IP (VoIP) capabilities is provided. A central station remote from a pharmacy is provided for receiving phone calls (e.g., PSTN or VoIP calls) relating to prescription information. The central station obtains the prescription information, and automatically dispatches same to a pharmacy for filling. The pharmacy can dial into the central station to receive prescription information, or the information can be periodically faxed, e-mailed, or sent via the Internet to the pharmacy. A computer at the pharmacy allows for information to be retrieved from the central station, including voice messages stored at the central station. Calls made to the pharmacy can be forwarded to the central station automatically. A caller calling the central station can be switched to a live operator at the pharmacy for additional assistance.

Claims

1. A system for automatically receiving customer prescription refill orders and transmitting prescription refill information to a pharmacy comprising:

a central station remote from the pharmacy for receiving Voice-over-IP (VoIP) telephone calls relating to prescription information;

means at said central station for prompting a caller to provide prescription refill information; and

means at said central station for transmitting said prescription refill information to said pharmacy.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the central station receives telephone calls using a Public Telephone Switched Network (PTSN) connection.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for periodically transmitting said prescription refill information to said pharmacy by facsimile transmission, e-mail, pager, or direct network connection.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising means at said central station for indicating to said pharmacy whether said caller left a voice message for said pharmacy.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for forwarding a telephone call received at the pharmacy relating to prescription information to the central station.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the means for forwarding a telephone call comprises means for forwarding to the central station a Voice-over-IP (VoIP) telephone call received at the pharmacy.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer at said pharmacy for displaying said prescription refill information and for playing voice messages left at the central station by a caller.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for transferring a caller to a live operator.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for transferring a caller to a live operator transfers VoIP calls to the operator.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein a caller can provide prescription information using a DTMF keypad.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising voice recognition software on the central station for acquiring spoken prescription information from the caller.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising text-to-speech software on the central station for generating speech at the central station.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the prescription information comprises patient name, doctor name, and drug name.

14. A method of refilling prescriptions comprising:

providing a central station remote from a pharmacy;

allowing a user to communicate with the central station over a Voice-over-IP (VoIP) telephone call;

gathering refill information from the user at the central station;

transmitting the refill information from the central station to the pharmacy; and

re-filling the prescription at the pharmacy.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising allowing a user to communicate with the central station using a PTSN connection.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of transmitting the refill information to the pharmacy comprises periodically transmitting said prescription refill information to said pharmacy by facsimile transmission, e-mail, pager, or direct network connection.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving transmitted prescription information at a computer at the pharmacy.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising forwarding a Voice-over-IP (VoIP) telephone call from the pharmacy to the central station.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising transferring a caller to a live operator located at the pharmacy.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising transferring the caller to the live operator using a Voice-over-IP (VoIP) telephone call.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising acquiring prescription information from the caller using a DTMF keypad.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising acquiring prescription information from the caller using voice recognition software at the central station.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of gathering refill information comprises gathering a patient name, a doctor name, and a drug name.

24. A system for automatically receiving customer prescription refill orders and transmitting prescription refill information to a pharmacy comprising:

a central station remote from the pharmacy for receiving telephone calls relating to prescription information;

means at said central station for prompting a caller to provide prescription refill information;

means at said central station for forwarding the caller to a live operator; and

means at said central station for transmitting said prescription refill information to said pharmacy.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the operator is located at the pharmacy.

26. The system of claim 24, further comprising means for periodically transmitting said prescription refill information to said pharmacy by facsimile transmission, e-mail, pager, or direct network connection.

27. The system of claim 24, further comprising means for forwarding a telephone call received at the pharmacy relating to prescription information to the central station.

28. The system of claim 24, further comprising a computer at said pharmacy for displaying said prescription refill information and for playing voice messages left at the central station by a caller.

29. The system of claim 24, further comprising means at the central station for communicating with a pharmacy management system remote from the central station for verifying the prescription refill information;

30. The system of claim 24, wherein a caller can provide prescription information using a DTMF keypad.

31. The system of claim 24, further comprising voice recognition software at the central station for acquiring spoken prescription information from the caller.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein the prescription information comprises patient name, doctor name, and drug name.