Method of dispensing pharmaceuticals

• US 20050187791A1
• Filed: 09/24/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnicare LLC (CVS Health Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omnicare Incorporated (CVS Health Corporation)
• Inventors: Potts-Hozlock, Mary Edith, DiMaggio, John P., Weiss, Thomas Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 8,666,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A method for electronically assisting in dispensing pharmaceuticals to long-term patient care facilities is provided. The method includes entering data associated with a prescription order into a system including an intervention database. Based on features of the order, an intervention from the intervention database is associated with the order, the intervention being associated with a route through the system. Data associated with the prescription order is routed along the route associated with the intervention.

Claims

1. A method for electronically assisting in dispensing pharmaceuticals to long-term patient care facilities, the method comprising:

entering data associated with a prescription order into a system including an intervention database;

based on features of the order, associating with the order an intervention from the intervention database, the intervention being associated with a route through the system; and

routing data associated with the prescription order along the route associated with the intervention.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the intervention includes an identifier that identifies a route through the system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifier is in the form of a numeric code.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the system comprises at least two networked computers.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of routing data associated with the prescription order comprises routing data associated with the prescription order from a first computer to a second computer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the prescription order is entered into the system using a computer.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising verifying that the data entered is consistent with the associated prescription order.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising generating an electronic edit list for use in the step of verifying.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising tracking the order using barcode technology.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

based on the data, detecting discontinuation of medication to a patient; and

associating an intervention with the order if discontinuation of medication is detected.

11. A computer implemented process for dispensing pharmaceuticals to long-term patient care facilities, the process comprising:

entering data relating to a batch of new prescription orders into fields of a computer system, the fields receiving data relating to a pre-selected set of features of respective new prescription orders;

classifying the new prescription orders of the batch into a first class of new prescription orders and a second class of new prescription orders based on the data entered;

routing data associated with the first class of new prescription orders along a first route through the computer system; and

routing data associated with the second class of new prescription orders along a second route through the computer system, the second route being different than the first route.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein the step of entering data is performed by a pharmacist.

13. The process of claim 11 further comprising determining whether to associate with respective new prescription orders one or more interventions based on the data.

14. The process of claim 13, wherein the first class of new prescription orders consists of new prescription orders having an associated clinical intervention.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein the second class of new prescription orders comprises new prescription orders having an associated non-clinical intervention.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising detecting discontinuation of medication to a patient.

17. The process of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first and second classes of new prescription orders consists of new prescription orders having no associated intervention.

18. The process of claim 11, wherein the step of entering data includes entering a note into the computer system, the note being associated with a respective new prescription order.

19. The process of claim 18, wherein the step of routing data associated with the first class of new prescription orders includes routing the note associated with the respective new prescription order.