System and method for providing prescription refills

• US 20060224414A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Astrup Drug, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Astrup Drug, Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, Jeremy Loren, Astrup, Christopher Berg
• Application Number:
  US11/096,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20060224414A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method for automatically providing prescription refills. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method for filling refill prescriptions for one or more home pharmacies comprising: enrolling the refill prescription records of one or more home pharmacies; calculating an appropriate time to fill refill prescriptions; and filling the refill prescriptions. In an embodiment, the invention includes a system for processing refill prescriptions comprising a hub pharmacy having a hub formulary and a processing unit, and one or more home pharmacies each having a prescription information database comprising records of prescriptions, the home pharmacies in electronic communication with the hub pharmacy.

Claims

1. A method for filling refill prescriptions for one or more home pharmacies by a hub pharmacy comprising:

enrolling the refill prescription records of one or more home pharmacies;

calculating a fill time for refill prescriptions; and

filling the refill prescriptions;

wherein enrolling and calculating are performed by the hub pharmacy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of enrolling includes one or more of:

determining if the prescription record has refills;

determining if the prescription record has been flagged for non-enrollment;

determining if the prescription record is for a prescription lasting≧

predetermined period of time; and

determining whether the prescription record is for a medication that is on a formulary of the hub pharmacy.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of enrolling comprises:

determining if the prescription record has refills;

determining if the prescription record has been flagged for non-enrollment;

determining if the prescription record is for a prescription lasting≧

predetermined period of time; and

determining whether the prescription record is for a medication that is on a formulary of the hub pharmacy.

5. The method of claim 3, the predetermined length of time comprising one month.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of filling is performed by the hub pharmacy if the prescription is for a medication on the hub pharmacy formulary, wherein the step of filling is performed by the home pharmacy if the prescription is for a medication that is not on the hub pharmacy formulary.

7. The method of claim 1, the step of filling comprising sending information about the refill prescription into a holding queue for further processing by the home pharmacy.

8. The method of claim 7, further processing comprising checking for drug interactions.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of calculating comprises:

setting the fill time to a date when a previous fill is approximately 100% consumed if the previous fill was provided by the method of the invention.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of calculating comprises:

setting the fill time to a date when a previous fill is approximately 70% to 80% consumed if the previous fill was not provided by the method of the invention.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of calculating comprises:

setting the fill time to a date when a previous fill is approximately 75% consumed if the previous fill was not provided by the method of the invention.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of notifying a patient that the prescription has been filled.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the patient is notified via telephone.

14. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of billing a third party for the filled prescription.

15. The method of claim 14, billing the third party comprising submitting claim information to a switch.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein submitting claim information to the switch is performed by the home pharmacy.

17. The method of claim 15, billing the third party comprising submitting a pre-claim to the switch from the hub pharmacy if filling is performed by the hub pharmacy.

18. The method of claim 17, the switch determining whether filling was performed by the hub pharmacy or the home pharmacy by searching for a pre-claim.

2. (canceled)

19. A system for processing refill prescriptions comprising:

a hub pharmacy comprising a hub formulary and a processing unit; and

one or more home pharmacies each comprising a prescription information database comprising records of prescriptions, the home pharmacies in electronic communication with the hub pharmacy;

the processing unit adapted and configured to query the prescription information databases to find records of prescriptions to be refilled;

the hub pharmacy adapted and configured to fill prescriptions for medications that are on the hub formulary;

the one or more member pharmacies adapted and configured to fill prescriptions for medications that are not on the hub formulary;

the hub pharmacy adapted and configured to submit billing information to third parties for prescriptions that are filled by the hub pharmacy.

20. The system of claim 19, the hub pharmacy comprising an automated prescription dispenser.

21. The system of claim 19, the processing unit adapted and configured to determine the appropriate time to fill prescriptions for the records of prescriptions to be refilled.

22. The system of claim 19, the processing unit adapted and configured to find records of prescriptions that have not been flagged for non-enrollment and that are for a prescription lasting≧

a predetermined period of time.

23. The system of claim 22, the predetermined length of time comprising one month.