System and method for medication misuse prevention

• US 20060224419A1
• Filed: 06/15/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medication Misuse Prevention Services, LLC
• Original Assignee: Medication Misuse Prevention Services, LLC
• Inventors: Servizio, Lynn Tress, Servizio, Louis A.
• Application Number:
  US11/453,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20060224419A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients

Abstract

A system and method of identifying patients with an increased risk for medication misuse as a result of their physical condition or inability to follow a prescription drug regimen. This is accomplished by an onsite evaluation of the patient, their physical condition and medication usage, including prescriptions, over the counter medications, herbals and food interactions, by a qualified individual. The results of this evaluation are provided to a database that generates a report comprising a patient'"'"'s vital signs, medication interactions, prescription changes, prescription renewals, discontinued medications, evaluation of a patient'"'"'s compliance with their medication regimen and education approved for to assist the patient with their compliance for review by the patient'"'"'s primary care physician, additional physicians treating the patient, authorized organizations, such as HMOs, gardians or other authorized individual. With this knowledge the physician can identify a current or potential problem and can recommend changes to a patient'"'"'s prescription drug regimen or education regarding drug regimens to correct the problem.

Claims

1. A computer assisted method for assessing possible misuse of consumables comprising:

assembling a consumable database for an individual, said consumable database including prescribed and non-prescribed medications, vitamins, herbs, dietary supplements, and recently ingested foods;

comparing said consumable database to an interaction database for creating a compliance report;

interpreting said compliance report to determine if immediate intervention is required due to a non-compliance condition;

measuring both physical and psychological functions of an individual that is in a compliance condition, said functions characterized in a function report; and

summarizing said compliance report and said function report, whereby said summary is available for interpretation by qualified personnel to access possible misuse of consumables.

2. A computer assisted method for assessing the possible misuse of consumables comprising:

providing an assessment of a patient'"'"'s medication regimen including determining medications, over the counter medications, vitamins, herbals or foods which interact with medications said patient is currently taking, determining if there are any inappropriate medications said patient is taking;

determining said patient'"'"'s compliance with their medication regimen including confirmation-of their medication needs, confirmation that said patient is taking the medications according to instructions;

providing intervention if necessary to assure that said patient is complying with their medication regimen, monitoring both physical and psychological functions to detect early signs of adverse medication interactions or toxicity;

providing education to said patient and their care givers regarding the appropriate use of medications; and

providing data analysis of the information obtained regarding each said patient.

3. The computer assisted method of claim 2, further comprising ordering an assessment of said patient'"'"'s medication regimen by a physician, nurse practitioner, care giver, home healthcare agency or others concerned with said patient'"'"'s welfare.

4. The computer assisted method of claim 2 further comprising performing a physical examination of said patient to determine said patient'"'"'s medical condition.

5. The computer assisted method of claim 2 further comprising entering said assessment of said patient'"'"'s medication regimen into a database.

6. The computer assisted method of claim 2 wherein said database is compliant with Health Insurance Portability ccountability (HIPPA) regulations and access is restricted to individuals associated with said patient'"'"'s well being or third parties with consent of the patient or the patient'"'"'s guardians.

7. The computer assisted method of claim 2 wherein said assessment of said patient'"'"'s medication regimen includes prescription medications, over the counter medications and herbal medications.

8. The computer assisted method of claim 2 wherein determining said patient'"'"'s compliance with their medication regimen includes counting the pills remaining in a given medication prescription and comparing the results to the number of pills that should be remaining in said prescription if said patient has been complying with their medication regimen.

9. The computer method of claim 2 wherein determining said patient'"'"'s compliance with their medication regimen includes asking the patient if they are complying with their medication regimen.

10. The computer assisted method of claim 2 wherein said assessment of said patient'"'"'s medication regimen includes determining if there are any adverse interactions between the medications which said patient is taking.

11. The computer assisted method of claim 10 further determining if any of said adverse interactions can be tolerated by said patient.

12. The computer assisted method of claim 10 wherein after determining that an adverse interaction between medications is present, determining if there are alternate medications which can be substituted for the adverse interaction medication.

13. The computer assisted method of claim 2 further comprising conducting laboratory tests to determine if said patient still has the medical conditions which necessitated certain medication prescriptions.

14. The computer assisted method of claim 12 wherein said determination of said patient'"'"'s compliance with their medication regimen includes writing a new prescription or refilling an existing prescription for a medication in said patient'"'"'s medication regimen.

15. The computer assisted method of claim 2 further comprising determining said patient'"'"'s daily living activities.

16. The computer assisted method of claim 15 wherein a notation is made in a database when a determination is made that an adverse condition is present in said patient'"'"'s daily living activities.

17. The computer assisted method of claim 16 wherein an authorized individual can access said database, evaluate said adverse condition, and recommend a course of action to remove or correct said adverse condition.

18. The computer assisted method of claim 2 further including a psychological evaluation of said patient.

19. An interactive computer system containing a database and executing a method for assessing the possible misuse of consumables comprising:

providing an assessment of a patient'"'"'s medication regimen including determining medications, over the counter medications, vitamins, herbals or foods which interact with medications said patient is currently taking, determining if there are any inappropriate medications said patient is taking;

determining said patient'"'"'s compliance with their medication regimen including confirmation of their medication needs, confirmation that said patient is taking the medications according to instructions;

providing intervention if necessary to assure that said patient is complying with their medication regimen, monitoring both physical and psychological functions to detect early signs of adverse medication interactions or toxicity;

providing education to said patient and their care givers regarding the appropriate use of medications; and

providing data analysis of the information obtained regarding each said patient.

20. The interactive computer system of claim 19, further comprising ordering an assessment of said patient'"'"'s medication regimen by a physician, nurse practitioner, care giver, home healthcare agency or others concerned with said patient'"'"'s welfare.

21. The interactive computer system of claim 19 further comprising performing a physical examination of said patient to determine said patient'"'"'s medical condition.

22. The interactive computer system of claim 19 further comprising entering said assessment of said patient'"'"'s medication regimen into a database.

23. The interactive computer system of claim 19 wherein said database is compliant with HIPPA regulations and access is restricted to individuals associated with said patient'"'"'s well being or third parties with consent of the patient or the patient'"'"'s guardians.

24. The interactive computer system of claim 19 wherein said assessment of said patient'"'"'s medication regimen includes prescription medications, over the counter medications and herbal medications.

25. The interactive computer system of claim 19 wherein determining said patient'"'"'s compliance with their medication regimen includes counting the pills remaining in a given medication prescription and comparing the results to the number of pills that should be remaining in said prescription if said patient has been complying with their medication regimen.

26. The interactive computer system of claim 19 wherein determining said patient'"'"'s compliance with their medication regimen includes asking the patient if they are complying with their medication regimen.

27. The interactive computer system of claim 19 wherein said assessment of said patient'"'"'s medication regimen includes determining if there are any adverse interactions between the medications which said patient is taking.

28. The interactive computer system of claim 27 further determining if any of said adverse interactions can be tolerated by said patient.

29. The interactive computer system of claim 27 wherein after determining that an adverse interaction between medications is present, determining if there are alternate medications which can be substituted for the adverse interaction medication.

30. The interactive computer system of claim 19 further comprising conducting laboratory tests to determine if said patient still has the medical conditions which necessitated certain medication prescriptions.

31. The interactive computer system of claim 19 wherein said determination of said patient'"'"'s compliance with their medication regimen includes writing a new prescription or refilling an existing prescription for a medication in said patient'"'"'s medication regimen.

32. The interactive computer system of claim 19 further comprising determining said patient'"'"'s daily living activities.

33. The interactive computer system of claim 32 wherein a notation is made in a database when a determination is made that an adverse condition is present in said patient'"'"'s daily living activities.

34. The interactive computer system of claim 33 wherein an authorized individual can access said database, evaluate said adverse condition, and recommend a course of action to remove or correct said adverse condition.

35. The interactive computer system of claim 19 further including a psychological evaluation of said patient.

36. A computer-readable medium storing computer executable process steps for accessing the possible misuse of consumables, the process steps comprising:

providing an assessment of a patient'"'"'s medication regimen including determining medications, over the counter medications, vitamins, herbals or foods which interact with medications said patient is currently taking, determining if there are any inappropriate medications said patient is taking;

determining said patient'"'"'s compliance with their medication regimen including confirmation of their medication needs, confirmation that said patient is taking the medications according to instructions;

providing intervention if necessary to assure that said patient is complying with their medication regimen, monitoring both physical and psychological functions to detect early signs of adverse medication interactions or toxicity;

providing education to said patient and their care givers regarding the appropriate use of medications; and

providing data analysis. of the information obtained regarding each said patient.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 36, further comprising ordering an assessment of said patient'"'"'s medication regimen by a physician, nurse practitioner, care giver, home healthcare agency or others concerned with said patient'"'"'s welfare.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 36 further comprising performing a physical examination of said patient to determine said patient'"'"'s medical condition.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 36 further comprising entering said assessment of said patient'"'"'s medication regimen into a database.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 36 wherein said database is compliant with HIPPA regulations and access is restricted to individuals associated with said patient'"'"'s well being or third parties with consent of the patient or the patient'"'"'s guardians.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 36 wherein said assessment of said patient'"'"'s medication regimen includes prescription medications, over the counter medications and herbal medications.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 36 wherein determining said patient'"'"'s compliance with their medication regimen includes counting the pills remaining in a given medication prescription and comparing the results to the number of. pills that should be remaining in said prescription if said patient has been complying with their medication regimen.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 36 wherein determining said patient'"'"'compliance with their medication regimen includes asking the patient if they are complying with their medication regimen.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 36 wherein said assessment of said patient'"'"'s medication regimen includes determining if there are any adverse interactions between the medications which said patient is taking.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 44 further determining if any of said adverse interactions can be tolerated by said patient.

46. The computer readable medium of claim 44 wherein after determining that an adverse interaction between medications is present, determining if there are alternate medications which can be substituted for the adverse interaction medication.

47. The computer readable medium of claim 36 further comprising conducting laboratory tests to determine if said patient still has the medical conditions which necessitated certain medication prescriptions.

48. The computer readable medium of claim 36 wherein said determination of said patient'"'"'s compliance with their medication regimen includes writing a new prescription or refilling an existing prescription for a medication in said patient'"'"'s medication regimen.

49. The computer readable medium of claim 36 further comprising determining said patient'"'"'s daily living activities.

50. The computer readable medium of claim 49 wherein a notation is made in a database when a determination is made that an adverse condition is present in said patient'"'"'s daily living activities.

51. The computer readable medium of claim 50 wherein an authorized individual can access said database, evaluate said adverse condition, and recommend a course of action to remove or correct said adverse condition.

52. The computer readable medium of claim 36 further including a psychological evaluation of said patient.