Prescription verification system

• US 20070162309A1
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Denny
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Denny
• Inventors: Denny, Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 7,801,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• 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

An apparatus and method for permitting a pharmacist to verify a refill of a filled prescription stored on a host system. A prescription refill screen is provided by the host system to a pharmacy system associated with the pharmacist. The prescription refill screen is associated with the filled prescription. Refill request information is received from the pharmacy system. The refill request information identifying a requested refill of the filled prescription. The refill request information is transmitted through the host system to a health care provider system associated with a health care provider identified by the filled prescription stored on the host system. The host system receives an authorization from the health care provider system authorizing the requested refill of the filled prescription. The host system transmits the authorization to the pharmacy system whereby the pharmacist associated with the pharmacy system is authorized to provide the refill of the filled prescription to the patient.

Claims

1. A method for verifying a renewal of a filled prescription provided by a member health care provider for a patient which can be filled through any one of a variety of member pharmacies with the member health care provider being associated with a computer system having a web browser and each member pharmacy having a computer system with a web browser, comprising the steps of:

providing a host system established as a website communicating with the Internet and available for login by member pharmacies and member health care providers, the host system including records for a plurality of patients, each of the records containing prescription information including a unique health care provider code identifying the member health care provider who prescribed the prescription, and a patient code uniquely identifying the patient receiving the prescription, at least some of the records containing prescription information indicative of filled prescriptions;

providing electronically a prescription renewal screen by the host system to a computer system associated with one of the member pharmacies, the prescription renewal screen being associated with a previously filled prescription;

receiving, by the host system via the internet, renewal request information from the computer system associated with one of the member pharmacies, the renewal request information identifying a requested renewal of the previously filled prescription;

transmitting, by the host system via the internet, the renewal request information through the host system to a computer system associated with the member health care provider identified by the previously filled prescription stored on the host system such that the renewal request information is loaded within the web browser of the computer system and perceived by the health care provider, wherein the renewal request information being transmitted is text based;

receiving, by the host system via the internet, an authorization from the computer system associated with the health care provider authorizing the requested renewal of the previously filled prescription;

transmitting, by the host system via the internet, the authorization to a computer system associated with the member pharmacy from which the renewal request originated, the authorization being loaded within the web browser of the computer system whereby the pharmacist associated with the pharmacy system is authorized to provide the requested renewal of the previously filled prescription to the patient.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of outputting a report to a computer associated with a user other than a member health care provider or a member pharmacy.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user is associated with a governmental entity.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user is associated with an insurance company.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the report is summarized by the name of the prescribing member health care provider.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of outputting a patient prescription history, wherein the patient prescription history includes previous patient prescriptions associated by at least one of a patient code, a health care provider code, and a pharmacy code.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether the member health care provider identified by the previously filled prescription stored on the host system is logged onto the host system prior to the step of transmitting the renewal request to the computer system associated with the member health care provider identified by the previously filled prescription stored on the host system.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of notifying the health care provider that the renewal request information has been received.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of notifying is defined further as transmitting an indicator by the host system to the computer system associated with the member health care provider identified by the previously filled prescription stored on the host system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the renewal request to the computer system associated with the member health care provider is preceded by the step of delivering, immediately after the renewal request information is received by the host system, the renewal request information to a message box associated with the host system for delivery to the member health care provider.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorization includes a message from the health care provider.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the renewal is considered by the host system as a “

new”

prescription, and the host system generates a new database record for the renewal.

13. A method for verifying a renewal of a filled prescription provided by a member health care provider for a patient which can be filled through any one of a variety of member pharmacies with the member health care provider being associated with a computer system having a web browser and each member pharmacy having a computer system with a web browser, comprising the steps of:

providing a host system established as a website communicating with the Internet and available for login by member pharmacies and member health care providers, the host system including records for a plurality of patients, each of the records containing prescription information including a unique health care provider code identifying the member health care provider who prescribed the prescription, and a patient code uniquely identifying the patient receiving the prescription, at least some of the records containing prescription information indicative of filled prescriptions, the host system also storing passwords for verifying the identity of a plurality of member pharmacies, and also storing passwords for verifying the identity of a plurality of member health care providers;

receiving a login request from the web browser of a computer system of one of the member pharmacies;

verifying that the login request is associated with one of the member pharmacies;

providing electronically a prescription renewal screen by the host system to a the computer system associated with one of the member pharmacies, the prescription renewal screen being associated with a previously filled prescription;

receiving, by the host system via the internet, renewal request information from the computer system associated with one of the member pharmacies, the renewal request information identifying a requested renewal of the previously filled prescription;

receiving a login request from the web browser of another computer system associated with one of the member health care providers;

verifying that the login request is associated with the member health care provider identified by the previously filled prescription;

transmitting, by the host system via the internet, the renewal request information through the host system to the computer system associated with the member health care provider identified by the previously filled prescription stored on the host system such that the renewal request information is loaded within the web browser of the computer system and perceived by the health care provider, wherein the renewal request information being transmitted is text based;

receiving, by the host system via the internet, an authorization from the computer system associated with the health care provider authorizing the requested renewal of the previously filled prescription;

transmitting, by the host system via the internet, the authorization to a computer system associated with the member pharmacy from which the renewal request originated, the authorization being loaded within the web browser of the computer system whereby the pharmacist associated with the pharmacy system is authorized to provide the requested renewal of the previously filled prescription to the patient.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of outputting a report to a computer associated with a user other than a member health care provider or a member pharmacy.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the authorization includes a message from the health care provider.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the renewal is considered by the host system as a “

new”

prescription, and the host system generates a new database record for the renewal.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the user is associated with a governmental entity.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the user is associated with an insurance company.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the report is summarized by the name of the prescribing member health care provider.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of outputting a patient prescription history, wherein the patient prescription history includes previous patient prescriptions associated by at least one of a patient code, a health care provider code, and a pharmacy code.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of determining whether the member health care provider identified by the previously filled prescription stored on the host system is logged onto the host system prior to the step of transmitting the renewal request to the computer system associated with the member health care provider identified by the previously filled prescription stored on the host system.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of notifying the health care provider that the renewal request information has been received.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of notifying is defined further as transmitting an indicator by the host system to the computer system associated with the member health care provider identified by the previously filled prescription stored on the host system.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of transmitting the renewal request to the computer system associated with the member health care provider is preceded by the step of delivering, immediately after the renewal request information is received by the host system, the renewal request information to a message box associated with the host system for delivery to the member health care provider.

25. A method for verifying a renewal of a filled prescription provided by a member health care provider for a patient which can be filled through member pharmacies with the member health care provider being associated with a computer system having a web browser and each member pharmacy having a computer system with a web browser, comprising the steps of:

providing a host system established as a website communicating with the Internet and available for login by member pharmacies and member health care providers, the host system including records for a plurality of patients, each of the records containing prescription information including a unique health care provider code identifying the member health care provider who prescribed the prescription, and a patient code uniquely identifying the patient receiving the prescription, at least some of the records containing prescription information indicative of filled prescriptions, the host system storing passwords for verifying the identity of at least two member pharmacies not affiliated with each other, and also storing passwords for verifying the identity of a plurality of member health care providers;

receiving a login request from the web browser of a computer system;

verifying that the login request is associated with one of the member pharmacies;

providing electronically a prescription renewal screen by the host system to a the computer system associated with one of the member pharmacies, the prescription renewal screen being associated with a previously filled prescription;

receiving, by the host system via the internet, renewal request information from the computer system associated with one of the member pharmacies, the renewal request information identifying a requested renewal of the previously filled prescription;

receiving a login request from the web browser of another computer system;

verifying that the login request is associated with the member health care provider identified by the previously filled prescription;

transmitting, by the host system via the internet, the renewal request information through the host system to the computer system associated with the member health care provider identified by the previously filled prescription stored on the host system such that the renewal request information is loaded within the web browser of the computer system and perceived by the health care provider, wherein the renewal request information being transmitted is text based;

receiving, by the host system via the internet, an authorization from the computer system associated with the health care provider authorizing the requested renewal of the previously filled prescription;

transmitting, by the host system via the internet, the authorization to a computer system associated with the member pharmacy from which the renewal request originated, the authorization being loaded within the web browser of the computer system whereby the pharmacist associated with the pharmacy system is authorized to provide the requested renewal of the previously filled prescription to the patient.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of outputting a report to a computer associated with a user other than a member health care provider or a member pharmacy.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the user is associated with a governmental entity.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the user is associated with an insurance company.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the report is summarized by the name of the prescribing member health care provider.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of outputting a patient prescription history, wherein the patient prescription history includes previous patient prescriptions associated by at least one of a patient code, a health care provider code, and a pharmacy code.

31. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of determining whether the member health care provider identified by the previously filled prescription stored on the host system is logged onto the host system prior to the step of transmitting the renewal request to the computer system associated with the member health care provider identified by the previously filled prescription stored on the host system.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of notifying the health care provider that the renewal request information has been received.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of notifying is defined further as transmitting an indicator by the host system to the computer system associated with the member health care provider identified by the previously filled prescription stored on the host system.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of transmitting the renewal request to the computer system associated with the member health care provider is preceded by the step of delivering, immediately after the renewal request information is received by the host system, the renewal request information to a message box associated with the host system for delivery to the member health care provider.

35. The method of claim 25, wherein the authorization includes a message from the health care provider.

36. The method of claim 25, wherein the renewal is considered by the host system as a “

new”

prescription, and the host system generates a new database record for the renewal.