System and method for performing a remote verification of a pharmacy fill utilizing an image to image comparison

• US 20090030722A1
• Filed: 07/25/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Inventors: Huang, Rong, Wiener, Adam S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,775,198 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• 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

The method and system provides image data of a prepared pharmacy product for review by a pharmacist located away from the prepared pharmacy product. The method and system enables the verification process to be ported to locations in which resources may be more efficiently utilized.

Claims

1. A method of verifying prescription drug orders within a network of pharmacy computers connected by an information processing system, the method comprising:

creating a first image object based on a drug product at a first computer;

retrieving the first image object at a second computer;

retrieving a reference image object corresponding to the drug product at the second computer; and

determining at the second computer whether the drug product of the first image object corresponds to the drug product of the reference image object based on the first image object and the reference image object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second computer are located at a single pharmacy resource location.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically blocking the delivery of the drug product to a customer at a register computer before determining at the second computer whether the drug product of the first image object corresponds to the drug product of the reference image object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein creating a first image object comprises taking a photo of a prescription drug and storing data associated with the photo in the first image object.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating an index of image objects of drug products referenced by a drug identifier and wherein retrieving a reference image object corresponding to the first image object comprises retrieving an image object of a drug product from the index based on a drug identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the drug identifier is associated with a drug prescription order.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising preparing a drug prescription order at a pharmacy resource of the first computer prior to creating the image object, wherein the image object comprises an image of a sample of a drug product for the prescription order.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising releasing the drug prescription order at the pharmacy resource to a client after determining that the drug product of the first image object corresponds to the drug product of the reference image object.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising raising an exception to a prescription order process when the drug product of the first image object does not correspond to the drug product of the reference image object.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein raising an exception comprises one of associating an error flag with the first image object if the two image objects are dissimilar or displaying an indication that the first image object does not match the reference image object.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein displaying an indication that the first image object does not match the reference image object comprises displaying an indication at the first computer.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the second computer is adapted to allow a user to raise the exception at the second computer.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the exception is an error indicating an unable-to-read situation.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the drug product of the first image object corresponds to the drug product of the reference image object comprises using image recognition software to compare the first image object and the reference image object.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a first image captured by the first image object adjacent a second image captured by the reference image object on a display of the second computer.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing data on a drug prescription order from a customer corresponding to the drug product and determining whether there exists any adverse reactions to the drug product based on previous patient prescriptions and patient medical data.

17. An apparatus for enabling remote verification of a prescription order comprising:

a first computer at a first pharmacy resource;

a scanner coupled to the first computer and adapted to create an image object of a drug product at the first pharmacy resource;

wherein the first computer is adapted to transmit the image object and further adapted to display an indication of the result of a verification process based on a communication received from by the first computer.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a second computer adapted to receive the image object of the first computer, to retrieve a reference image object based on a drug identifier at the second computer, and to determine whether data associated with the first image object and data associated with the reference image object correspond to the same drug product.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the communication received by the first computer is a message transmitted by the second computer indicating whether data associated with the first image object and data associated with the reference image object correspond to the same drug product.

20. A system for verifying pharmacy prescriptions comprising:

a drug prescription order containing a drug identifier for a drug product;

a database containing a reference image object of the drug product, wherein the reference image object is indexed by the drug identifier;

a first computer located at a first pharmacy resource and attached to one of a camera and a scanner, the first computer adapted to create a first image object based on a sample of a drug product; and

a second computer communicatively coupled to the first computer and located at a second pharmacy resource, the second computer adapted to receive the first image object and retrieve the reference image object based on the drug identifier and further adapted to display an image on a display of the second computer at least one of the data of the first image object or data of the reference image object.

21. A method of verifying prescription drug orders within a network of pharmacy computers connected by an information processing system, the method comprising:

creating a first image object based on a drug product at a first computer;

retrieving the first image object at a second computer;

retrieving a reference image object corresponding to the drug product at the second computer; and

determining by a user at the second computer without the user viewing the physical drug product, whether the drug product of the first image object corresponds to the drug product of the reference image object based on the first image object and the reference image object.

22. A method of verifying prescription drug orders within a network of pharmacy computers connected by an information processing system, the method comprising:

receiving a prescription order from a customer by a pharmacy employee;

entering prescription data based on the prescription order into a first computer by the pharmacy employee;

reviewing at a second computer the entered prescription data by a first registered pharmacist based on prior patient prescriptions or patient medical data;

measuring a quantity of a drug product for filling the prescription order by the pharmacy employee;

creating a first electronic image of the drug product by the pharmacy employee at either the first computer or a third computer;

retrieving the first electronic image at the second computer by a second registered pharmacist;

retrieving an electronic reference image corresponding to the drug product at the second computer by the second registered pharmacist; and

determining by the second registered pharmacist at the second computer, without the second registered pharmacist viewing the physical drug product, whether the drug product of the first electronic image corresponds to the drug product of the electronic reference image based on the first electronic image object and the electronic reference object.