SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SYNCHRONIZING MEDICATION CONFIGURATION INFORMATION AMONG SYSTEMS CONTAINING MEDICATION CONFIGURATION INFORMATION

• US 20090125336A1
• Filed: 11/05/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ICU Medical Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hospira Incorporated (Pfizer Inc.)
• Inventors: Ward, Patrick, Rinda, Jeffrey E., Wehba, Steven R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,660,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage

Abstract

A method and system for synchronizing medication configuration information. A primary medication configuration computer is adapted to receive medication configuration content from a medication configuration content source. The primary medication configuration computer is also adapted to generate medication configuration change information and transmit the medication configuration change information to an ancillary medication configuration computer, adapted to receive the medication configuration change information from the primary medication configuration computer. The ancillary medication configuration computer is also adapted to filter the medication configuration change information by applying a filtering rule to generate filtered medication configuration change information. The ancillary medication configuration computer is further adapted to store the filtered medication configuration change information in a repository and transmit at least a portion of the filtered medication configuration change information to a management client computer. The ancillary medication configuration computer is also adapted to receive an implementation decision about the portion of the filtered medication configuration change information, accepting or rejecting the portion of the filtered medication configuration change information. The ancillary medication configuration computer is also adapted to transmitting the accepted filtered medication configuration change information to an ancillary system database for integrating the accepted filtered medication configuration change information into the ancillary system database.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing medication configuration information between a primary medication configuration computer and an ancillary medication configuration computer, comprising the steps of:

providing for receiving medication configuration change information from the primary medication configuration computer at the ancillary medication configuration computer, the medication configuration change information having been generated by the primary medication configuration computer in response to receiving medication configuration content from a medication configuration content source;

providing for filtering the medication configuration change information by applying a filtering rule to generate filtered medication configuration change information;

providing for storing the filtered medication configuration change information in a repository; and

,

providing for transmitting at least a portion of the filtered medication configuration change information to a management client computer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the medication configuration information is formulary medication information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the medication content source is a formulary medication information content provider.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the formulary medication information content provider is a pharmaceutical company.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the primary medication configuration computer is a centralized healthcare institution computer comprising a medication formulary computer.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the ancillary medication configuration computer performs the step of applying the filtering rule to the medication configuration change information.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

providing for transmitting a request to enter the filtering rule from the ancillary medication configuration computer; and

,

providing for receiving the filtering rule at the ancillary medication configuration computer.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

providing for generating a filtering rules interface screen for receiving the filtering rule at the ancillary medication configuration computer.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

providing for receiving an implementation decision about the portion of the filtered medication configuration change information at the ancillary medication configuration computer from the management client computer.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the implementation decision comprises accepting the portion of the filtered medication configuration change information to establish accepted filtered medication configuration change information.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of:

providing for transmitting the accepted filtered medication configuration change information to at least one of an ancillary system formulary database and an ancillary clinical information system database; and

,

providing for integrating the accepted filtered medication configuration change information into at least one of the ancillary system formulary database and the ancillary clinical information system database.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the medication configuration information comprises formulary medication information.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the formulary medication information is selected from a group consisting of generic name, brand name, external identifier, strength amount, strength units, volume amount, volume units, dosage form code, and dosage form description.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the medication configuration information is selected from a group consisting of generic name, brand name, rule set type, concentration, dosing units, lower hard limit, lower soft limit, upper soft limit, and upper hard limit.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the filtering rule is selected from a group consisting of a dosage form and a medication identifier.

16. A system for synchronizing medication configuration information comprising:

a primary medication configuration computer adapted to receive medication configuration content from a medication configuration content source, adapted to generate medication configuration change information, and adapted to transmit the medication configuration change information; and

,

an ancillary medication configuration computer adapted to receive medication configuration change information from the primary medication configuration computer, and adapted to filter the medication configuration change information by applying a filtering rule to generate filtered medication configuration change information, wherein the ancillary medication configuration computer is further adapted to store the filtered medication configuration change information in a repository and transmit at least a portion of the filtered medication configuration change information to a management client computer.

17. A system for synchronizing medication configuration information comprising:

a primary medication configuration computer comprising a pharmacy application adapted to receive medication configuration content comprising formulary medication information, wherein the pharmacy application is adapted to generate medication configuration change information and transmit the medication configuration change information; and

,

an ancillary medication configuration computer comprising an interface application adapted to receive medication configuration change information from the primary medication configuration computer, the ancillary configuration computer further comprising a filtering application adapted to filter the medication configuration change information by applying a filtering rule to generate filtered medication configuration change information, wherein the ancillary medication configuration computer is further adapted to store the filtered medication configuration change information in a repository, wherein the ancillary medication configuration computer further comprises a repository management application adapted to manage the filtered medication configuration change information stored in the repository, and wherein the repository management application is adapted to transmit at least a portion of the filtered medication configuration change information to a management client computer for receiving an implementation decision about the filtered medication configuration change information.

18. A computer program product for synchronizing medication configuration information between a primary medication configuration computer and an ancillary medication configuration computer, comprising:

a first code segment for receiving medication configuration change information from the primary medication configuration computer at the ancillary medication configuration computer, the medication configuration change information having been generated by the primary medication configuration computer in response to receiving medication configuration content from a medication configuration content source;

a second code segment for filtering the medication configuration change information by applying a filtering rule to generate filtered medication configuration change information;

a third code segment for storing the filtered medication configuration change information in a repository; and

,

a fifth code segment for transmitting at least a portion of the filtered medication configuration change information to a management client computer.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising:

a sixth code segment for transmitting a request to enter the filtering rule from the ancillary medication configuration computer; and

,

a seventh code segment for receiving the filtering rule at the ancillary medication configuration computer.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising:

a sixth code segment for generating a filtering rules interface screen for receiving the filtering rule at the ancillary medication configuration computer.

21. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising:

a sixth code segment for receiving an implementation decision accepting the portion of the filtered medication configuration change information at the ancillary medication configuration computer from the management client computer.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 further comprising:

a seventh code segment for transmitting the accepted filtered medication configuration change information to at least one of an ancillary system formulary database; and

,

an eighth code segment for integrating the accepted filtered medication configuration change information into the ancillary system formulary database.