METHOD AND SYSTEM TO CONTROL AND ENHANCE PRESCRIBING AND DISPENSING OF MEDICATION

• US 20100256984A1
• Filed: 11/05/2009
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rx Controls LLC
• Original Assignee: Rx Controls LLC
• Inventors: Huser, Frederic, GOLD, Steven B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,719,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/60 relating to pathologies

Abstract

Computer implemented methods and systems for controlling the dispensation of a prescription drug to a patient with a medical condition. The methods and systems may restrict the prescription and dispensation of prescription drugs at the physician and pharmacy level. Determination of whether a patient should receive a subsequent prescription of a drug is based on the effectiveness of the drug and the adverse side effects associated with the drug. This can be used by state and federal regulators, physicians and pharmacists to control, evaluate and monitor the use of drugs on an individual patient basis. Furthermore, the methods and systems provide a national registry in which drug effectiveness data in individual patients is collected which can be aggregated to provide information on population-based drug efficacy.

Claims

1. A machine implemented method for controlling the dispensation of a drug to a patient comprising the steps of:

(a) providing the patient with a first prescription for a drug,

(b) entering patient data and drug information into a database comprising a national patient registry, and dispensing the drug and a drug test kit to the patient,

(c) submitting test kit data from the patient test kit to a centralized data collection center,

(d) analyzing the patient test kit data, sending an analysis report to the patient'"'"'s physician, and storing electronically the outcome the analysis report into the national patient registry database,

(e) determining whether the patient should receive a second prescription of the drug, a modified prescription of the drug, or no subsequent prescription of the drug based on the analysis report, and

(g) restricting dispensation of the second prescription or modified prescription based on the analysis report.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the drug information comprises information sufficient to identify the drug and its labeler, strength and dosage form.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the drug information comprises a portion of the drug'"'"'s National Drug Code Number (NDC #).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the test kit data comprises patient drug response information and side effect information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said analysis report is accessed electronically.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the physician diagnoses a patient'"'"'s illness based on said analysis report.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises comparing the patient kit data to efficacy data stored in the national patient drug registry database for the drug and determining the effectiveness of the drug in the patient.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising a step (h) wherein dispensation of the refill is restricted if the outcome of the analysis report does not indicate that the drug is effective.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the drug effectiveness is further determined by evaluating the patient kit data for serious side effects.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein, the method is repeated if a refill or modified refill is prescribed.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein dispensation of the drug is blocked if the test kit data is not submitted within a predetermined time.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the predetermined time is 1 month after completion of the prescription course.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the national patient registry stored on a computer readable medium and is accessible by dispensing pharmacies.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the drug is associated with serious side effects.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the drug is a black box drug.

16. A machine-implemented method for restricting refills of a prescription drug to a patient comprising:

a) using a computer for analyzing data submitted by the patient to a national patient registry database after the patient takes the prescription drug and preparing an analysis report indicating the effectiveness of the drug in the patient,

b) providing a refill prescription of the drug, a modified refill prescription of the drug with a patient test kit, or no prescription of the drug based on the analysis report,

c) restricting dispensation of the drug refill if the refill or modified refill prescription is not in accordance with the analysis report.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the analysis report is stored in the national patient registry database and stored on a computer readable medium.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the national patient registry database is accessible by dispensing pharmacies.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the patient submitted data comprises patient drug response information and side effect information.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising a step of comparing the patient submitted data to efficacy data stored in the national patient drug registry database for the drug and determining whether the drug is effective in the patient.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein dispensation of the refill is restricted in step (c) if the analysis report does not indicate that the drug is effective.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the drug effectiveness is further determined by evaluating the patient submitted data for serious side effects.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein, the method is repeated if a refill or modified refill is prescribed.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising a step of blocking refills of the prescription drug if the patient does not submit the data within a predetermined period of time.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the drug is associated with serious side effects.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the drug is a black box drug.

27. A pharmacy dispensation control system comprising:

a national patient registry stored on a computer readable medium comprising patient identifying information, a national drug code number for each drug prescribed to a patient, and data submitted by the patient after using the prescription drug, and

a computer programmed to generate an analysis report based in part on the national drug code and data submitted by a patient after using the prescribed drug, and a report restricting the dispensation of a refill prescription of the drug generated in response to the refill prescription not being in accordance with the analysis report.

28. A machine implemented method for controlling dispensation of a drug to a patient comprising the steps of:

providing the patient with a first prescription for a drug,

entering patient data and a drug information into database comprising a national patient registry, and dispensing the drug to the patient, and

restricting dispensation of a refill prescription to patients in the national patient registry.