Encoding and processing of drug prescription forms

• US 3,921,196 A
• Filed: 03/20/1972
• Issued: 11/18/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richard J. Patterson
• Original Assignee: Richard J. Patterson
• Inventors: Patterson, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zache, Raulfe B.
• Application Number:
  US05/236,125
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 340/172.5 235/61.11R,61.7,61.9 11/11
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients

Abstract

Method and apparatus enables encoding of medical prescriptions at pharmacies and scanning at scanning stations to derive data corresponding to prescribed drugs, their strengths, quantities and prices, and identities of certain parties, all derived data being transmitted to government controlled data processing equipment, and only certain of the data being transmitted to data processing equipment at banks for crediting of pharmacists accounts, without loss of desirable confidentiality as between patient, physician and pharmacist.

Claims

1. In a system for processing physician completed medical prescription forms, the combination comprising a. a prescription form having encoded on one edge portion thereof at a first station primary indicia representing a drug listed by the physician on the prescription, and on another edge portion thereof secondary indicia representing the identity of a selected pharmacy, and a price associated with the drug as supplied by that pharmacy, said primary indicia extending only in a linear sequence parallel to and everywhere adjacent one edge of the form and said secondary indicia extending only in a linear sequence parallel to and everywhere adjacent another edge of the form, and parallel to said primary indicia, the form having main extent between said indicia sequences and which contains columns and rows of blanks to receive physician entered prescription data, the width of said main extent between said indicia sequences being at least several times greater than the maximum width of each of said sequences, b. scanning means for scanning said edge portions thEreby deriving, from said indicia, and at a prescription scanning station, one group of electronic data corresponding to said drug, and another group of electronic data corresponding to pharmacy identity, and drug price, the prescription received at said scanning station, and c. other means operatively connected with the scanning means for responding to the price and pharmacy identity electronic data only, for electrical transmission to a third station to register financial credit applicable to the selected pharmacy.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said form is lengthwise elongated between opposite side edges thereof, and said indicia appear on spaced portions of the prescription proximate the upper and lower elongated edges thereof, and said scanning means includes scanning heads which are spaced apart widthwise of the forms to overlap said indicia sequences.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the scanner is an optical scanner.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the scanner is a magnetic indicia scanner.

5. The combination of claim 1 including said third station located at a bank.

6. The combination of claim 1 including additional means operatively connected with the scanning means to be responsive to all of the data for transmission to a fourth station for storage and checking by a governmental authority, and including a computer at the fourth station for receiving all of said data.