Prescription verification system

• US 6,687,676 B1
• Filed: 05/29/2002
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nevoca Com Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nevoca Com Incorporated
• Inventors: Denny, Lawrence A.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARTUSKA, FRANCIS JOHN
• Application Number:
  US10/158,259
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3, 705/26, 705/27, 700/215, 700/216, 235/375, 235/380, 235/385
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• 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

A prescription verification system for verifying pharmaceutical prescriptions provided by health care providers to patients which can be filled through any one of a variety of patient-selected pharmacies. The system includes a host system capable of selectively receiving, storing, and dispensing prescription information representative of a prescription for a patient. A unique identification code is associated with each prescription such that each prescription is selectively retrievable. The host system is capable of receiving, storing, and dispensing information representative of the fulfillment of the prescription identified by the prescription information and thereafter assigning a confirmation code to the prescription information so as to indicate whether or not be prescription has been filled. The system further includes a plurality of member health care provider systems remotely disposed from the host system and in communication with the host system. Each of the plurality of member health care provider systems being capable of receiving and inputting prescription information representative of the prescription for the patient into the host system. The member health care provider systems also being capable of retrieving such prescription information. The host system further includes a plurality of member pharmacy systems remotely disposed from the host system and in communication with the host system. The member pharmacy systems being capable of inputting prescription information representative of the prescription for the patient into the hosts system and being capable of receiving and inputting a confirmation code indicative of the prescription being filled into the host system upon fulfilling the prescription.

Claims

1. A method for verifying prescriptions provided by a plurality of health care providers for a plurality of patients which can be filled through any one of a variety of patient-selected pharmacies with each health care provider having a computer system with a web browser and each pharmacy having a computer system with a web browser, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, via a host system established as a website on the internet, prescription information from a computer system associated with a health care provider, the prescription information including a prescribed drug, and a dosage level for the prescribed drug, the drug label contents and any applicable notes on the bottle, a unique health care provider code identifying the health care provider, and a patient code uniquely identifying the patient;

generating a unique identification code, via the host system, identifying the prescription information;

storing the prescription information including the unique identification code identifying the prescription information;

transmitting prescription information and the unique identification code to the computer associated with the health care provider;

receiving, via the host system, the unique identification code from a computer system associated with a pharmacy; and

transmitting, via the host system, retrieval information identified by the unique identification code to the computer system associated with the pharmacy, the retrieval information including the unique health care provider code identifying the health care provider, the patient code uniquely identifying the patient, and the prescription information identifying the prescripted drug and dosage level.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of receiving, by the host system, a confirmation code to indicate that the prescription identified by the prescription information has been filled by the patient-selected pharmacy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein in the step of transmitting prescription information and the unique identification code to the computer system associated with the health care provider, a printed prescription is produced by the computer associated with the health care provider having the unique identification code.

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

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user is associated with a governmental entity.

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

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the report is summarized by the name of the prescribing health care provider.

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