Method for renewing medical prescriptions

• US 7,599,846 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2007
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Epocrates LLC (Athenahealth Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Epocrates (Athenahealth Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zucker, Dan, Fiedotin, Richard Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Morgan; Robert W
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TRAN N
• Application Number:
  US11/838,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20080046294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 3, 600/300
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

The invention provides a method for renewing a prescription for a pharmaceutical via an electronic network. A renewal request is generated for a renewal of a prior prescription. The request is transmitted to a prescriber for review and authorization. Once an authorized renewal prescription is received from the prescriber, a dispenser is notified to fill the renewal prescription.

Claims

1. A system for renewing a prescription for a pharmaceutical via an electronic network, the system comprising:

a renewal server comprising;

a processor;

a communications interface circuit for communicating with a prescriber and a dispenser over a network, where the dispenser comprises a pharmacy or pharmacy benefit organization; and

a memory comprising;

an operating system;

a database comprising at least one patient profile that includes;

an identifier of a patient; and

at least one prescription associated with the identifier of the patient, the at least one prescription comprising;

 

a prescribed pharmaceutical;

 

an identification of a prescriber that prescribed the prescribed pharmaceutical; and

 

an expiration date of the prescription; and

wherein the renewal server is capable of;

monitoring the expiration date by periodically determining whether a predetermined time period before the expiration date has been reached;

generating a prescription renewal request for renewal of the prescription prior to the expiration date based on the monitoring, where the generating occurs without human intervention;

transmitting the prescription renewal request via an electronic network to the prescriber having authority to authorize the dispenser to dispense the prescription;

receiving a renewal prescription at the renewal server, in response to the prescription renewal request, from the prescriber; and

notifying the dispenser to fill the renewal prescription.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the prescriber uses a prescriber computing device comprising:

a processor;

a communications interface circuit for communicating with the renewal server and the dispenser over the network; and

a prescriber memory comprising;

an operating system;

a renewal database comprising at least one patient profile comprising;

the identifier of the patient;

the prescribed pharmaceutical;

the prescriber of the prescribed pharmaceutical; and

the expiration date of the prescription; and

remote access procedures to receive a prescription renewal request from the renewal server and to transmit the prescription renewal to the renewal server.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the prescriber memory further comprises:

procedures for displaying the prescription renewal request; and

procedures for generating a renewal prescription based at least in part on the renewal request.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the prescriber computing device is a handheld computing device.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the prescriber memory further comprises a formulary database and a drug-drug reaction database.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the procedures further comprise procedures to ascertain a status of the prescription renewal request.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the procedures further comprise procedures to send the status to the prescriber.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the dispenser uses a dispenser computing device comprising:

a processor;

a communications interface circuit for communicating with the renewal server and the prescriber over the network; and

a dispenser memory comprising;

an operating system;

a dispenser database comprising at least one prescription record comprising;

patient information;

the prescribed pharmaceutical;

an identifier of the prescriber who authorized the prescription;

prescription filling procedures for checking if refills remain for the prescription and generating a renewal prescription request if not; and

remote access procedures for transmitting a renewal prescription request to the renewal server and receiving the renewal prescription from the renewal server.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the dispenser database further comprises of dosage information.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the database further comprises refill information or dosage information for the prescription.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the procedures further comprise procedures to notify the patient to contact the prescriber.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the procedures further comprise:

procedures to obtain a patient record comprising at least a number of authorized refills of the currently prescribed pharmaceutical; and

procedures to set a renewal date before a last refill has been consumed by the patient.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the procedures further comprise:

procedures to determine whether the pharmaceutical from the prescription is on formulary for the patient; and

procedures to dispense the pharmaceutical based on whether the pharmaceutical from the prescription is on formulary for the patient.

14. A method for renewing a prescription for a pharmaceutical via an electronic network, comprising the steps of:

computer monitoring an expiration date of a prescription at a renewal server by periodically determining whether a predetermined time period before the expiration date has been reached;

computer generating a prescription renewal request at the renewal server for renewal of the prescription prior to the expiration date based on the computer monitoring, where said generating occurs without human intervention;

transmitting the prescription renewal request via the electronic network from the renewal server to a client computing device associated with a prescriber, where the prescriber has authority to authorize a dispenser to dispense the prescription;

receiving a renewal prescription at the renewal server, in response to the prescription renewal request; and

the renewal server notifying the dispenser to fill the renewal prescription, where the dispenser comprises a pharmacy or pharmacy benefit organization.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the receiving further comprises acquiring an appeal from the prescriber for a patient of the prescription to contact the prescriber.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the acquiring further comprises notifying the patient to contact the prescriber.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the client computing device is a handheld computing device.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the method further comprises, prior to the receiving, providing information useful to the prescriber for reviewing the prescription renewal request.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the receiving further comprises acquiring the renewal prescription with components that have been changed from the prescription.

20. The method according to claim 14, further comprising deleting the prescription renewal request after a set period of time.