System and method for monitoring medication prescriptions using biometric identification and verification

• US 8,086,470 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2009
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bio-Tech Medical Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bio-Tech Medical Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Siegel, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor, Gerald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ng, Jonathan K
• Application Number:
  US12/370,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20090216560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3, 382/115, 713/186
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients

Abstract

This invention is a system and method for a matching system that cross-references patients anonymously with doctors and pharmacies. The invention uses patient-unique biometrics, such as fingerprinting, retinal scanning, or another such unique identifier, for patient identification and verification without revealing a patient'"'"'s name or other personal information. The system tracks patient prescriptions and produces alerts to indicate potential problems, such as drug interactions or possible fraudulent behavior. The system can produce a traceable paper trail, for investigation or prosecution, and protects the medical industry, patients, and the public from the consequences of doctor shopping.

Claims

1. A system for managing controlled substance prescriptions comprising:

a central server having a processor, said central server having tables comprising a database for receiving, processing, and storing prescription information and patient information, the patient information not including patient name or other personally identifying information, the central server cross referencing the patient information only to at least one of a patient'"'"'s biometric data and a unique randomly generated alphanumeric number;

a computer network, said network providing electronic communications between said central server and one or more computer terminals located in one or more pharmacies;

at least one pharmacy, said pharmacy having a biometric reader connected to a computer, said computer being connected to said network;

said system comprising the steps of causing said biometric reader to read identifying biometric data from an individual presenting a prescription;

recording prescription information into said computer and cross-referencing said prescription information with one of said biometric data and said randomly generated alphanumeric number;

communicating only said prescription information and that at least one of the alphanumeric number and said biometric data to said central server across said network;

processing said prescription information and at least one of the biometric data and alphanumeric number with the patient information at said central server to determine whether said prescription should be filled;

communicating the result of said determination across said network to said computer; and

an alert system which generates alerts having graduated levels of urgency as a function of said determination.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said biometric reader is selected from the group consisting of a finger print scanner, an iris scanner, a handprint scanner, and a retinal scanner.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server sends an approval, across the communication network, to dispense said prescription to said pharmacy when the result of said determination is an approval of said prescription;

and distributing said prescription from said pharmacy to said individual.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said individual is selected from a group consisting of a patient for whom the prescription is intended, a person authorized by said patient to retrieve and deliver said prescription to said patient, and a person authorized by a person who wrote the prescription to retrieve and deliver said prescription to said patient.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the step of processing said prescription information and said biometric data with the patient information not including patient name or other personally identifying information further comprises the steps of reviewing records maintained on said central server to verify at least one of that said individual identified by said biometric data is authorized to receive delivery of said prescription;

that the patient for whom the prescription is intended is authorized to receive the medication prescribed in said prescription;

that the person who wrote the prescription is authorized to write prescriptions;

that the prescription has not previously been filled;

that the prescription is not forged; and

that the medication prescribed in the prescription will not cause a significant adverse reaction when taken with any other currently prescribed medication for said patient.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said non identifying patient information comprises information relating to physicians treating the patient, medications the patient has used, medications the patient is using, prescriptions that have been filled, and a list of persons allowed to fill prescriptions for said patient.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote system, wherein a personal information about said patient is stored on the remote system and is not accessible to said central server.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said database also contains information identifying physicians and pharmacists authorized to use the system.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

said alerts having graduated levels of urgency reflecting potential dangers related to the dispensing of said prescription to said patient, said alerts being electronically communicated to said computer in said pharmacy.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said alerts are in the group consisting of warnings and critical alerts.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein a pharmacist authorized to use the system must acknowledge receipt of a critical alert.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said acknowledgment by said pharmacist authorized to use the system is electronically communicated to, and stored in said central server.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein said alerts are generated upon the occurrence of an event in the group consisting of:

improper biometric scans, an unauthorized person seeking to fill a prescription, an attempt to fill a prescription that has already been filled, an attempt to fill a prescription that is not on record, an attempt to fill a forged prescription, a potential drug interaction.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a registration system operating on a local computer connected to said central server wherein a patient may enter personal information together with biometric data into said computer, and said registration system includes a means for recording said personal information on said local computer and identifying and accessing said patient'"'"'s records on said central server using the biometric data to keep said personal information isolated from said central server.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one physician'"'"'s office, said physician'"'"'s office having a second biometric reader connected to a second computer, said system further comprising the steps of

preparing a written prescription for a patient of a physician;

delivering said written prescription to said patient;

entering information for said written prescription into said second computer, said prescription information including at least the name and quantity of medication,

reading biometric information from said individual and cross referencing said biometric information with said prescription information

communicating said data, including said patient'"'"'s biometric data and said prescription information for said patient from said second computer to said central server.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising

an alert system, said alert system further comprising the steps of using said information from said central server and data including said patient'"'"'s biometric data and said prescription information to generate alerts relating to potential problems with said prescription, and electronically communicating said alerts to said second computer in said physician'"'"'s office.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said alerts are in the group consisting of:

a physician prescribing additional medications to a patient already on outstanding prescriptions, a second physician prescribing a medication already prescribed by another physician, attempts to get additional prescriptions for schedule II, III, or IV medications while prior prescriptions remain unexpended, possible drug interactions.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein some of said alerts are critical alerts, whereby critical alerts are transmitted to physicians authorized to use said system, and each physician receiving a critical alert must acknowledge receipt of said alert, and said acknowledgment is electronically communicated to and stored in said central server.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said central server cross references the prescription information with at least one of the randomly generated alphanumeric number, a second randomly generated alphanumeric number, and the patient biometric data.

20. A method for managing medication prescriptions comprising the steps ofmaintaining data on a central server, said data comprising:

a) one or more tables of data identifying pharmacists and physicians authorized to access said central server, and

b) one or more tables of data identifying patients through at least one of a patient biometric data and a randomly generated alphanumeric number and patient information the patient information not including patient name or other personally identifying information, relating to said patients;

2) entering information regarding a prescription issued by a physician for a patient into the central server comprising the steps of;

a) reading said patient'"'"'s biometric data using a biometric reader located at said physician'"'"'s office, and

b) transmitting said prescription information and said patient'"'"'s biometric data to said central server;

3) evaluating said data in said central server by cross referencing said prescription, non patient identifying information, and one set of said patient biometric data and the randomly generated alphanumeric number to determine whether any alerts should be generated; and

if so;

a) evaluating whether any alerts that should be generated are critical alerts;

b) generating and transmitting said critical alerts to said physician issuing said prescription and to any other physicians referenced to said patient in said central server;

c) requiring an acknowledgment to said critical alerts from said physician issuing said prescription;

4) obtaining verification from said central server that an individual seeking to fill said prescription at a pharmacy is authorized to fill said prescription through the steps of;

a) reading said individual'"'"'s biometric data using a biometric reader at said pharmacy;

b) transmitting prescription information and said person'"'"'s biometric data to said central server;

5) evaluating said prescription information, said biometric data, and said data tables at said central server by cross referencing the non identifying patient information to one of the patient biometric data and randomly generated alphanumeric number to determine whether any alerts should be generated, and if so;

a) evaluating whether any of said alerts that should be generated are critical alerts;

b) generating and transmitting said alerts to said pharmacist verifying said prescription and to other physicians cross references to said patient in said central server,

c) requiring an acknowledgment from said pharmacist verifying said prescription when any of said alerts are critical alerts.

21. A system for managing controlled substance prescriptions comprising:

a central server having a processor, said central server having tables comprising a database for receiving, processing, and storing prescription information and patient information, the patient information not including patient name or other personally identifying information, the central server cross referencing the patient information to only at least one of a patient biometric data and a unique randomly generated alphanumeric number;

a computer network, said network providing electronic communications between said central server and one or more computer terminals located in one or more pharmacies;

at least one pharmacy, said pharmacy having a first computer terminal, said computer being connected to said network;

at least one biometric reader connected to a second computer terminal, said biometric reader reading identifying biometric data from a physician creating a prescription;

the second computer terminal recording prescription information and communicating said prescription information to said central server across said computer network, the biometric data from the physician being part of the prescription information;

the central server processing said prescription information, and said physician biometric data, and the patient information to determine whether said prescription should be filled;

communicating the result of said determination across said network to said first computer terminal utilizing at least one of the patient biometric data and alphanumeric number, and

communicating an alert having graduated levels of urgency as a function of said determination.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said central server sends an approval to dispense said prescription to said pharmacy when the result of said determination is an approval of said prescription.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein said biometric reader is selected from the group consisting of a finger print scanner, an iris scanner, a handprint scanner, and a retinal scanner.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the central server processes the prescription information and biometric data with the patient information and reviews records maintained on said central server to verify at least one of that said individual identified by said biometric data is authorized to create said prescription;

that a patient for whom the prescription is intended is authorized to receive the medication prescribed in said prescription;

that the prescription has not previously been filled;

that the prescription is not forged; and

that the medication prescribed in the prescription will not cause a significant adverse reaction when taken with any other currently prescribed medication for said patient.

25. The system of claim 21, further comprising a remote system wherein additional personal information about said patient is stored on the remote system and is not accessible to said central server.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the central server cross references the prescription information to at least one of the randomly generated alphanumeric number, a second randomly generated alphanumeric number, and the patient biometric data.