Method for generating and transmitting prescription renewal request information

• US 8,290,787 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2011
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Epocrates LLC (Athenahealth Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Epocrates (Athenahealth Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fiedotin, Richard Alan, Hyde, Geoffrey David, Fraser, Diane Elizabeth
• Primary Examiner(s): Rines, David
• Application Number:
  US13/010,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20110119091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A method for providing prescription renewal request information via an electronic network. Upon receiving a request from a client for renewal request information for a particular prescriber, a report is generated containing the requested renewal request information and transmitted to the client. The transmitted report allows the client to easily review renewal request information and helps the client to manage appointments with patients whom the prescriber wishes to see. Depending on the client request, the transmitted report may be an “active renewals” page containing renewal request information regarding renewal requests that the prescriber has not reviewed, an “archived renewals” page containing renewed request information regarding renewal requests that the prescriber has reviewed, an “appointment” page containing renewal request information regarding patients with whom the prescriber wishes to make an appointment, or a “prescription detail” page containing detailed renewal request information regarding a particular renewal request.

Claims

1. A method for providing information regarding renewal requests for prescriptions, comprising:

at a server system comprising one or more processors and memory;

storing a plurality of renewal requests associated with a prescriber, each indicating that an existing prescription for a patient will expire unless the prescriber renews the prescription, and requesting that the prescriber renew the prescription, wherein the plurality of renewal requests include renewal requests for prescriptions of a plurality of patients;

receiving a request for renewal requests associated with the prescriber from a client computer remote from the server;

identifying, in a renewal database at least a subset of the renewal requests associated with the prescriber, wherein the subset includes at least two renewal requests associated with the prescriber;

determining, by a processor, whether the prescriber has responded to the respective renewal requests in the subset;

assigning a status to each of the renewal requests in the subset based on said determining;

generating a report containing;

representations of each of the renewal requests in the subset; and

status indicators depicting the status of each of the renewal requests in the subset; and

transmitting the report to the client computer, wherein the report includes representations of renewal requests from two or more different patients.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more filter parameters; and

filtering the representations of renewal requests that are included in the report in accordance with the filter parameters.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the filter parameters include one or more of:

patient name, the pharmaceutical identifier, approval date range, or status of the renewal request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring an expiration date of a respective prescription for a previously prescribed pharmaceutical by periodically determining whether a predetermined time period before the expiration date has been reached; and

automatically generating a renewal request for the respective prescription before the expiration date for the respective prescription for the previously prescribed pharmaceutical has been reached.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the report includes print indicators for respective representations of renewal requests; and

the print indicator for a respective representation of a respective renewal request indicates whether the respective renewal request has been printed by the prescriber.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the report includes action buttons selected from a group consisting of:

an update view button to view an updated page containing only information matching filter parameters received in filter boxes, a reset button to view a page containing non-filtered information, and an update list button to view a page which does not contain patients who have already made an appointment with the prescriber.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the report includes one or more prescription identifier links to view a prescription detail page; and

the method further comprises, in response to detecting selection of a respective prescription identifier link button, displaying a prescription detail page that contains information regarding a renewal request associated with the respective prescription identifier corresponding to the respective prescription identifier link.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the prescription detail page includes an appointment indicator enabling the prescriber to specify that the patient associated with the respective renewal request must make an appointment with the prescriber.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the report includes an active renewals link button to view an active renewals page; and

the method further comprises, in response to detecting selection of the active renewals link button, displaying an active renewals page that contains information regarding renewal requests which have not yet been reviewed by the prescriber.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the report includes an archived renewals link button to view an archived renewals page; and

the method further comprises, in response to detecting selection of the archived renewals link button, displaying an archived renewals page that contains information regarding renewal requests which have already been reviewed by the prescriber.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the report includes an appointment tickler link button to view an appointment page; and

the method further comprises, in response to detecting selection of the appointment tickler link button, displaying an appointments page that contains information pertaining to patients with whom the prescriber has requested an appointment be scheduled.

12. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising instructions for:

storing a plurality of renewal requests associated with a prescriber, each indicating that an existing prescription for a patient will expire unless the prescriber renews the prescription, and requesting that the prescriber renew the prescription, wherein the plurality of renewal requests include renewal requests for prescriptions of a plurality of patients;

receiving a request for renewal requests associated with the prescriber from a client computer remote from the server;

identifying, in a renewal database at least a subset of the renewal requests associated with the prescriber, wherein the subset includes at least two renewal requests associated with the prescriber;

determining, by a processor, whether the prescriber has responded to the respective renewal requests in the subset;

assigning a status to each of the renewal requests in the subset based on said determining;

generating a report containing;

representations of each of the renewal requests in the subset; and

status indicators depicting the status of each of the renewal requests in the subset; and

transmitting the report to the client computer, wherein the report includes representations of renewal requests from two or more different patients.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising instructions for:

receiving one or more filter parameters; and

filtering the representations of renewal requests that are included in the report in accordance with the filter parameters.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the filter parameters include one or more of:

patient name, the pharmaceutical identifier, approval date range, or status of the renewal request.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising instructions for:

monitoring an expiration date of a respective prescription for a previously prescribed pharmaceutical by periodically determining whether a predetermined time period before the expiration date has been reached; and

automatically generating a renewal request for the respective prescription before the expiration date for the respective prescription for the previously prescribed pharmaceutical has been reached.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein:

the report includes print indicators for respective representations of renewal requests; and

the print indicator for a respective representation of a respective renewal request indicates whether the respective renewal request has been printed by the prescriber.

17. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the report includes action buttons selected from a group consisting of:

an update view button to view an updated page containing only information matching filter parameters received in filter boxes, a reset button to view a page containing non-filtered information, and an update list button to view a page which does not contain patients who have already made an appointment with the prescriber.

18. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein:

the report includes one or more prescription identifier links to view a prescription detail page; and

the computer program product further comprises instructions for, in response to detecting selection of a respective prescription identifier link button, displaying a prescription detail page that contains information regarding a renewal request associated with the respective prescription identifier corresponding to the respective prescription identifier link.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the prescription detail page includes an appointment indicator enabling the prescriber to specify that the patient associated with the respective renewal request must make an appointment with the prescriber.

20. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein:

the report includes an active renewals link button to view an active renewals page; and

the computer program product further comprises instructions for, in response to detecting selection of the active renewals link button, displaying an active renewals page that contains information regarding renewal requests which have not yet been reviewed by the prescriber.

21. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein:

the report includes an archived renewals link button to view an archived renewals page; and

the computer program product further comprises instructions for, in response to detecting selection of the archived renewals link button, displaying an archived renewals page that contains information regarding renewal requests which have already been reviewed by the prescriber.

22. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein:

the report includes an appointment tickler link button to view an appointment page; and

the computer program product further comprises instructions for, in response to detecting selection of the appointment tickler link button, displaying an appointments page that contains information pertaining to patients with whom the prescriber has requested an appointment be scheduled.

26. The system of claim 13, further comprising instructions for:

monitoring an expiration date of a respective prescription for a previously prescribed pharmaceutical by periodically determining whether a predetermined time period before the expiration date has been reached; and

automatically generating a renewal request for the respective prescription before the expiration date for the respective prescription for the previously prescribed pharmaceutical has been reached.

23. A computer system, comprising:

at least one processor;

memory; and

one or more procedures wherein the one or more procedures are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the at least one processor, the one or more procedures including instructions for;

storing a plurality of renewal requests associated with a prescriber, each indicating that an existing prescription for a patient will expire unless the prescriber renews the prescription, and requesting that the prescriber renew the prescription, wherein the plurality of renewal requests include renewal requests for prescriptions of a plurality of patients;

receiving a request for renewal requests associated with the prescriber from a client computer remote from the server;

identifying, in a renewal database at least a subset of the renewal requests associated with the prescriber, wherein the subset includes at least two renewal requests associated with the prescriber;

determining, by a processor, whether the prescriber has responded to the respective renewal requests in the subset;

assigning a status to each of the renewal requests in the subset based on said determining;

generating a report containing;

representations of each of the renewal requests in the subset; and

status indicators depicting the status of each of the renewal requests in the subset; and

transmitting the report to the client computer, wherein the report includes representations of renewal requests from two or more different patients.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising instructions for:

receiving one or more filter parameters; and

filtering the representations of renewal requests that are included in the report in accordance with the filter parameters.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the filter parameters include one or more of:

patient name, the pharmaceutical identifier, approval date range, or status of the renewal request.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the report includes print indicators for respective representations of renewal requests; and

the print indicator for a respective representation of a respective renewal request indicates whether the respective renewal request has been printed by the prescriber.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the report includes action buttons selected from a group consisting of:

an update view button to view an updated page containing only information matching filter parameters received in filter boxes, a reset button to view a page containing non-filtered information, and an update list button to view a page which does not contain patients who have already made an appointment with the prescriber.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the report includes one or more prescription identifier links to view a prescription detail page; and

the system further comprises instructions for, in response to detecting selection of a respective prescription identifier link button, displaying a prescription detail page that contains information regarding a renewal request associated with the respective prescription identifier corresponding to the respective prescription identifier link.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the prescription detail page includes an appointment indicator enabling the prescriber to specify that the patient associated with the respective renewal request must make an appointment with the prescriber.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the report includes an active renewals link button to view an active renewals page; and

the system further comprises instructions for, in response to detecting selection of the active renewals link button, displaying an active renewals page that contains information regarding renewal requests which have not yet been reviewed by the prescriber.

32. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the report includes an archived renewals link button to view an archived renewals page; and

the system further comprises instructions for, in response to detecting selection of the archived renewals link button, displaying an archived renewals page that contains information regarding renewal requests which have already been reviewed by the prescriber.

33. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the report includes an appointment tickler link button to view an appointment page; and

the system further comprises instructions for, in response to detecting selection of the appointment tickler link button, displaying an appointments page that contains information pertaining to patients with whom the prescriber has requested an appointment be scheduled.