Pharmacy network management system and method for ordering prescriptions

• US 8,364,504 B1
• Filed: 03/04/2011
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bleser, Michael, McCauley, Tim, Riedl, George, Roesner, Randy, Weinert, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Morgan, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): KANAAN, MAROUN P
• Application Number:
  US13/040,367
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage

Abstract

A system for accessing pharmacy data and ordering prescriptions via a network includes a network server; an application server connected to the network server; a database connected to the application server, the database containing information concerning drugs and personal information concerning one or more of the customers, wherein the personal information includes a prescription drug history of each respective one of the one or more customers; and an intranet server that is connected to the application server, one or more member pharmacies and one or more shipping facilities; wherein the application server is configured to: cause a browser to display to the customer the information concerning drugs and personal information concerning that customer and display an option for the drug associated with the prescription order to be picked up at one of the one or more member pharmacies or shipped to a postal address.

Claims

1. A method for filling prescriptions enabling comprising:

hosting a website on a network server coupled to the network;

registering a customer with the website including prompting the customer to enter a username and password;

prompting the customer to enter personal profile information;

receiving the username, password and personal profile information entered by the customer in response to the prompting;

transmitting the username, password and personal profile information to the network server;

storing in a memory the username, password and personal profile information; and

granting the customer access to a secured portion of the website after entry of the username and password;

displaying to the customer on the website a prescription order selection;

displaying to the customer on the website a pharmacy data access selection;

when the customer selects the prescription order selection;

displaying one or more prescription order displays to the customer on the website;

receiving from the customer a particular prescription order;

when the customer selects to pick up a drug corresponding to the particular prescription order from one of one or more member pharmacies connected to the network, causing a computer to transmit to the one of the one or more member pharmacies the particular prescription order so that the particular prescription order is filled at the one of the one or more member pharmacies; and

when the customer selects to have the drug shipped to a postal address, causing a computer to transmit to one of one or more shipping facilities, the particular prescription order so that the drug is shipped from the one of the one or more shipping facilities shipping the drug to the postal address; and

when the customer selects the pharmacy data access selection, displaying one or more pharmacy data access displays to the customer wherein the customer is allowed to access one of a personal prescription history and specific drug information from a database.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the personal prescription history includes each of the current prescription, name of prescribing doctor, dosage, strength, drug name, a link to drug information, and the drug'"'"'s price.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

assigning the customer a personal identification number subsequent to registering the customer;

communicating the personal identification number to the customer via a secured communication; and

prompting the customer to enter the personal identification number to allow the customer to access the secured portion of the website.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein registering the customer further comprises:

manually entering customer contact information and at least one of the username, the password and a customer personal profile into a connection to an intranet server located in one of any one of a plurality of member pharmacies and one or more centralized company locations;

associating the customer to a network server; and

communicating at least a username and password to the customer via a secured communication using the customer contact information.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the customer to select one or more display formats for the personal prescription history; and

enabling a customer to print a specific format selected by the customer from the one or more display formats.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, comprising providing a selectable designation to the customer to communicate whether the prescription will:

a) be picked up at the selected pharmacy store location;

or

b) be shipped to the postal address.

7. A method for filling prescriptions comprising:

providing a network server hosting a website via the network;

registering a customer with the website that includes prompting the customer to input a username and password;

displaying to the customer on the website at least a prescription order selection and a pharmacy data access selection;

when the customer selects the prescription order selection and the username and password are confirmed;

causing a computer to display a prescription order display to the customer on the website;

receiving from the customer a particular prescription order for a prescription drug;

wherein the particular prescription order includes a selectable designation by the customer that the prescription drug will one of;

a) be manually picked up at a selected pharmacy store location;

or

b) be shipped to a designated postal address;

causing a computer to send a confirmation email to the customer for the particular prescription order;

causing a computer to display to the customer pricing information for the prescription drug;

receiving and storing medical insurance information for the customer and performing a drug interaction check;

and

displaying a pharmacy data access display to the customer when the customer selects the pharmacy data access selection and when the username and password are confirmed, and providing the customer access to one of a personal prescription history and specific drug information from a database.

8. A pharmacy system, comprising:

means for hosting a website;

means for registering a customer with the website;

means for prompting the customer to enter personal profile information;

means for receiving the username, password and personal profile information entered by the customer in response to the prompting;

means for transmitting the username, password and personal profile information to the network server;

means for storing in a memory the username, password and personal profile information; and

means for granting the customer access to a secured portion of the website after entry of the username and password;

means for displaying to the customer on the website at least one of a prescription order selection;

means for displaying to the customer on the website a pharmacy data access selection;

means for displaying one or more prescription order displays to the customer on the website when the customer selects the prescription order selection;

means for receiving from the customer a particular prescription order;

means for displaying to the customer pricing information for a drug in the prescription order;

means for displaying to the customer an option to have the prescription order filled at a member pharmacy or shipped to a postal address;

means for receiving from the customer a selection in response to the option;

means for transmitting the prescription order to the member pharmacy or a shipping facility, so that the drug is filled at the member pharmacy or is shipped from the shipping facility;

means for sending the customer an electronic confirmation corresponding to the filled particular prescription order; and

means for displaying one or more pharmacy data access displays to the customer when the customer selects the pharmacy data access selection wherein the customer is allowed to access one of a personal prescription history and specific drug information from a database.

9. A system for filling prescriptions comprising:

a plurality of back-end components connected to a network that is accessible by one or more customers via the network, the plurality of back-end components including;

an application server;

one or more databases connected to the application server, at least one of the one or more databases containing information concerning drugs and personal information concerning one or more of the customers, wherein the personal information includes a prescription drug history of each respective one of the one or more customers; and

an intranet server that is connected to at least a plurality of member pharmacies, one or more shipping facilities and the application server, wherein the application server is configured to;

grant a customer access to a secured portion of data stored in the one or more databases after entry of a correct username and password;

cause a browser to display to the customer a pharmacy data access selection, wherein the customer is allowed to access one of a personal prescription history or specific drug information from one of the one or more databases connected to the intranet server;

cause the browser to display a prescription order display to the customer;

receive from the customer a particular prescription order for a prescription drug;

cause the browser to display a selectable designation to the customer to determine whether a drug corresponding to the particular prescription order will;

a) be picked up at a selected member pharmacy store location;

or

b) be shipped to a postal address;

when it is determined that the customer selected to pick up the drug corresponding to the particular prescription order from the selected member pharmacy store location, automatically transmitting to the selected member pharmacy store location the particular prescription order so that the particular prescription order is filled at the selected member pharmacy store; and

when it is determined that the customer selected to have the drug shipped to a postal address, automatically transmitting to one of the one or more shipping facilities, the particular prescription order so that the drug is shipped from the one of the one or more shipping facilities to the postal address.

10. A method for filling prescriptions comprising:

hosting a website on a network server coupled to the network;

registering a customer with the website including prompting the customer to enter a username and password;

displaying to the customer on the website a prescription order selection;

displaying to the customer on the website a pharmacy data access selection;

when the customer selects the prescription order selection;

displaying one or more prescription order displays to the customer on the website;

receiving from the customer a particular prescription order;

providing a selectable designation to the customer to communicate whether the prescription will;

a) be picked up at a selected pharmacy store location;

or

b) be shipped to a postal address;

when the customer selects to pick up a drug corresponding to the particular prescription order from the selected pharmacy store connected to the network, causing a computer to transmit to the selected pharmacy store the particular prescription order so that the particular prescription order is filled at the selected pharmacy store; and

when the customer selects to have the drug shipped to the postal address, causing a computer to transmit to one of one or more shipping facilities, the particular prescription order so that the drug is shipped from the one of the one or more shipping facilities shipping the drug to the postal address; and

when the customer selects the pharmacy data access selection, displaying one or more pharmacy data access displays to the customer wherein the customer is allowed to access one of a personal prescription history and specific drug information from a database.