Systems and methods for parsing prescription information for a wirelessly programmable prescription bottle cap

• US 8,448,873 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2010
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Concordance Healthcare Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: KlinDown, LLC
• Inventors: Klink, Steven J., Moore, Matthew Oran, Runchey, Matthew Robert, Downey, Laura A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Savusdiphol, Paultep
• Application Number:
  US12/978,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20120160908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/435, 235/451, 235/454, 235/449, 235/486, 235/487, 235/492, 235/493
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention enable parsing of prescription information for a wirelessly programmable prescription bottle cap. In an embodiment, scanned information from a prescription label is received, and an identifier from the scanned information is extracted. A request for a prescription message is sent, and timing information from the prescription message is parsed and wirelessly transmitted to a prescription bottle cap using, for example, a Hall Effect data transfer method.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, using a processing device, scanned information from a prescription label of a vial presented by a user at a pharmacy;

extracting, using the processing device, an identifier from the scanned information;

sending, using the processing device, a request to a prescription database storing a plurality of prescriptions for a prescription message corresponding to the identifier;

receiving, using the processing device, the prescription message, wherein the prescription message includes a SIG code and a free text portion;

parsing, using the processing device, the SIG code from the prescription message;

obtaining a translation, using the processing device, of the SIG code into a language;

concatenating, using the processing device, the translated SIG code with the free text portion to produce prescription timing information; and

initiating, using the processing device, a transfer of the prescription timing information to a prescription bottle cap.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the transfer of the prescription timing information to the prescription bottle cap further comprises:

establishing communications with the prescription bottle cap;

transmitting information regarding a date of a first dosage to the prescription bottle cap;

transmitting information regarding a time of the first dosage to the prescription bottle cap; and

transmitting an indicator message to the prescription bottle cap.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the indicator message indicates whether a scheduled dosage should be taken at a specific time or at a regular time interval.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting time of day information to the prescription bottle cap in response to a first determination that the scheduled dosage should be taken at the specific time.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting interval information to the prescription bottle cap in response to a second determination that the scheduled dosage should be taken at the regular time interval.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting a stop sequence to the prescription bottle cap.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein establishing communications with the prescription bottle cap comprises transmitting a predetermined handshake bit sequence to the prescription bottle cap.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the indicator message indicates that the prescription bottle cap should display an elapsed time since a last dosage was taken.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

verifying that the prescription timing information was successfully transmitted to the prescription bottle cap using a checksum.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving compliance data from the prescription bottle cap, wherein the compliance data indicates a time a scheduled dosage was taken.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the scanned information is information scanned from a barcode of the prescription label.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the prescription timing information to a base station configured to program the prescription bottle cap prior to initiating the transfer of the prescription timing information to the prescription bottle cap.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating a transmission, based on the prescription timing information, of a text message to a portable communications device of a patient when a dosage is scheduled to be taken by the patient.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based on a configuration of stored instructions, whether to wait for verification of the prescription timing information by a pharmacist; and

prior to initiating the transfer of the prescription timing information, waiting for the pharmacist to verify the prescription timing information in response to determining that the instructions have been configured to wait for verification of the prescription timing information.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a first message on a display, wherein the first message and a second message displayed on the prescription bottle cap match if the prescription bottle cap was successfully programmed with the prescription timing information.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the language is English.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a string in the prescription timing, information using pattern matching; and

initiating the transfer of the prescription timing information to the prescription bottle cap by configuring the prescription bottle cap to set an alert at a time designated by the string.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

receiving scanned information from a prescription label of a vial presented by a user at a pharmacy;

extracting an identifier from the scanned information;

sending, using the identifier, a request to a prescription database storing a plurality of prescriptions for a prescription message corresponding to the identifier;

receiving the prescription message, wherein the prescription message includes a SIG code and a free text portion;

parsing the SIG code from the prescription message;

obtaining a translation of the SIG code into a language;

concatenating the translated SIG code with the free text portion to produce prescription timing information; and

initiating a transfer of the prescription timing information to a prescription bottle cap.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein initiating the transfer of the prescription timing information to the prescription bottle cap further comprises:

establishing communications with the prescription bottle cap;

transmitting information regarding the date of a first dosage to the prescription bottle cap;

transmitting information regarding the time of the first dosage to the prescription bottle cap; and

transmitting an indicator message to the prescription bottle cap, wherein the indicator message indicates whether a scheduled dosage should be taken at a specific time or at a regular time interval.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying a string, in the prescription timing information using pattern matching; and

initiating the transfer of the prescription timing information to the prescription bottle cap by configuring the prescription bottle cap to set an alert at a time designated by the string.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, based on a configuration of the instructions, whether to wait for verification of the prescription timing information by a pharmacist; and

prior to initiating the transfer of the prescription timing information, waiting for the pharmacist to verify the prescription timing information in response to determining that the instructions have been configured to wait for verification of the prescription timing information.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying a first message on a display, wherein the first message and a second message displayed on the prescription bottle cap match if the prescription bottle cap was successfully programmed with the prescription timing information.

23. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing instructions, execution of which causes the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving scanned information from a prescription label of a vial presented by a user at a pharmacy,

extracting an identifier from the scanned information,

sending, using the identifier, a request to a prescription database storing a plurality of prescriptions for a prescription message corresponding to the identifier,

receiving the prescription message, wherein the prescription message includes a SIG code and a free text portion, and

parsing the SIG code from the prescription message;

obtaining a translation of the SIG code into a language,

concatenating the translated SIG code with the free text portion to produce prescription timing information, and

a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the prescription timing information to a prescription bottle cap.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein wirelessly transmitting the prescription timing information to the prescription bottle cap further comprises:

establishing communications with the prescription bottle cap;

transmitting information regarding the date of a first dosage to the prescription bottle cap;

transmitting information regarding the time of the first dosage to the prescription bottle cap; and

transmitting an indicator message to the prescription bottle cap, wherein the indicator message indicates whether a scheduled dosage should be taken at a specific time or at a regular time interval.

25. The apparatus of claim 23,

wherein the operations further comprise identifying a string in the prescription timing information using pattern matching;

and

wherein the transmitter is further configured to wirelessly transmit the prescription timing information to the prescription bottle cap by configuring the prescription bottle cap to set an alert at a time designated by the string.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, based on a configuration of the instructions, whether to wait for verification of the prescription timing information by a pharmacist; and

waiting, prior to a wireless transmission of the prescription timing information by the transmitter, for the pharmacist to verify the prescription timing information in response to determining that the instructions have been configured to wait for verification of the prescription timing information.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying a first message on a display, wherein the first message and a second message displayed on the prescription bottle cap match if the prescription bottle cap was successfully programmed with the prescription timing information.

28. A system comprising:

a computer configured to;

receive the prescription information from a prescription vial presented by a user at a pharmacy,

automatically extract, without additional input from the pharmacist, an identifier from the prescription information,

automatically send, without additional input from the pharmacist, a request to a prescription database storing a plurality of prescriptions for a prescription message corresponding to the identifier,

receive the prescription message from the prescription database, wherein the prescription message includes a SIG code and a free text portion,

automatically parse, without additional input from the pharmacist, the SIG code from the prescription message,

automatically obtain a translation, without additional input from the pharmacist, of the SIG code into a language, and

automatically concatenate, additional input from the pharmacist, the translated SIG code with the free text portion to produce prescription timing information, and

automatically initiate, without additional input from the pharmacist, a transmission of the prescription timing information;

a base station in communication with the computer, wherein the base station is configured to;

receive the prescription timing information, and

initiate a transmission of a wireless signal containing the prescription timing information; and

a wirelessly programmable cap comprising;

a sensor configured to detect the wireless signal, and

a control unit configured to instruct the wirelessly programmable cap to send an alert at a time designated by the prescription timing information.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the control unit of the wirelessly programmable cap is further configured to:

initiate a transmission, based on the prescription timing information, of a text message to be sent from the control unit to a portable communications device of a patient when a dose of medication is scheduled to be taken by the patient.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the computer is further configured to:

determine, based on a configuration of instructions stored on the computer, whether to wait for pharmacist verification of the prescription timing information; and

wait, prior to initiating the transmission of the wireless signal, for the pharmacist to verify the prescription timing information in response to determining that the instructions have been configured to wait for verification of the prescription timing information.

31. The system of claim 28,

wherein the computer is further configured to:

display a first message on a first display of the computer; and

wherein the wirelessly programmable cap is further configured to;

display a second message on a second display of the wirelessly programmable cap, wherein the first message and the second message match if the wirelessly programmable cap was successfully programmed with the prescription timing information.

32. The system of claim 28,

wherein the computer is further configured to:

identify a string in the prescription timing information using pattern matching, and

wherein the control unit of the base station is further configured to;

instruct the wirelessly programmable cap to send the alert at a time designated by the prescription timing information by configuring the wirelessly programmable cap to set the alert at the time designated by the string.