Method and system for aligning a plurality of refill dates for prescriptions associated with a plurality of customers

• US 8,670,995 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2012
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nadas, Gyula Jozsef, Pankow, Greg, Palazzolo, Christina M., Oh, Hee Kyu, Liccardo, Peter, Tebbe, Laura Jean, Webb, Guirong Zhou, Dorfman, Steve Scott, Khullar, Rishi
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuelling, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/554,164
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 3
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The method, system and user-interface allows alignment of refill dates associated with a plurality of prescriptions, such that the plurality of prescriptions all require refills on the same date, thus limiting the number of occasions on which a customer must visit the pharmacy to retrieve refills of the aligned prescriptions, and increasing the likelihood that the customer will comply with the recommended medication regimen. The plurality of prescriptions are associated with a plurality of customers, for example, living in the same household, being members of the same family, or being patients in the care of a single entity or person.

Claims

1. A method for aligning a plurality of pharmaceutical prescriptions associated with a plurality of customers, the method comprising:

storing, for each of a plurality of customers, a customer record comprising a customer identifier indicative of a customer, and one or more prescriptions;

retrieving from a database a plurality of customer records;

receiving a selection of a plurality of prescriptions to align, the plurality of prescriptions being associated with the plurality of customer records retrieved;

determining, for each of the plurality of selected prescriptions, a next fill date, wherein the next fill date is the date the prescription was last filled, incremented by a pre-alignment day supply for the prescription;

computing, via a computing device, at least one alignment date corresponding to at least one of a quickest alignment option, a lowest cost alignment option, or a medication status alignment option, wherein a medication status alignment option is based on the status of at least one medication as a generic medication or a brand name medication;

computing, via a computing device, an alignment cost for at least one of the quickest alignment option, the lowest cost alignment option, the medication status alignment option, or a custom alignment option; and

receiving, via a computing device, an alignment date selection corresponding to one of the quickest alignment option, the lowest cost alignment option, the medication status alignment option, or the custom alignment option.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining for each of the plurality of selected prescriptions, via a computing device, any intervening fill dates for the prescription between the current date and the selected alignment date; and

determining, for each of the plurality of selected prescriptions, via a computing device, whether the selected alignment date requires a reduced fill and, for each prescription for which it is determined that a reduced fill is required, further determining;

(a) a reduced-fill date on which the reduced fill occurs;

(b) a reduced-fill day supply for the reduced fill; and

(c) a reduced-fill cost for the reduced fill;

(d) wherein the reduced-fill date for each prescription requiring a reduced fill is the intervening fill date for the prescription that is closest to the selected alignment date; and

(e) wherein the reduced-fill day supply for the prescription is the number of days from the reduced-fill date to the selected alignment date.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein an eligible prescription comprises one of:

a unit-dose medication;

a unit-of-use medication;

an over-the-counter medication;

a non-daily medication;

a medication not in pill, tablet, or capsule form;

a pre-packaged medication;

a vitamin;

or a supplement.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein aligning a plurality of prescriptions including a prescription dispensed in a unit-of-use package comprises selecting as the alignment date a refill date of the prescription dispensed in a unit-of-use package.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein computing an alignment date comprises:

determining a benchmark date for the plurality of selected prescriptions, the benchmark date associated with a benchmark prescription; and

repeating the following steps until an alignment date is selected;

(a) comparing the benchmark date to the latest of the plurality of determined next fill dates;

(b) selecting the benchmark date as the selected alignment date if the benchmark date is later than or the same as the latest of the determined next fill dates; and

(c) selecting as the benchmark date, if the benchmark date is earlier than the latest of the plurality of determined next fill dates, a subsequent next fill date for the benchmark prescription.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein determining a benchmark date corresponding to the quickest alignment option comprises selecting the latest of the plurality of determined next fill dates as the benchmark date.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein determining a benchmark date corresponding to the lowest cost alignment option comprises:

grouping the plurality of selected prescriptions by next fill date, wherein a prescription group may comprise a single prescription or a plurality of prescriptions;

determining a pre-alignment cost to an associated customer for each of the plurality of selected prescriptions;

calculating the total of the pre-alignment costs for each of the prescription groups;

finding the one or more prescription groups having the highest total pre-alignment cost;

selecting, where only one prescription group has the highest total pre-alignment cost, the next fill date for that prescription group, as the benchmark date; and

selecting, where more than one prescription group has the highest total pre-alignment cost, the latest of the next fill dates corresponding to the prescription groups having the highest total pre-alignment cost.

8. A system for aligning a plurality of pharmaceutical prescriptions associated with a plurality of customers, the system comprising:

storage means associated with at least one or more computing devices for storing, for each of a plurality of customers, a customer record including a customer identifier indicative of a customer, and one or more prescriptions;

means for retrieving from a database a plurality of customer records;

means for receiving a selection of a plurality of prescriptions to align, the plurality of prescriptions being associated with the one or more customer records retrieved;

means for determining, for each of the plurality of selected prescriptions, a next fill date, wherein the next fill date is the date the prescription was last filled, incremented by a pre-alignment day supply for the prescription;

means for computing at least one alignment date corresponding to at least one of a quickest alignment option, a lowest cost alignment option, or a medication status alignment option, wherein a medication status alignment option is based on the status of at least one medication as a generic medication or a brand name medication;

means for computing an alignment cost for at least one of the quickest alignment option, the lowest cost alignment option, the medication status alignment option, or a custom alignment option; and

means for receiving an alignment date selection corresponding to one of the quickest alignment option, the lowest cost alignment option, the medication status alignment option, or the custom alignment option.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising a means for determining for each of the plurality of selected prescriptions any intervening fill dates for the prescription between the current date and the selected alignment date;

and

means for determining, for each of the plurality of selected prescriptions whether the selected alignment date requires a reduced fill and, for each prescription for which it is determined that a reduced fill is required, means for further determining;

(a) a reduced-fill date on which the reduced fill occurs;

(b) a reduced-fill day supply for the reduced fill; and

(c) a reduced-fill cost for the reduced fill;

(d) wherein the reduced-fill date for each prescription requiring a reduced fill is the intervening fill date for the prescription that is closest to the selected alignment date; and

(e) wherein the reduced-fill day supply for the prescription is the number of days from the reduced-fill date to the selected alignment date.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

means for filling the prescription, for each of the plurality of selected prescriptions, on each of any intervening fill dates for the prescription, wherein filling the prescription comprises filling the pre-alignment day supply for the prescription on any intervening fill dates for the prescription that are not the reduced-fill date for the prescription and filling the reduced-fill day supply for the prescription on the reduced-fill date for the prescription.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein an eligible prescription comprises one of:

a unit-dose medication;

a unit-of-use medication;

an over-the-counter medication;

a non-daily medication;

a medication not in pill, tablet, or capsule form;

a pre-packaged medication;

a vitamin;

or a supplement.

12. The system of claim 8 further comprising a means for determining a benchmark date for the plurality of selected prescriptions, the benchmark date associated with a benchmark prescription;

and

means for repeating the following steps until an alignment date is selected;

(a) comparing the benchmark date to the latest of the plurality of determined next fill dates;

(b) selecting the benchmark date as the selected alignment date if the benchmark date is later than or the same as the latest of the determined next fill dates; and

(c) selecting as the benchmark date, if the benchmark date is earlier than the latest of the plurality of determined next fill dates, a subsequent next fill date for the benchmark prescription.

13. The system of claim 12 comprising a means for selecting the latest of the plurality of determined next fill dates as the benchmark date.

14. The system of claim 12 comprising a means for grouping the plurality of selected prescriptions by next fill date, wherein a prescription group may comprise a single prescription or a plurality of prescriptions;

means for determining a pre-alignment cost to an associated customer for each of the plurality of selected prescriptions;

means for calculating the total of the pre-alignment costs for each of the prescription groups;

means for finding the one or more prescription groups having the highest total pre-alignment cost;

means for selecting, where only one prescription group has the highest total pre-alignment cost, the next fill date for that prescription group, as the benchmark date; and

means for selecting, where more than one prescription group has the highest total pre-alignment cost, the latest of the next fill dates corresponding to the prescription groups having the highest total pre-alignment cost.