System and method for performing a remote verification of a pharmacy fill utilizing an image to image comparison

• US 8,775,198 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2007
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wiener, Adam S., Huang, Rong
• Primary Examiner(s): Pauls, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TRANG T
• Application Number:
  US11/881,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20090030722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,540 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3
• US Class Current: 705/2
• 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

The method and system provides image data of a prepared pharmacy product for review by a pharmacist located away from the prepared pharmacy product. The method and system enables the verification process to be ported to locations in which resources may be more efficiently utilized.

Claims

1. A method of verifying prescription drug orders within a network of pharmacy computers connected by an information processing system, the method comprising:

creating a first electronic image object of at least a sample of the physical drug product associated with the prescription order using a computerized imaging system connected to a first computer at a first pharmacy resource in a pharmacy;

directing verification processing of the prescription order from the first pharmacy resource in the pharmacy to a second pharmacy resource outside the pharmacy;

retrieving the first image object using a second computer at the second pharmacy resource, the second computer connected to the first computer via a computer network;

retrieving a reference image object of the physical drug product using the second computer;

determining at the second computer whether the physical drug product of the first image object associated with the prescription order corresponds to the physical drug product in the reference image object based on a comparison of the first image object and the reference image object without viewing the physical drug product associated with the prescription order, wherein determining whether the drug product of the first image object corresponds to the drug product of the reference image object includes;

(i) displaying a first image captured by the first image object adjacent a second image captured by the reference image object on a display of the second computer, wherein displaying the first image and the second image includes positioning one of the first image and the second image to align manufactured drug markings in the one of the first image and the second image with corresponding manufactured drug markings in the other of the first image and the second image, and

(ii) visually comparing, by a user located at the second pharmacy resource using the second computer, comparing the visually aligned first image to the visually aligned second image; and

releasing the drug prescription order at the pharmacy resource to a client after determining that the drug product of the first image object corresponds to the drug product of the reference image object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically blocking the delivery of the drug product to a customer at a register computer before determining at the second computer whether the drug product of the first image object corresponds to the drug product of the reference image object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein creating a first image object comprises taking a photo of a prescription drug and storing data associated with the photo in the first image object.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating an index of image objects of drug products referenced by a drug identifier and wherein retrieving a reference image object corresponding to the first image object comprises retrieving an image object of a drug product from the index based on a drug identifier.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the drug identifier is associated with a drug prescription order.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying an indication that the first image object does not match the reference image object comprises displaying an indication at the first computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second computer is adapted to allow a user to raise the exception at the second computer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing data on a drug prescription order from a customer corresponding to the drug product and determining whether there exists any adverse reactions to the drug product based on previous patient prescriptions and patient medical data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising raising an exception to a prescription order process when the drug product of the first image object does not correspond to the drug product of the reference image object, wherein raising an exception comprises one of associating an error flag with the first image object if the two image objects are dissimilar or displaying an indication that the first image object does not match the reference image object, and wherein the exception is one or more of an error indicating an unable-to-read situation or an error indicating that the drug product of the first image object does not correspond to the drug product of the reference image object.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the manufactured drug markings in the one of the first image and the second image and the corresponding manufactured drug markings in the other of the first image and the second image include at least one of:

(i) indicia representative of a drug product, (ii) a shape of a drug product, or (iii) a coloring of a drug product.

11. A system for enabling remote verification of a prescription order comprising:

a first computer at a first pharmacy resource in a pharmacy;

a measuring device to measure a quantity of a physical drug product for filling a prescription;

an imaging system coupled to the first computer and adapted to create an image object of at least a sample of a physical drug product associated with a prescription order at the first pharmacy resource in the pharmacy during the time the physical drug product is being measured;

wherein the first computer is adapted to direct the image object via a computer network from the first pharmacy resource to a second pharmacy resource with at least one available verification pharmacist outside the pharmacy and further adapted to display an indication of the result of a verification process based on a communication received by the first computer; and

a second computer at the second pharmacy resource with at least one available verification pharmacist outside the pharmacy, the second computer connected to the first computer via a computer network,

wherein the second computer is adapted to;

retrieve the image object created at the first computer, to retrieve a reference image object corresponding to the physical drug product using the second computer,

display the image object created at the first computer adjacent the reference image object on a display of the second computer, wherein displaying the first image and the second image includes positioning one of the first image and the second image to align manufactured drug markings in the one of the first image and the second image with corresponding manufactured drug markings in the other of the first image and the second image, and

send a communication to the first computer as to whether the physical drug product of the first image object associated with the prescription order corresponds to the physical drug product in the reference image object based on a comparison of the first image object and the reference image object, wherein the communication to the first computer includes instructions to release the drug prescription order at the pharmacy resource to a client after determining that the drug product of the first image object corresponds to the drug product of the reference image object.

12. A method of verifying prescription drug orders within a network of pharmacy computers connected by an information processing system, the method comprising:

receiving a prescription order from a customer by a pharmacy employee;

entering prescription data based on the prescription order into a first computer at a first pharmacy resource in a pharmacy by the pharmacy employee;

reviewing the entered prescription data by a verification pharmacist using a second computer at a second pharmacy resource with a different availability of verification pharmacists than at the pharmacy and located outside the pharmacy, the second computer connected to the first computer via a computer network;

measuring a quantity of a physical drug product associated with the prescription order for filling the prescription order by the pharmacy employee;

while the quantity of the physical drug product is being measured, creating a first electronic image of at least a sample of the physical drug product by the pharmacy employee using a computerized imaging system connected to either the first computer or a third computer in the pharmacy;

directing verification processing of the physical product associated with the prescription order from the pharmacy to a second pharmacy resource with a different availability of verification pharmacists than at the pharmacy and located outside the pharmacy;

retrieving the first electronic image using the second computer at the second pharmacy resource, the second computer connected to the first computer via a computer network by a verification pharmacist;

retrieving an electronic reference image of the physical drug product using the second computer by the verification pharmacist; and

determining by the verification pharmacist at the second computer, without the verification pharmacist viewing the physical drug product, whether the physical drug product of the first electronic image associated with the prescription order corresponds to the drug product in the electronic reference image based on a comparison of the first electronic image object and the electronic reference object, wherein determining whether the drug product of the first image object corresponds to the drug product of the reference image object includes;

(i) displaying a first image captured by the first image object adjacent a second image captured by the reference image object on a display of the second computer, wherein displaying the first image and the second image includes positioning one of the first image and the second image to align manufactured drug markings in the one of the first image and the second image with corresponding manufactured drug markings in the other of the first image and the second image, and

(ii) visually comparing, by a user located at the second pharmacy resource using the second computer, comparing the first image to the second image; and

releasing the drug prescription order at the pharmacy resource to a client after determining that the drug product of the first image object corresponds to the drug product of the reference image object.