Entry, storage and retrieval of medical information from a pharmacy

• US 9,910,959 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2016
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: High, Donald R., Rone, Nicholas D., Atchley, Michael Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tardif, David
• Application Number:
  US15/062,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20160267309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 23546246
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A system and method includes: a pharmacy server receiving a customer ID code to allow a customer wireless access to his medical data file stored on the server; the server receiving adherence confirmation data from the customer and storing the adherence confirmation data into the medical data file to confirm that the customer is taking a prescribed medicine according to directions; and the server receiving additional data from the customer and storing the additional data into the medical data file, whereby the customer is provided with wireless access to enter, edit and retrieve data to and from his medical data file.

Claims

1. A medical information entry, storage and retrieval method comprising the steps of:

receiving and filling a prescription of a medicine for a customer at a pharmacy by placing the medicine into a container and supplying to the customer the prescription container along with an ID code and directions for taking the medicine, wherein the ID code is linked to a medical data file created and stored for the customer on a server for the pharmacy and allows access to, and modification of, the medical data file by the customer;

receiving, via wireless communications to the server, the ID code for authentication and access to the customer'"'"'s medical data file;

receiving, via wireless communications to the server, adherence confirmation data including a time and date that the medicine is taken to confirm adherence of the customer taking the prescribed medicine according to the directions, and modifying the customer'"'"'s medical data file by storing the adherence confirmation data into the customer'"'"'s medical data file; and

receiving, via wireless communications to the server, additional data pertaining to the customer that is unavailable from the customer'"'"'s medical data file, and further modifying the customer'"'"'s medical data file by storing the additional data into the medical data file at the server for the pharmacy for subsequent access of at least one of the modified medical data file or the further modified medical data file by the ID code.

2. The medical information entry, storage and retrieval method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving additional data comprises confirmation that the additional data was received from the customer.

3. The medical information entry, storage and retrieval method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving additional data comprises confirmation that the additional data was received from a doctor, a nurse, a caregiver, a pharmacist or others involved in prescribing, distributing, maintaining, monitoring or administering the medicine to the customer.

4. The medical information entry, storage and retrieval method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request at the server for a copy of the medical data file;

confirming that the request was received from the customer; and

sending the copy of the medical data file to the customer via wireless communications.

5. The medical information entry, storage and retrieval method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request at the server for a copy of the medical data file;

confirming that the request was received from an authorized user being a doctor, a nurse, a caregiver, a pharmacist or another person involved in prescribing, distributing, maintaining, monitoring and administering the medicine to the customer; and

sending the copy of the medical data file to the authorized user via wireless communications.

6. The medical information entry, storage and retrieval method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a report via wireless communications of customer adherence to taking the medicine according to the directions, wherein the report is provided from the server to one or more of the customer, a doctor, a nurse, a caregiver, or another person involved in prescribing, distributing, maintaining, monitoring and administering the medicine to the customer.

7. The medical information entry, storage and retrieval method of claim 1, wherein the additional data comprises data for tracking symptoms of a medical condition of the customer, data of the customer'"'"'s medical history, prescription cost information, data of medical history of the customer'"'"'s blood relatives, a list of the customer'"'"'s prior prescription medicines, adherence confirmation data of taking medicines according to supplied instructions, data tracking the customer'"'"'s consumption of alcohol and tobacco, data tracking the customer'"'"'s food and beverage intakes, data tracking the customer'"'"'s blood pressure, data tracking the customer'"'"'s blood sugar levels, data tracking the customer'"'"'s non-prescription medicines and vitamins and adherence to taking the non-prescription medicines and vitamins, and data tracking a number of pills remaining in the container.

8. The medical information entry, storage and retrieval method of claim 1, wherein the ID code is a machine readable bar code.

9. The medical information entry, storage and retrieval method of claim 1, further comprising marking the ID code onto the container, onto a label to be affixed to the container, or onto the directions.

10. The medical information entry, storage and retrieval method of claim 1, wherein notifications regarding the prescribed medicine are sent from the server to one or more of the customer, a pharmacist, a doctor, a nurse, a caregiver, an insurance company, a hospital or others involved in the prescribing, distributing, maintaining, monitoring and administering of the medicine to the customer.

11. A system for the entry, storage and retrieval of medical data for a customer of a pharmacy, comprising:

a server for providing computer services to the pharmacy for creating and storing a medical data file for the customer in a database on the server when a prescription for the customer is filled for a medicine into a container and supplying to the customer the prescription container along with an ID code linked to the customer'"'"'s medical data file and directions for taking the medicine, the linked ID code allowing access to, and modification of, the medical data file by the customer to the medical data file;

a receiving unit connected to the server to receive data via wireless communications over the Internet from a wireless device of the customer, the received data including the ID code to authenticate and establish communications between the customer'"'"'s wireless device and the server, wherein the received data includes data to edit or update the customer'"'"'s medical data file stored in the database of the server, the edited or updated customer medical file accessible by the ID code; and

a transmitting unit connected to the server to transmit data via wireless communications over the Internet from the server to the customer'"'"'s wireless device, the transmitted data including portions of the customer'"'"'s medical data file.

12. The system of claim 11 for the entry, storage and retrieval of medical data for a customer of a pharmacy, wherein the received data further comprises data of adherence of the customer taking the prescribed medicine according to the directions.

13. The system of claim 11 for the entry, storage and retrieval of medical data for a customer of a pharmacy, wherein the customer'"'"'s wireless device is a smart phone, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a computer tablet or pad, or another mobile wireless device.

14. The system of claim 11 for the entry, storage and retrieval of medical data for a customer of a pharmacy, further comprising a label marking device for marking the directions onto the container, onto a label to be affixed to the container, or onto a separate paper accompanying the container of medicine.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the server further comprises a report application to analyze the medical data file including the compliance determination data and to send a report to one or more of the customer, a pharmacist, a doctor, a nurse, a caregiver, an insurance company, a hospital or others involved in the prescribing, distributing, maintaining, monitoring and administering of the medicine to the customer.