On-line pharmacy automated refill system

• US 6,728,684 B1
• Filed: 09/17/1999
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Compufill LLC (Spherix Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Richard W. Reichert
• Inventors: Reichert, Richard W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixon, Thomas A.
• Application Number:
  US09/398,131
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3, 235/375, 700/216, 600/300
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

An interative computer request processing system. In the preferred embodiment, the request processing system utilizes telephone and computer equipment to accept refill requests for patient prescriptions. The system receives information from a patient and performs prescription inquiries to a databank to determine patient information such as the status of prescriptions. The system remains operational whether or not interactive communications can be achieved with the databank. If communications are not available, the system stores the patient information. Therefore, the system always appears to the caller to be fully operational regardless of whether interactive communications are available. When communications are re-established, the databank and prescription inquiries are conducted, whereby the system validates or invalidates requests based on specified criteria. In a preferred embodiment, the system automatically attempts to notify a patient that the patient'"'"'s request is invalid, thereby alerting the patient that the patient'"'"'s prescription has not been filled.

Claims

1. A method for processing requests for prescription refills between one or more client computers and a host computer, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for a prescription refill from a caller, said receiving of said request being facilitated by a client computer;

storing said request until on-line communications with a host computer are established, said storing of said request being facilitated by a first client computer storage means;

establishing a communication link between said client computer and said host computer, said establishing of said communication link being facilitated by a communication network; and

processing said request between said client computer and said host computer, said processing of said request being facilitated first client computer code segment and a first host code segment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of receiving a request is further defined as:

answering an incoming telephone call from a caller, said answering of said incoming telephone call being facilitated by a client computer; and

receiving a request for a prescription refill from said caller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of processing said request is further defined as:

attempting to validate said request by comparing said request with patient information stored in a patient information databank; and

if said request is a valid request, processing said valid request for dispensing, said processing of said valid request being facilitated by a dispensing transaction process.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said patient information databank is stored within said client computer and said step of validating is preformed when communications between said client computer and said host computer are off-line.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said patient information databank is stored within said host computer and said step of validating is preformed when communications between said client computer and said host computer are on-line.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising a step of storing said validated request for dispense processing, said storing of said validated request being facilitated by a client computer storage means.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of storing said invalidated requests for notification processing, said storing of said validated request being facilitated by a client computer storage means.

8. A computer program embodied on computer-readable medium having a computer readable program code embodied in said medium for effecting a method of processing requests for prescription refills between at least one client computer and a host computer, comprising:

a code segment for receiving a request for a prescription refill from a caller;

a code segment for storing said request until on-line communications with a host computer is established;

a code segment for establishing a communication link between said client computer and said host computer; and

a code segment for processing said request between said client computer and said host computer.

9. The computer of claim 8, wherein said a code segment for receiving said request is further defined as:

a code segment for answering an incoming telephone call from a caller; and

a code segment for receiving an audible request for a prescription refill from said caller.

10. The computer of claim 8, wherein said a code segment for receiving said request is further defined as:

a code segment for attempting to validate said request by comparing said request with patient information stored in a patient information databank; and

if said request is a valid request, a code segment for processing said valid request for dispensing.

11. The computer of claim 8, further comprising:

a code segment for storing said patient information databank within said client computer; and

a code segment for causing said attempt to validate said request between said client computer and said host computer to be facilitated when communications are off-line.

12. The computer of claim 8, further comprising:

a code segment for storing said patient information databank within said client computer; and

a code segment for causing said attempt to validate said request between said client computer and said host computer to be facilitated when communications are on-line.

13. The computer of claim 8, further comprising a code segment for storing within said client computer said validated request for dispense processing.

14. The computer of claim 8, further comprising a code segment for storing within said client computer said invalidated requests for notification processing.