Method and apparatus for medication prescription consultation

• US 8,676,604 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2007
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kozlowski, Casey L., Selka, Gowri, Polster, Natasha, Libo, Sam
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuelling, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/839,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20090048863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,407 Days
• Field of Search: 705/3
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• 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

A method and apparatus of providing a pharmaceutical consultation prevents a person from receiving a medication prescription if consultation is required, and enables a user to readily view the medication prescription information and convey information to the person. Methods and apparatus of providing a pharmaceutical consultation are provided herein. The methods and apparatus include receiving medication prescription data relating to the medication prescription, and displaying a consultation review screen having a medication prescription view with information relating to the medication prescription and a discussion view with information to be conveyed to the person. The medication prescription data includes a consultation requirement for the medication prescription. A transaction for the medication prescription is prevented if consultation is required, and permitted when data is received indicating the consultation is completed. The methods and apparatus of pharmaceutical consultation also include remote consultation between a user and a person at different geographic locations.

Claims

1. A method of pharmaceutical consultation comprising:

receiving, using a processor, medication prescription data relating to a medication prescription for a person, wherein the medication prescription data comprises an indication regarding a consultation requirement associated with the medication prescription;

displaying, on a display device, a consultation review screen to the user, wherein the consultation review screen comprises a medication prescription view having information relating to the medication prescription and a discussion view having information to be conveyed to the person regarding the medication prescription as a consultation with the person relating to the medication prescription;

determining, using a processor-implemented rules engine, if a consultation is mandatory with respect to the medication prescription;

preventing, using a processor, a transaction related to the medication prescription until consultation indication data is received when the indication regarding the consultation requirement indicates consultation is mandatory, wherein the consultation indication data relates to an indication regarding completion of the consultation with the person relating to the medication prescription; and

allowing, using a processor, completion of the transaction related to the medication prescription only once the consultation indication data is received.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, on a display device, a medication prescription review screen to a user comprising information relating to the medication prescription;

enabling, using a processor, the user to request a consultation requirement for the medication prescription; and

setting, using a processor, the indication regarding the consultation requirement associated with the medication prescription as a mandatory consultation in response to the request for the consultation requirement for the medication prescription.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the medication prescription review screen comprises a patient information view having information relating to the person, a medication information view having information relating to the medication prescription and a prescriber information view having information relating to a person prescribing the medication prescription, the method further comprising:

enabling, using a processor, the user to approve information in each of the patient information view, the medication information view and the prescriber information view; and

disabling, using a processor, enablement of the user to request a consultation requirement for the medication prescription until the information in each of the patient information view, the medication information view and the prescriber information view has been approved.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the consultation review screen comprises the indication regarding the consultation requirement associated with the medication prescription as a mandatory consultation.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting, using a processor, a user with the indication regarding the consultation requirement associated with the medication prescription.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the indication regarding the consultation requirement indicates consultation is one of the group consisting of:

an optional consultation, a medication interchange consultation relating to a replacement medication having a medical effect equivalent to a medication associated with the medication prescription for the person, a medication utilization consultation relating to an identified adverse health outcome associated with utilization of the medication and a requested consultation.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, using a processor, data relating to the person'"'"'s acceptance or rejection of the optional consultation if the user is prompted with the optional consultation indication; and

permitting, using a processor, a transaction related to the medication prescription if the indication regarding the consultation requirement comprises the optional.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, on a display device, a consultation queue screen to the user, wherein the consultation queue screen comprises one or more entries for search criteria to enable the user to conduct a search for data relating to the medication prescription.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more entries for search criteria comprises one or more entries for an identification of the medication prescription, the method further comprising:

receiving, using a processor, identification data relating to the identification of the medication prescription; and

wherein displaying the consultation review screen comprises automatically displaying, on a display device, the consultation review screen comprising consultation information relating to a medication prescription having attributes matching the identification of the medication prescription.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more entries for search criteria comprises one or more entries for an identification of the person, the method further comprising:

receiving, using a processor, information relating to search criteria comprising an identification of the person; and

wherein displaying a consultation queue screen comprises displaying, on a display device, a consultation queue screen having information relating to one or more medication prescriptions of a person having attributes matching the search criteria.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the consultation queue screen further comprises an indication regarding a consultation requirement associated with each of the one or more medication prescriptions of the person having attributes matching the search criteria.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the consultation queue screen further comprises information relating to a status of a consultation for each of the one or more medication prescriptions of the person having attributes matching the search criteria.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

enabling, using a processor, the user to select a medication prescription displayed on the consultation queue screen;

enabling, using a processor, the user to request the consultation history of the selected medication prescription; and

displaying, on a display device, a consultation history screen in response to the request for the consultation history, wherein the consultation history screen comprises information relating to a consultation history between a pharmacist and the person for the selected medication prescription.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

enabling, using a processor, the user to select a medication prescription displayed on the consultation queue screen;

enabling, using a processor, the user to request a consultation review of the selected medication prescription; and

displaying, on a display device, the consultation review screen in response to the request for the consultation review.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling, using a processor, the user to provide data indicating acceptance of the consultation by the person;

enabling, using a processor, the user to provide data indicating rejection of the consultation by the person; and

permitting, using a processor, a transaction relating to the medication prescription in response to receiving data indicating acceptance of the consultation by the person,

wherein preventing a transaction relating to the medication prescription comprises preventing, using a processor, a transaction relating to the medication prescription in response to receiving data indicating rejection of the consultation by the person.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling, using a processor, the user to provide consultation data relating to the consultation between the user and the person regarding the medication prescription; and

storing, in a memory, the consultation data as consultation information relating to the medication prescription.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the consultation review screen further comprises a message view having information relating to alerts regarding the medication prescription.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

enabling, using a processor, the user to request medication utilization information regarding the medication prescription in response to a medication utilization alert regarding the medication prescription;

displaying, on a display device, a medication utilization view in response to the request for the medication utilization information, the medication utilization review having a list of one or more identified adverse health outcomes associated with utilization of a medication associated with the medication prescription.

19. The method of claim 17, the method further comprising:

enabling, using a processor, the user to request medication interchange information regarding the medication prescription in response to a medication interchange alert regarding the medication prescription;

displaying, on a display device, a medication interchange view in response to the request for the medication interchange information, the medication interchange view having information relating to a replacement medication having a medical effect equivalent to a medication associated with the medication prescription.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the consultation review screen further comprises consultation information relating to consultation instructions for the user.

21. A pharmaceutical consultation system for use in a pharmaceutical facility comprising:

a database adapted to store medication prescription data comprising one or more medication prescription data entries each relating to a medication prescription for a person and each comprising medication prescription consultation data related to information to be conveyed to a person in a consultation regarding the related medication prescription, and each comprising an indication regarding a consultation requirement associated with the medication prescription;

a display application stored on a computer readable memory and adapted to be executed on a processor to create a consultation display for the medication prescription data stored in the database, the consultation display including a consultation view and an outcome view having one or more graphical representations each relating to an outcome of the consultation, wherein the display application enables a user to select one of the one or more medication prescription data entries to specify medication prescription consultation data to be displayed and presents the medication prescription consultation data in the consultation view, and enables the user to select one of the one or more graphical representations relating to an outcome of the consultation to be stored within the database in the selected medication prescription data entry;

a processor-implemented rules engine adapted to determine if a consultation is mandatory with respect to the medication prescription; and

a processor adapted to prevent a transaction related to the medication prescription until consultation indication data is received when the indication regarding the consultation requirement indicates consultation is mandatory, wherein the consultation indication data relates to an indication regarding completion of the consultation with the person relating to the medication prescription, and further adapted to allow completion of the transaction related to the medication prescription only once the consultation indication data is received.

22. The pharmaceutical consultation system of claim 21, wherein the medication prescription consultation data further relates to one or more messages regarding the related medication prescription, wherein the consultation display further includes a message view, and wherein the display application enables the user to select one of the one or more medication prescription data entries to specify medication prescription consultation data to be displayed and presents the one or more messages regarding the related medication prescription in the message view.

23. The pharmaceutical consultation system of claim 22, wherein the display application is adapted to be executed on a processor to create a medication utilization display, wherein at least one of the one or more messages comprises a medication utilization alert and the message view further includes a graphical representation relating to the medication utilization alert, and wherein the display application enables a user to select the graphical representation relating to the medication utilization alert to display the medication utilization display and presents medication utilization data related to one or more identified adverse health outcome associated with utilization of a medication associated with the selected medication prescription data entry.

24. The pharmaceutical consultation system of claim 22, wherein the display application is adapted to be executed on a processor to create a medication interchange display, wherein at least one of the one or more messages comprises a medication interchange alert and the message view further includes a graphical representation relating to the medication interchange alert, and wherein the display application enables a user to select the graphical representation relating to the medication interchange alert to display the medication interchange display and presents medication interchange data related to a replacement medication having a medication effect equivalent to a medication associated with the selected medication prescription data entry.

25. The pharmaceutical consultation system of claim 21, wherein the consultation display further comprises a medication prescription view having medication prescription data related to the selected medication prescription data entry.

26. The pharmaceutical consultation system of claim 21, wherein the display application is adapted to be executed on a processor to create a consultation queue display, the consultation queue display including a search view having one or more data entries to input search criteria and a results view, wherein the display application enables the user to provide search criteria via the one or more data entries in the search view.

27. The pharmaceutical consultation system of claim 26, wherein the search criteria comprises an identification of a medication prescription and wherein the display application automatically generates the consultation display for medication prescription data stored in the database that comprises attributes corresponding to the identification of the medication prescription.

28. The pharmaceutical consultation system of claim 26, wherein the search criteria comprises an identification of a person and wherein the display application presents one or more of the medication prescription data entries of a person having attributes matching the search criteria in the results view and enables the user to select different ones of the one or more medication prescription data entries presented in the results view.

29. The pharmaceutical consultation system of claim 28, wherein the display application enables the user to select different ones of the one or more medication prescription data entries presented in the results view to specify medication prescription consultation data relating to the selected medication prescription data entry to be displayed and presents medication prescription consultation data associated with a selected medication prescription data entry in the consultation view.

30. The pharmaceutical consultation system of claim 28, wherein the display application is adapted to be executed on a processor to create a medication history display and enables the user to select different ones of the one or more medication prescription data entries presented in the results view to specify medication prescription history data relating to the selected medication prescription data entry to be displayed and presents medication prescription history data associated with the selected medication prescription data entry in the medication prescription history view.

31. The pharmaceutical consultation system of claim 21, wherein one or more of the displays includes a medication utilization view having a list of one or more identified adverse health outcomes associated with utilization of the medication, wherein the display application enables a user to be alerted within the consultation view to an identified adverse health outcome associated with utilization of the medication and presents the one or more identified adverse health risk outcomes associated with utilization of the medication within the medication utilization view.

32. The pharmaceutical consultation system of claim 31, wherein the display application enables a user to view data relating to details of a selected one of the one or more adverse health risks.

33. The pharmaceutical consultation system of claim 21, wherein one or more of the displays includes a medication interchange view having data relating to a replacement medication having a medical effect equivalent to a medication associated with the medication prescription for the person, wherein the display application enables a user to be alerted within the consultation view to a medication interchange opportunity and presents replacement medication data relating to the replacement medication and medication prescription data relating to the selected medication prescription entry to be displayed within the therapeutic interchange view as a comparison of attributes between the replacement medication and the prescription medication.

34. The pharmaceutical consultation system of claim 33, wherein the display application enables a user to view an advantageous attribute of the replacement medication as compared to the prescription medication.