Apparatus for & method of creating and transmitting a prescription to a drug dispensing location

Abstract

A medical practitioner creates a prescription using a handheld portable device. The device uses a plurality of interactive screens that display information such as lists of drugs. The medical practitioner enters patient information and selects from the list the desired drug to be prescribed. The device gives the practitioner access to a drug database that may be limited by the drugs prescribable by the medical practitioner. Once a prescription is created, the practitioner can select a drug dispensing location and communicate the prescription to this location. The drug database and the drug dispensing locations may be stored in a removable memory.

Description

RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS & INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE [0001] This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 448,965, filed May 30, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,260,402, which claims the benefit under 35 USC 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 384,954, entitled “Apparatus For & Method Of Creating and Transmitting A Prescription To A Drug Dispensing Location,” filed Jun. 3, 2002. These related applications are incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this application. If any conflict arises between the disclosure of the invention in this continuation application and that in the related provisional application, the disclosure in this continuation application shall govern. Moreover, the inventor incorporates herein by reference any and all U.S. patents, U.S. patent applications, and other documents cited or referred to in this application or cited or referred to in the U.S. patents and U.S. patent applications incorporated here...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0004] This invention has one or more features as discussed subsequently herein. After reading the following section entitled “DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS OF THIS INVENTION,” one will understand how the features of this invention provide its benefits. The benefits of this invention include, but are not limited to: creating and transmitting accurately a prescription from a prescriber (herein medical practitioner) to a remote drug dispensing location, providing a portable and convenient to use hand-held device for prescribing and transmitting prescriptions to a remote drug dispensing location, improving the accuracy of prescriptions by providing computerized means of creating and validating drug choices and by providing communication of the prescription directly from the medical practitioner to the drug dispensing location, and avoiding or at least significantly reducing human errors in connection with prescribing drugs.

Problems solved by technology

Frequently a pharmacist misinterprets the doctor's handwriting and the wrong drug is dispensed to the patient.

Consumption of an improper drug can lead to patient illness and sometimes death.

According to the 1999 Institute of Medicine Report, there were about one million serious medication errors per year in the United States because of illegible handwriting on prescriptions, misplaced decimal points, and missed drug interactions and allergies.

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