Multi-path electronic prescription processing system

Abstract

An electronic prescription processing system which is capable of direct two-way electronic communication between the physician and the pharmacist, in one example, uses a multi-path clearinghouse between the physician's office practice management system and a pharmacy computer system. In one example, the multi path electronic prescription processing system allows a physician to create electronic prescriptions using an electronic signature, and using the multi-path clearinghouse, allow for interface with the pharmacy computer system such that an image of an electronic prescription and prescription information are directly auto-populated into an entry screen of the pharmacy computer system.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 014,218 filed Dec. 17, 2007, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The field relates to electronic prescription systems.BACKGROUND[0003]Currently, many pharmacists or technicians contact the physician directly through telephone or facsimile, if they have questions with a particular prescription but such a process is time consuming and can be expensive.[0004]U.S. Pat. No. 5,883,370, describes how the physician writes a prescription by entering the prescription into a computer which prints out a bar-coded prescription that may be taken by the patient to the pharmacy, or a future modem path, which would enable the physician to send the prescription directly to a particular pharmacy computer. However, the pharmacist would have to scan the bar code on the prescription and manually enter the p...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]In one example, an electronic prescription processing system includes at least one pharmacy system connected to a network capable of two-way digital communications between a plurality of physician office practice management systems and the at least one pharmacy system. The at least one pharmacy system displays an image of the information entered as an electronic prescription by a prescriber using one of the plurality of physician office practice management systems on a display and the information entered as an electronic prescription is auto-populated in entries for a prescription entry screen of the at least one pharmacy system. In one example, a clearinghouse is electronically disposed between physicians' office practice management systems and computer systems for a plurality of pharmacies. One advantage of using a clearinghouse is that each pharmacy system may query, electronically, any of the prescribers, seamlessly and automatically, without speaking by telephone, to resolve questions about the electronic prescription. A multi-path clearinghouse automatically correlates the query with an answer from the prescriber, such as using a unique. query identifier, when a prescriber of one of the plurality of physician office practice management systems responds to the query from the at least one pharmacy system.

[0023]An additional advantage is that the auto-population process is integrated into the system and connects directly to the pharmacy computer system, including access to drug files, listing all the drugs which the specific pharmacy uses, including specified generics. Additionally, the drug file may be constantly updated including recall or advisory notices that the physician might not otherwise be aware of. Still another advantage is that the system identifies preferred drug switches and sends such information to the physician for a possible switch before the physician even sends out an electronic prescription.

Problems solved by technology

Currently, many pharmacists or technicians contact the physician directly through telephone or facsimile, if they have questions with a particular prescription but such a process is time consuming and can be expensive.

Prior art systems, such as the one described in this reference, do not provide for seamless, automated two-way communications between a prescriber and a pharmacist, however.

The system does not provide for seamless, automated two-way communications between a prescriber and a pharmacist, and the system has no way of notifying a prescriber if a particular drug in a drug formulary is available at a pharmacy or the price of the drug or the cost of the drug to the patient and / or the patient's insurance company.

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