Drug store notification system, call notification method in drug store notification system, drug store notification program, and recording medium

Abstract

To provide a drug store notification system capable of reducing the possibility of the period during which refill prescriptions can be dispensed for the second or subsequent times being exceeded, a call notification method in a drug store notification system, a drug store notification program, and a recording medium.SOLUTION: A pharmacy terminal 10 is a terminal that executes a series of processing to encourage patients to visit a pharmacy for patients who have multiple refill prescriptions that have at least the prescribed drug, the number of days for dispensing, and the number of times they can be used. The pharmacy terminal includes: an input unit 11 for inputting information on the patient, information on the dispensing date, and information on the number of days for dispensing a refill prescription; a period calculation unit 14 that is configured so as to, when the refill prescription is available for next use, calculate the next available period for dispensing based on information on the number of days for which the prescription has been dispensed and information on the date of prescription input made on the input unit 11; and a display control unit 15 or a communication unit 17 notify at least one of the patient and the pharmacist that the patient should visit the pharmacy before the dispensing period calculated by the period calculation unit 14 has elapsed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a visitor notification system, a visitor notification method for a visitor notification system, a visitor notification program, and a recording medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, prescriptions are known that patients bring to pharmacies to receive medication (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Prescriptions generally have a four-day expiration date, and patients cannot receive medication if they bring an expired prescription to a pharmacy. On the other hand, patients tend to see a doctor at a hospital, get a prescription issued, and then bring the prescription to a nearby pharmacy. For this reason, it is generally extremely rare for a prescription to expire. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-4012 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, refill prescriptions that can be used multiple times have been proposed. The first use of a refill prescription is immediately after the consultation, so there is no problem of the expiration date passing even if the patient is not aware of it.

[0005] However, for second use, patients must be aware of the expiration date (period during which the drug can be dispensed). Furthermore, the period during which the drug can be dispensed for the second time varies depending on the type of prescription given the first time and when the first prescription was dispensed, making it difficult for patients to understand. For these reasons, there is concern that the dispensing period for the second use may expire. Furthermore, even if the pharmacist were to write information such as the next dispensing period on the refill prescription, the dispensing period may expire if the patient does not refer to the refill prescription shortly before the expiration of the dispensing period. This problem is not limited to the second use of a refill prescription, but applies to any use thereafter.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and its purpose is to provide a visit notification system, a visit notification method for the visit notification system, a visit notification program, and a recording medium that reduce the possibility of the period during which a refill prescription can be dispensed for the second or subsequent times being exceeded. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The visit notification system of the present invention is a system that executes processing to encourage patients who hold refill prescriptions that can be used multiple times and that contain information on at least the prescribed drug, the number of dispensing days, and the number of times they can be used to visit the pharmacy, and is equipped with: an input means for inputting patient information, information on the dispensing date, and information on the number of dispensing days for the refill prescription; a period calculation means for calculating the next period during which medication can be dispensed based on the information on the number of dispensing days and the information on the dispensing date input by the input means, if the refill prescription can be used next time; and a notification means for notifying at least one of the patient and the pharmacist that the patient should visit the pharmacy before the dispensing period calculated by the period calculation means has elapsed.

[0008] Furthermore, the visit notification method of the visit notification system according to the present invention is a method for executing a process to encourage a patient who holds a refill prescription that can be used multiple times and that contains information on at least the prescribed drug, the number of dispensing days, and the number of times it can be used to visit the pharmacy, and includes an input step of inputting patient information, information on the dispensing date, and information on the number of dispensing days for the refill prescription; a period calculation step of calculating the next period during which the refill prescription can be used based on the information on the number of dispensing days and the information on the dispensing date input in the input step, if the refill prescription can be used next time; and a notification step of notifying at least one of the patient and the pharmacist that the patient should visit the pharmacy based on the period during which the drug can be used calculated in the period calculation step.

[0009] A visit notification program according to the present invention causes a computer to execute the visit notification method, and a recording medium has this visit notification program recorded on it. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the period during which second and subsequent dispensing of a refill prescription can be permitted will expire. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram showing a visit notification system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2A to 2C are conceptual diagrams showing examples of notifications by the visit notification system shown in FIG. 1, where (a) shows a first example, (b) shows a second example, and (c) shows a third example. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the pharmacy terminal shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a refill prescription. [Figure 5] 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the contents stored in a storage unit shown in FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a front view of a screen showing an example of a notification to a pharmacist. [Figure 7]FIG. 10 is a front view of a terminal showing an example of a notification sent to a patient by email. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a front view of the screen showing the search results for patients whose dispensing period includes a specific date. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of notification using a search unit. [Figure 10] 1 is a first flowchart showing a method for notifying a patient of a visit to a pharmacy, illustrating the processing that is performed when a patient brings a prescription to a pharmacy, etc. [Figure 11] 10 is a second flowchart showing the pharmacy visit notification method, illustrating the processing after the medicine is dispensed to the patient. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention will be described below in accordance with preferred embodiments. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, in the embodiments shown below, some components are omitted from illustration and description, but it goes without saying that publicly known or well-known technologies are applied as appropriate to the details of the omitted technologies within the scope of the content described below.

[0013] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram showing a visit notification system according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the visit notification system 1 executes a process for encouraging patients who have refill prescriptions to visit the pharmacy, and is configured, for example, by a pharmacy terminal 10. The visit notification system 1 may also be configured by two or more devices, such as the pharmacy terminal 10 and a server 20.

[0014] The visit notification system 1 notifies at least one of the patient and the pharmacist that the patient should visit the pharmacy. Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing examples of notifications by the visit notification system 1 shown in Figure 1, where (a) shows a first example, (b) shows a second example, and (c) shows a third example.

[0015] First, as shown in Fig. 2(a), the visit notification system 1 notifies the pharmacist that the patient should visit the pharmacy. In response, the pharmacist uses his / her own terminal T1 (see Fig. 1), such as a smartphone, to call the patient's terminal T2 (see Fig. 1), or contacts the patient by email, LINE (registered trademark), app notification (only if the patient has downloaded the app in advance), SMS (Short Message Service), etc., to encourage the patient to visit the pharmacy.

[0016] 2(b), the visit notification system 1 also notifies the pharmacist. In response to this, the pharmacist operates the pharmacy terminal 10 (see FIG. 1). As a result, the pharmacy terminal 10 and the server 20 (see FIG. 1) notify the patient that they should also visit the pharmacy by making an automated voice call or sending an email to the patient's terminal T2.

[0017] 2(c), the visit notification system 1 accepts an operation from the pharmacist in advance. As a result, the visit notification system 1 notifies the patient that they should also visit the pharmacy by making an automated voice call or sending an email to the patient's terminal T2 without notifying the pharmacist. In this case, the visit notification system 1 may also notify the pharmacist by displaying a message or the like that the patient has been notified.

[0018] Next, we will explain the detailed configuration of the visit notification system 1. Note that, although the following will explain an example in which the visit notification system 1 is configured by a single pharmacy terminal 10, the visit notification system 1 may also include other devices such as a server 20. Furthermore, when the visit notification system 1 includes other devices such as a server 20, some of the components etc. described below will be configured as functions of the other devices.

[0019] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of pharmacy terminal 10 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 3, pharmacy terminal 10 includes an input unit (input means) 11, a memory unit (recording medium) 12, a determination unit 13, a period calculation unit (period calculation means) 14, a display control unit (notification means, presentation means) 15, a timing determination unit (timing determination means) 16, a communication unit (notification means) 17, a processing unit (processing means) 18, and a search unit (search means) 19.

[0020] The input unit 11 inputs each piece of prescription information into the pharmacy terminal 10, and if the prescription is a refill prescription, it inputs each piece of information about the refill prescription. The input unit 11 may be a keyboard or the like for manual input by a pharmacist or the like, or, if the prescription has a read-in display such as a QR code (registered trademark), it corresponds to an information reading unit using the read-in display. Furthermore, the input unit 11 may receive prescription information from a hospital terminal or a patient terminal T2 via communication, or may input information from a paper or image prescription using image recognition technology.

[0021] Fig. 4 is a front view showing an example of a refill prescription. As shown in Fig. 4, a refill prescription, like a regular prescription, includes patient information D1 (patient-side information for identifying the patient) indicating the patient's name, date of birth, sex, etc., information D2 indicating the date of issuance of the prescription, and usage period information D3 indicating the prescription's initial expiration date. The refill prescription also includes doctor-side information D4 indicating the address, name, doctor's name, contact information, etc. of the medical institution that issued the prescription, as well as prescription information D5 indicating the prescribed drug, usage, dosage, etc. In particular, prescription information D5 includes dispensing period information D51 indicating how many days' worth of the prescribed drug is required.

[0022] Furthermore, a refill prescription has refill information D6 indicating that it is a refill prescription. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the refill information D6 is indicated by checking the checkbox adjacent to the words "refillable." In addition, a refill prescription has information D7 about the number of times it can be used. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the information D7 about the number of times it can be used is indicated by writing "(3 times)" adjacent to the refill information D6.

[0023] Furthermore, the refill prescription also includes additional information D8 that indicates the next possible dispensing period, such as the first and second dispensing dates and the next scheduled dispensing date. In addition to the above information D1 to D8, the prescription also includes other information such as the co-payment rate and public subsidy number, although this is not shown in the figure.

[0024] Referring again to Figure 3, the input unit 11 described above inputs information such as the information D1 to D8 described above. Furthermore, the input unit 11 also inputs information on the dispensing date, which is the date on which the current medication was dispensed based on the refill prescription. In addition, the input unit 11 also inputs information to be filled out in a medical questionnaire, which is filled out when the patient visits the pharmacy for the first time, etc. The input unit 11 also inputs address information D9 (see Figure 5 described later) indicating the patient's address and contact information D10 (see Figure 5 described later) indicating the patient's contact information, based on the information to be filled out in the medical questionnaire.

[0025] Note that if the patient is visiting the pharmacy for the second or subsequent time, and the information to be filled in the medical questionnaire has already been stored in the storage unit 12, the input unit 11 does not need to input the information to be filled in. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the input unit 11 may input information using two or more input methods, such as manual input for some information and image recognition for the rest. In addition, the input unit 11 may input some information, such as refill information D6 indicating that the prescription is a refill prescription and information D7 on the number of times it can be used, through a click operation.

[0026] The storage unit 12 stores the above-mentioned various information D1 to D10 as well as information calculated from the input information. Furthermore, the storage unit 12 is not limited to this, and also functions as a recording medium for recording a visit notification program that enables the pharmacy terminal 10 to function as the visit notification system 1.

[0027] Fig. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the contents stored in storage unit 12 shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 5, storage unit 12 stores, in addition to information D1 to D10, other information D11 to D16 in association with each other. Note that information D2 to D8 is omitted from Fig. 5.

[0028] The ID information D11 is number information identifying the patient. The refill prescription use information D12 is information indicating whether a refill prescription was used the previous time the patient visited the pharmacy. If the refill information D6 is included in the prescription information newly input through the input unit 11, the visit notification system 1 assigns the information "YES" to the refill prescription use information D12, indicating that the previous prescription was a refill prescription, and if the refill information D6 is not included, the visit notification system 1 assigns the information "NO" to the refill prescription use information D12, indicating that the previous prescription was not a refill prescription.

[0029] The remaining use count information D13 is information indicating the remaining number of uses of a refill prescription. When the usable number information D7 is input through the input unit 11, the pharmacy visit notification system 1 assigns the remaining use count information D13 based on this information D7. Here, as of April 1, 2024, the maximum number of uses of a refill prescription is three. The pharmacy visit notification system 1 also counts the number of uses of a refill prescription for each patient, etc., and sequentially updates the remaining use count information D13 based on this count. Note that when a refill prescription is brought to a pharmacy for the first time, the prescription is dispensed and the medicine is dispensed, so as of April 1, 2024, the maximum remaining use count information D13 will be "2 times." Thereafter, the pharmacy visit notification system 1 will update the remaining use count information D13 to "1 time" or "0 times" depending on the number of times the refill prescription is used.

[0030] The information D14 on the next dispensing period indicates the period during which the refill prescription can be used for the second or subsequent time (i.e., the dispensing period). As of April 1, 2024, the next dispensing period is set to a total of 15 days, including the seven days before and seven days after the next scheduled dispensing date. The next scheduled dispensing date is set to the date on which the drug was dispensed using the current refill prescription plus the number of dispensing days. In order to indicate such a period, the memory unit 12 stores information on the first and last days of the dispensing period as the information D14 on the next dispensing period.

[0031] The notification timing information D15 is information indicating the timing of notification to the patient that they should visit the pharmacy. Here, in the case of the notification patterns shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the notification timing information D15 indicates the timing of notification to the pharmacist. On the other hand, in the case of the notification pattern shown in Figure 2(c), the notification timing information D15 indicates the timing of notification to the patient.

[0032] The last notified information D16 is information indicating whether or not a patient has been notified to visit the pharmacy after using the previous refill prescription. For example, if the patient is notified by the pharmacy terminal 10 or the server 20, the processing unit 18 (details of which will be described later) processes the last notified information D16 to indicate that the patient should visit the pharmacy. Also, if a pharmacist analogically notifies the patient to visit the pharmacy, the last notified information D16 is marked with "not yet" by, for example, an input operation by the pharmacist. On the other hand, if no notification has been made, for example, if the patient visits the pharmacy before the notification, the last notified information D16 is marked with "not yet."

[0033] It is preferable that the previous notification information D16 includes information on the timing (for example, date and time) of the previous notification.

[0034] Referring again to Figure 3, the determination unit 13 shown in Figure 3 determines whether each patient is a target person to be notified, that is, whether they are a user of a refill prescription. When refill information D6 is input by the input unit 11, this determination unit 13 determines that the patient indicated by the patient information D1 written on the refill prescription is a target person for notification. After a refill prescription is used, the information "YES" is added to the refill prescription usage information D12, so the determination unit 13 may determine whether the patient is a target person based on the refill prescription usage information D12.

[0035] The period calculation unit 14 calculates the next dispensing period when the refill prescription can be used next time. First, the period calculation unit 14 determines whether the refill prescription can be used next time. In this case, the period calculation unit 14 references the remaining number of uses information D13 in the memory unit 12, and if information greater than "1 time" is assigned, determines that the refill prescription can be used next time. Note that the memory unit 12 may store information simply indicating whether the refill prescription can be used next time, instead of the remaining number of uses information D13. In this case, the pharmacy terminal 10 calculates the remaining number of uses, and if the remaining number of uses is greater than "1 time," the memory unit 12 stores information indicating that the refill prescription can be used next time. Furthermore, the memory unit 12 may store information indicating that the refill prescription can be used next time when the pharmacist determines that the refill prescription can be used next time based on the previous use of the refill prescription and receives an operation to that effect.

[0036] Furthermore, if the refill prescription can be used next time, the period calculation unit 14 calculates the next dispensing period. Here, as described above, as of April 1, 2024, the next dispensing period is a total of 15 days, consisting of 7 days before and 7 days after the scheduled dispensing date. Therefore, when the period calculation unit 14 determines that the refill prescription can be used next time, it calculates the scheduled dispensing date based on the dispensing date information input by the input unit 11 and the dispensing days information D51 (see FIG. 4) included in the prescription, and calculates the dispensing period based on the scheduled dispensing date.

[0037] The display control unit 15 is for performing appropriate display on the display of the pharmacy terminal 10. In particular, in this embodiment, the display control unit 15 functions to notify the pharmacist that the patient should visit the pharmacy before the next dispensing period has elapsed (i.e., before the final day has passed).

[0038] The notification timing determination unit 16 determines the timing of notifying the patient that they should visit the pharmacy. This notification timing determination unit 16 determines the notification timing so that the notification will be sent before the next available dispensing period has elapsed. As a result, the display control unit 15 and the like will send the notification before the next available dispensing period has elapsed.

[0039] Here, it is preferable that the notification timing determination unit 16 adjusts the notification timing based on the difference (e.g., the number of days difference) between a past notification to the patient (previously notified information D16) and the visit (the current dispensing date). In this embodiment, it is assumed that the notification timing is the scheduled dispensing date. When adjusting the notification timing, for example, if a patient visits the pharmacy one week after a previous notification to the patient, the notification timing determination unit 16 adjusts the notification timing to one week before the scheduled dispensing date. In this way, it is preferable that the notification timing determination unit 16 adjusts the notification timing based on the patient's tendency to visit the pharmacy in the past. Furthermore, the notification timing determination unit 16 may distribute the notification times so that notifications are not sent at the same time to multiple patients, or may set the notification time to the nighttime if the patient is in a job that is busy during the day.

[0040] FIG. 6 is a front view of a screen showing an example of a notification to a pharmacist. As shown in FIG. 6, when the notification timing arrives, the display control unit 15 notifies the pharmacist that the patient should visit the pharmacy based on the content stored in the memory unit 12. As a result, the display control unit 15 presents the pharmacist with information about the patient who should visit the pharmacy. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the display control unit 15 displays only a portion of the content stored in the memory unit 12, but this is not limiting and all information may be displayed. Furthermore, when only a portion is excerpted, the content to be excerpted can be changed as appropriate.

[0041] Furthermore, the display control unit 15 presents the pharmacist with a selection input unit D17 that allows the pharmacist to select a notification method for encouraging the patient to visit the pharmacy. In the example shown in FIG. 5, three contact points for "△△ Jiro" are stored as contact information D10: an email address, a telephone number, and an app ID. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the display control unit 15 displays a selection input unit D17 having check boxes corresponding to each contact point, allowing the pharmacist to select which contact information D10 to use for notification to the patient. In FIG. 6, the check box corresponding to the app ID is checked, so by operating the confirm button B at the bottom right of the screen in this state, "△△ Jiro" is notified via the app that he or she should visit the pharmacy.

[0042] When multiple check boxes are displayed in the selection input section D17, such as for "△△ Jiro," it is preferable to allow multiple check boxes to be checked, as this allows notification to be made in multiple ways.

[0043] Although only one contact information, such as an email address, is stored as contact information D10 for "Taro X", it is preferable that the display control unit 15 also displays the selection input unit D17 for such patients to select a notification method. This allows the pharmacist to not check the checkbox when there is only one checkbox. In other words, it allows the pharmacist to not select a notification method. If the pharmacist knows that the patient cannot visit the pharmacy because they are currently hospitalized, for example, the pharmacist can operate the decision button B without selecting a notification method, thereby preventing notification.

[0044] In addition, the screen shown in Figure 6 can be displayed in advance before notification, and by selecting the contact method before notification, advance operations can be performed, and notification to the pharmacist may be omitted, as in the notification pattern shown in Figure 2(c).

[0045] Referring again to Figure 3, the communication unit 17 is a functional unit that communicates with the patient, and in this embodiment functions as a means for notifying the patient that they should visit the pharmacy. For example, the notification method using an email address is selected for "XXXX Taro" shown in Figure 6. Therefore, the communication unit 17 sends a notification to "XXXX Taro" by email that they should visit the pharmacy. Similarly, the notification method using an app is selected for "YYJIRO." Therefore, the communication unit 17 sends a notification to "YYJIRO" using the app that they should visit the pharmacy.

[0046] FIG. 7 is a front view of terminal T2 showing an example of an email notification sent to a patient. As shown in FIG. 7, assume that an email notification is sent from communication unit 17 of pharmacy terminal 10. When the patient opens the email, the notification content is displayed on the display unit of terminal T2. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, communication unit 17 notifies the patient that they should visit the pharmacy by notifying them of information D21 that the last prescription they used was a refill prescription and that the drug can be dispensed in person at the pharmacy without a medical examination, and information D22 that the drug has an expiration date. By referring to the notification content, the patient can know that they should visit the pharmacy by the expiration date. The same applies to app notifications, short messages, etc. In addition, for automated voice calls, the notification content as described above is read aloud.

[0047] In addition, if the next visit will be the last use of the refill prescription, the communication unit 17 preferably notifies the patient by including information D23 indicating that the next visit will be the last use, so that the patient can know that if they need more medicine after visiting the pharmacy and receiving the medicine, they will need to be examined.

[0048] Referring again to Fig. 3, the processing unit 18 records the history of notifications made by the communication unit 17. The recording process by the processing unit 18 inputs, for example, previously notified information D16 shown in Fig. 5. Furthermore, it is preferable that the processing unit 18 also records information on the notification method as internal data.

[0049] Here, when the notification pattern shown in FIG. 2(a) is employed, the pharmacy terminal 10 does not need to include the communication unit 17. In this case, the display control unit 15 may display the selection input unit D17 and may also include the processing unit 18. This is because, for example, when the notification method using an email address is selected in the selection input unit D17 and the decision button B is pressed, a notification history can be recorded. In this case, since the pharmacist must remember to send the email themselves, it is preferable that the pharmacy terminal 10 confirms, after a predetermined time (for example, one hour), by displaying a pop-up or the like, whether the notification has been sent using the selected notification method.

[0050] Referring again to Figure 3, the search unit 19 is a functional unit for performing searches by pharmacists and the like. In this embodiment, the search unit 19 performs searches based on at least one of the next dispensing period calculated by the period calculation unit 14, the next scheduled dispensing date (for example, the day when the medicine runs out and is needed if taken without mistakes), and the notification timing determined by the notification timing determination unit 16.

[0051] Specifically, the search unit 19 can search for patients whose dispensing period includes a specific date specified by the operator, such as "patients whose dispensing period includes April 17, 2024," "patients whose dispensing period includes at least part of the period within one week from today," etc. Similarly, the search unit 19 can also search for patients whose planned dispensing date falls within a specific period from a specific date, and patients whose notification timing falls within a specific period from a specific date.

[0052] FIG. 8 is a front view of a screen showing the search results for patients whose dispensing period includes a specific date. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the specific date is April 24, 2024. The search results by the search unit 19 are displayed on the screen by the display control unit 15. Various display contents can be adopted, but in the example shown in FIG. 8, a notification selection section D18 is displayed in addition to the display items shown in FIG. 6. The notification selection section D18 has check boxes corresponding to each patient. A pharmacist or the like can designate a specific patient as a notification recipient by checking the check box in the notification selection section D18. That is, the pharmacist or the like can notify the patient by checking the check box in the notification selection section D18, selecting a notification method in the selection input section D17, and then operating the decision button B. In addition, the processing unit 18 records and processes the history of this notification.

[0053] In the example shown in FIG. 8, when the check box in the notification selection section D18 is checked, nothing is checked in the selection input section D17, and the decision button B is operated, the display control section 15 may display a warning message to check one of the check boxes in the selection input section D17.

[0054] Fig. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of notification using the search unit 19. As shown in Fig. 9, the visit notification system 1 performs a search through the search unit 19, and even when a pharmacist or other person specifies notification based on the search results, the system notifies the patient that they should visit the pharmacy. This allows proactive notification from the pharmacy side.

[0055] Next, a description will be given of a visit notification method using the visit notification system 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 10 is a first flowchart showing the visit notification method, illustrating the processing when a patient brings a prescription to a pharmacy, etc.

[0056] First, as shown in Figure 10, the input unit 11 of the pharmacy terminal 10 inputs prescription information (information D1 to D8 shown in Figure 3; however, information D6 and D7 may not be included) and dispensing date information (S1). In this process, the prescription information and dispensing date information are input using various methods, such as manual input, QR code input, and input using image recognition technology.

[0057] Next, pharmacy terminal 10 determines whether the prescription is within its initial expiration date (S2). That is, pharmacy terminal 10 determines whether the prescription is within its expiration date based on information D2 indicating the prescription issuance date and usage period information D3 indicating the prescription's initial expiration date.

[0058] If the prescription is within the expiration date (S2: YES), the judgment unit 13 judges whether a refill prescription is being used (S3). If the prescription does not include refill information D6 and the refill information D6 was not input in step S1, the judgment unit 13 judges that a refill prescription is not being used (S3: NO). Then, the processing shown in FIG. 10 ends.

[0059] On the other hand, if a refill prescription is being used (S3: YES), the pharmacy terminal 10 determines that this is the first use of a refill prescription. Furthermore, medicine is dispensed based on this refill prescription. Therefore, the period calculation unit 14 calculates the next dispensing period based on the information on the dispensing date, which is the day the medicine was dispensed, and the information D51 on the number of dispensing days (S4).

[0060] Thereafter, the notification timing determination unit 16 determines the notification timing before the next dispensing possible period elapses (S5). Then, the processing shown in Fig. 10 ends. Note that, through the above series of processing, the storage unit 12 executes storage processing based on the information input in step S1, the next dispensing possible period calculated in step S4, and the notification timing information determined in step S5.

[0061] If it is determined in the process of step S2 that the prescription is not within the expiration date (S2: NO), the determination unit 13 determines whether a refill prescription is being used (S6). If a refill prescription is not being used (S6: NO), the process shown in FIG. 10 ends.

[0062] On the other hand, if a refill prescription is being used (S6: YES), the pharmacy terminal 10 determines whether today is within the dispensing period (S7). If today is not within the dispensing period (S7: NO), the process shown in FIG. 10 ends.

[0063] If today is within the dispensing period (S7: YES), the pharmacy terminal 10 determines whether the current use will reach the upper limit (S8). In this process, the pharmacy terminal 10 reads the remaining use count information D13 stored in the memory unit 12 based on the prescription information entered in step S1, and determines whether the upper limit has been reached by checking whether the remaining use count is "2 times" or more. This is because if the remaining use count is "1 time," the upper limit will be reached with the current use.

[0064] In performing this process, pharmacy terminal 10 determines whether the refill prescription is the same as the prescription based on information on the prescription, such as information D2 indicating the prescription issue date and information D51 regarding the number of days for dispensing. That is, pharmacy terminal 10 determines whether the information on the refill prescription stored in storage unit 12 matches information D2 indicating the prescription issue date and information D51 regarding the number of days for dispensing, etc., entered in step S1, thereby confirming the identity of the refill prescription. After confirming the identity of the refill prescription, pharmacy terminal 10 reads remaining number-of-use information D13 stored in storage unit 12.

[0065] Note that by determining the identity of such refill prescriptions, it is possible to reduce the possibility of executing erroneous processing when, for example, another refill prescription is used while a refill prescription is being used. Also, it can be said that it is preferable for the memory unit 12 to store information on multiple prescriptions for each patient, assuming that refill prescriptions and regular prescriptions or other refill prescriptions are used in parallel.

[0066] Here, the process of determining whether the upper limit number of times has been reached in step S8 may be performed based on additional information D8 input in step S1. That is, if the drug has already been used twice, ideally, a record of two uses would be recorded in additional information D8. Therefore, pharmacy terminal 10 may determine whether the upper limit number of times has been reached based on additional information D8.

[0067] If the upper limit number of times is reached with this use (S8: YES), the process shown in FIG. 10 ends. On the other hand, if the upper limit number of times is not reached with this use (S8: NO), the next time medicine will be dispensed based on the refill prescription. Therefore, the next dispensing possible period is calculated based on the information on the dispensing date, which is the day the medicine was dispensed, and the information D51 on the number of dispensing days (S4). Note that in this process, the information D51 on the number of dispensing days stored in the memory unit 12 may be used, but this information D51 corresponds to the information previously input to the input unit 11.

[0068] Thereafter, the notification timing determination unit 16 determines the notification timing before the next dispensing possible period elapses (S5). Then, the processing shown in Fig. 10 ends. Note that, through the above series of processing, the memory unit 12 executes a process of updating the stored contents based on the information on the next dispensing possible period calculated in step S4 and the notification timing determined in step S5.

[0069] Fig. 11 is a second flowchart showing the pharmacy visit notification method, and shows the processing after dispensing the medicine to the patient. In particular, Fig. 11 shows the processing related to the notification patterns shown in Fig. 2(b), Fig. 2(c), and Fig. 9.

[0070] First, as shown in Fig. 11, the pharmacy terminal 10 determines whether the notification timing has arrived for any patient (S11). If the notification timing has arrived (S11: YES), it determines whether a prior operation has been performed for the patient for whom the notification timing has arrived (S12). For example, it determines whether a pharmacist has previously displayed the screen shown in Fig. 6 and made a selection in the selection input section D17.

[0071] If a prior operation has been performed (S12: YES), the process proceeds to step S19. On the other hand, if a prior operation has not been performed (S12: NO), the display control unit 15 notifies the pharmacist by displaying a list as shown in Fig. 6 (S13). Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S18.

[0072] In the above process, if the notification timing arrives for multiple patients and advance operations have been performed only for some of the patients, the process will proceed to step S19 for some of the patients, and the process of step S13 will be executed for the remaining patients.

[0073] If the notification timing has not arrived for any patient (S11: NO), the pharmacy terminal 10 determines whether a search has been performed using the search unit 19 (S14). If a search has not been performed (S14: NO), the process proceeds to step S11. On the other hand, if a search has been performed (S14: YES), the pharmacy terminal 10 determines whether there is a patient that matches the search (S15).

[0074] If there is no patient matching the search result (S15: NO), the process proceeds to step S11. On the other hand, if there is a patient matching the search result (S15: YES), the display control unit 15 displays, for example, a list as shown in FIG. 8 (S16).

[0075] Then, the pharmacy terminal 10 determines whether a notification recipient to whom notification is to be sent has been selected from the displayed list (S17). In the example shown in Fig. 8, the pharmacy terminal 10 determines whether any check box in the notification selection section D18 has been checked.

[0076] If a notification target person has not been selected (S17: NO), this process is repeated until a notification target person is selected. On the other hand, if a notification target person has been selected (S17: YES), the process proceeds to step S18.

[0077] In step S18, the pharmacy terminal 10 determines whether a notification method has been selected (S18). In the examples shown in Figures 6 and 8, the pharmacy terminal 10 determines whether any check box in the selection input section D17 has been checked.

[0078] If a notification method has not been selected (S18: NO), this process is repeated until a notification method is selected. On the other hand, if a notification method has been selected (S18: YES), the process proceeds to step S19.

[0079] In step S19, pharmacy terminal 10 notifies the patient (S19). Then, processing unit 18 records a history of notified patients, notification methods, notification times, etc. (S20). Thereafter, the process shown in FIG. 11 ends.

[0080] Although not explained above, in the case of the notification pattern shown in Fig. 2(a), for example, step S11 shown in Fig. 11 is executed, and by determining "YES", a list display is performed in step S13. After that, after the notification method is selected in step S18, the process ends, and the pharmacist or the like contacts the patient in an analog manner.

[0081] In this way, the pharmacy visit notification system 1 and its pharmacy visit notification method according to this embodiment calculate the next available dispensing period based on the refill prescription dispensing date information D51 and the dispensing date information, and notify the patient before the next available dispensing period expires. Therefore, for example, if the pharmacist is notified, the pharmacist can prompt the patient to visit the pharmacy, and if the patient is notified, the pharmacist can prompt the patient to visit the pharmacy immediately. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the available dispensing period for the second or subsequent refill prescriptions will expire.

[0082] In addition, the timing of notification is determined before the next dispensing period has elapsed, and the patient or pharmacist is notified when the determined timing arrives, so notification can be given at an appropriate time.

[0083] In addition, pharmacists are notified of patient information that should be encouraged to visit the pharmacy, and are also allowed to choose the method of encouraging the patient to visit. For example, a phone call may be selected for patients who do not have a means of communication such as a smartphone, and email or app notifications may be selected for patients who prefer email or app notifications for work reasons. This makes it possible to select the most appropriate method for each patient.

[0084] In addition, the system will notify the patient to visit the pharmacy according to the selected method, and record the history of this. Therefore, once the pharmacist selects a method, the system will notify the patient to visit the pharmacy via automated voice call, email, app, etc., and will also record the history of this. This eliminates the need for the pharmacist to contact and record the selection after notification and selection, and allows for more appropriate follow-up with the patient and recording of the results.

[0085] In addition, by searching based on the next available dispensing period, matching patient information is presented to the pharmacist, and a notification encouraging the patient to visit the pharmacy can be sent by selecting the notification method, allowing the pharmacist to proactively notify the patient. This allows, for example, to encourage patients to visit the pharmacy in anticipation of days when fewer customers will be coming.

[0086] In addition, since notifications made through searches are also recorded, pharmacists do not need to record the notifications themselves, which allows for more appropriate recording of follow-up information provided to patients.

[0087] In addition, if the next visit will be the last visit using the refill prescription, the notification will include information that the next visit will be the last, so the patient can be informed that this is the last time they will use the refill prescription and that they will need to be examined if they need more medicine after the visit.

[0088] Furthermore, the visit notification program and recording medium according to this embodiment can realize the above-described visit notification system 1 and the visit notification method.

[0089] The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and other technologies may be appropriately combined to the extent possible.

[0090] For example, in the above embodiment, the visit notification system 1 functions to support the second and subsequent uses of a refill prescription, but it is not limited to having only this function. That is, the visit notification system 1 may be configured as one function of an electronic medication history book, or if possible, may be incorporated as part of a device with other functions, such as a prescription computer.

[0091] Furthermore, the visit notification system 1 of this embodiment has been described assuming its use in a so-called dispensing pharmacy, but it is not limited to this and may also be used in other facilities such as nursing homes and hospital pharmacies.

[0092] In addition, the specific details of the dispensing period and the like described in the above embodiment are subject to change in response to legal amendments, changes in social conditions, etc. Therefore, it is preferable that the period calculation unit 14 be configured to be able to change the calculation method of the dispensing period. Also, it is preferable that the display control unit 15 be configured to be able to add or delete some of the display items displayed on each screen.

[0093] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, it was explained that the notification to the pharmacist is made by displaying the screen on the pharmacy terminal 10, but this is not limited to this, and the notification to the pharmacist may be made by other methods, such as displaying or printing out on the terminal T1 held by the pharmacist.

[0094] In addition, in the above embodiment, when notifying the patient, an operation by the pharmacist or a prior operation by the pharmacist is required, but this operation is not limited to that shown in the above embodiment and may be a different operation. In particular, the operation by the pharmacist may be a simple operation of inputting "YES" in response to a pop-up display asking "Do you want to notify?"

[0095] Additionally, although the pharmacy terminal 10 according to the above embodiment determines whether the user is a refill prescription by the determination unit 13, this is not particularly limited, and the fact that the user is a refill prescription may be input to the input unit 11 by a pharmacist. Furthermore, the pharmacy terminal 10 may be a dedicated terminal for refill prescriptions, and processing may be performed on the assumption that the user is a refill prescription user, without including the determination unit 13.

[0096] In the above embodiment, it is assumed that the notification to the pharmacist and the notification to the patient are each sent once after the drug is dispensed until the next dispensing period has elapsed, but the notification may be sent multiple times rather than just once. In this case, the notification timing determination unit 16 may determine the notification timing multiple times.

[0097] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the visit notification program is recorded in the storage unit 12, but it is not limited to the storage unit 12 and may be recorded in other recording media such as an add-on hard disk or flash memory. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1: Visit notification system 10: Pharmacy terminal 11: Input unit (input means) 12: Memory unit (recording medium) 13: Judgment department 14: Period calculation unit (period calculation means) 15: Display control unit (notification means, presentation means) 16: Notification timing determination unit (timing determination means) 17: Communication section (notification means) 18: Processing section (processing means) 19: Search section (search means) 20: Server B: Decision button D1: Patient information D2: Information indicating the prescription issue date D3: Usage period information D4: Doctor's information D5: Prescribing information D51: Information on the number of days of dispensing D6: Refill information D7: Number of times available D8: Additional information D9: Address information D10: Contact Information D11: ID information D12: Refill prescription usage information D13: Remaining number of uses information D14: Information on the next available dispensing period D15: Notification timing information D16: Previously notified information D17: Selection input section D18: Notification selection section D21: Information that medication can be dispensed in person D22: Information about expiration date D23: Information that the next use will be the last

Claims

1. A visit notification system that executes a process to encourage a patient who has a refill prescription that can be used multiple times and has information on at least a prescribed drug, the number of days for dispensing, and the number of times that it can be used to visit a pharmacy, an input means for inputting patient information, information on the dispensing date, and information on the number of days for dispensing the refill prescription; a period calculation means for calculating the next period during which the refill prescription can be used based on the information on the number of days for dispensing and the information on the dispensing date input by the input means, when the refill prescription can be used next time; a notification means for notifying at least one of the patient and the pharmacist that the patient should visit the pharmacy before the dispensing period calculated by the period calculation means has elapsed; A visit notification system comprising:

2. The system further includes a timing determination means for determining the timing of notification before the next dispensing possible period calculated by the period calculation means has elapsed, The notification means notifies the patient or the pharmacist when the timing determined by the timing determination means arrives.

2. The visit notification system according to claim 1.

3. The notification means, when the timing determined by the timing determination means arrives, presents the pharmacist with information on the patient who should be encouraged to visit the pharmacy as the notification, and allows the pharmacist to select a method for encouraging the patient to visit the pharmacy.

3. The visit notification system according to claim 2.

4. The notification means notifies the patient to visit the pharmacy in accordance with a method selected by the pharmacist, and The system further includes a processing unit for recording a history of the notification by the notification unit.

4. The visit notification system according to claim 3.

5. a search means for performing a search based on at least one of the next available dispensing period and the next scheduled dispensing date calculated by the period calculation means, and the notification timing determined by the timing determination means; and a presentation means for presenting to a pharmacist information on the patient side that is found by the search of the search means, The presentation means allows the patient to select a method for encouraging the patient to visit the clinic, The notification means notifies the patient to visit the pharmacy in accordance with a method selected by the pharmacist.

3. The visit notification system according to claim 2.

6. The system further includes a processing unit for recording a history of the notification by the notification unit.

6. The visit notification system according to claim 5.

7. If the next visit will be the last use of the refill prescription, the notification means will notify the patient by including information that the next visit will be the last use.

2. The visit notification system according to claim 1.

8. A visit notification method for a visit notification system that executes a process to encourage a patient who holds a refill prescription that can be used multiple times and has information on at least a prescribed drug, a dispensing period, and a number of times that the prescription can be used, to visit a pharmacy, an input step of inputting patient information, information on the dispensing date, and information on the number of days for dispensing the refill prescription; a period calculation step of calculating the next period during which the refill prescription can be used based on the information on the number of days for dispensing and the information on the dispensing date input in the input step, when the refill prescription can be used next time; a notification step of notifying at least one of the patient and the pharmacist that the patient should visit the pharmacy based on the dispensing period calculated in the period calculation step; A visitor notification method for a visitor notification system, comprising:

9. A visit notification program for causing a computer to execute the visit notification method according to claim 8.

10. A computer-readable recording medium on which the visit notification program according to claim 9 is recorded.

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