Patient support system, patient support method of patient support system, patient support program, and recording medium

Abstract

To provide a patient support system, a patient support method of the patient support system, a patient support program, and a recording medium capable of more appropriately urging a medical examination after delivery of a medicine.SOLUTION: A patient support system includes a first acquiring unit 11a, a second acquiring unit 11b, a timing calculating unit 12, a display control unit 14, and a communication unit 15. The first acquiring unit 11a acquires basic information having information for identifying a patient, information on a contact address on the patient side, and information on a dispensing date. The second acquiring unit 11b acquires first information to fourth information. The timing calculating unit 12 calculates notification timing from the basic information acquired by the first acquiring unit 11a and the information acquired by the second acquiring unit 11b. At the notification timing calculated by the timing calculation unit 12, the notification unit 15 sends a notification including information indicating that the patient should receive a medical examination to the patient side or a pharmacist.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, a medication instruction support device for smoothly providing medication instruction, which is the job of a pharmacist, has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This device presents a standard phrase for medication instruction to the pharmacist. Here, it is preferable for the pharmacist to follow up with the patient even after providing medication instruction and dispensing the medicine. Therefore, a medication support device that presents the patient with the scheduled time for the next medication has also been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-62232 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-33614 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, the present applicant has discovered that, in terms of patient follow-up, there are situations in which a doctor's examination should be encouraged based on the medication prescribed to the patient, the characteristics of the patient, and the like.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and its purpose is to provide a patient support system, a patient support method for the patient support system, a patient support program, and a recording medium that can more appropriately encourage examination after medication is dispensed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The patient support system of the present invention comprises: a first acquisition means for acquiring basic information including information for identifying a patient, contact information for the patient, and information on the dispensing date when the medicine was dispensed and dispensed; a second acquisition means for acquiring first information which is information on the medicine dispensed to the patient; a second information which is a combination of the medicine information and patient information which is at least one of physical information on the patient's body and lifestyle information on the patient's lifestyle; a third information which is a combination of the medicine information and information on the number of dispensing days corresponding to the quantity of the medicine dispensed and dispensed; or a fourth information which is a combination of refill dispensing information indicating that the medicine has been dispensed based on a refill prescription, remaining number information indicating the remaining number of times the refill prescription can be used, and information on the number of dispensing days; a timing calculation means for calculating a notification timing from the basic information acquired by the first acquisition means and the information acquired by the second acquisition means; and a notification means for issuing a notification to the patient or a pharmacist, including information that the patient should receive a medical examination, at the notification timing calculated by the timing calculation means.

[0007] Furthermore, the patient support method of the patient support system according to the present invention comprises: a first acquisition step of acquiring basic information including information for identifying the patient, contact information for the patient, and information on the dispensing date when the medication was dispensed and dispensed; a second acquisition step of acquiring first information which is information on the medication dispensed to the patient, second information which is a combination of the medication information and patient information which is at least one of physical information about the patient's body and lifestyle information about the patient's lifestyle; third information which is a combination of the medication information and information on the number of days for dispensing corresponding to the quantity of medication dispensed and dispensed; or fourth information which is a combination of refill prescription information indicating that the medication has been dispensed based on a refill prescription, remaining number information indicating the remaining number of times the refill prescription can be used, and information on the number of days for dispensing; a timing calculation step of calculating a notification timing from the basic information acquired in the first acquisition step and the information acquired in the second acquisition step; and a notification step of issuing a notification to the patient or a pharmacist, including information on when the patient should receive a medical examination, at the notification timing calculated in the timing calculation step.

[0008] A patient support program according to the present invention is for causing a computer to function the above-mentioned device, and a recording medium has this patient support program recorded on it. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a patient support system, a patient support method for the patient support system, a patient support program, and a recording medium that can more appropriately prompt a patient to undergo a medical examination after medication is dispensed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram showing a patient support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2A to 2C are conceptual diagrams showing examples of notifications by the patient support 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] 4 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of information acquired by a first acquisition unit shown in FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 5] 4 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of information acquired by the second acquisition unit shown in FIG. 3, where (a) shows the first information, (b) shows the second information, (c) shows the third information, and (d) shows the fourth information. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a prescription. [Figure 7] 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a storage configuration of a storage unit that includes information on notification timing based on first information. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a storage configuration of a storage unit including information on notification timing based on second information. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a storage configuration of a storage unit including information on notification timing based on third information. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a storage configuration of a storage unit including information on notification timing based on fourth information. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a front view of a screen showing an example of a notification to a pharmacist. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a front view of the screen showing another example of a notification to a pharmacist. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a front view of a terminal showing an example of an email notification sent to a patient, the example being a notification based on an adverse event. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a front view of a terminal showing an example of a notification sent by an app to a patient, the notification being based on an adverse event. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a front view of a terminal showing another example of a notification by email sent to a patient, showing an example of a notification based on a chronic disease. [Figure 16] 1 is a first flowchart showing a patient support method, illustrating a process of calculating notification timing based on first information. [Figure 17] 10 is a second flowchart showing the patient support method, illustrating the process of calculating the notification timing based on the second information. [Figure 18] 10 is a third flowchart showing the patient support method, illustrating the process of calculating the notification timing based on third information. [Figure 19] 10 is a fourth flowchart showing the patient support method, illustrating the process of calculating the notification timing based on fourth information. [Figure 20] 10 is a fifth flowchart showing a patient support method, illustrating notification processing based on notification timing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] 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.

[0012] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram showing a patient support system according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the patient support system 1 provides a notification containing information that a patient should see a doctor when the patient needs to be examined, and is configured, for example, by a pharmacy terminal 10. The patient support system 1 may also be configured by two or more devices, such as the pharmacy terminal 10 and a server 20.

[0013] This patient support system 1 notifies at least one of the patient and the pharmacist that the patient should receive a medical examination. Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing examples of notifications by the patient support system 1 shown in Figure 1, where (a) shows a first example, (b) shows a second example, and (c) shows a third example.

[0014] First, as shown in Fig. 2(a), the patient support system 1 notifies the pharmacist that the patient should be examined. In response, the pharmacist uses a terminal T1 (see Fig. 1) such as a smartphone owned by the pharmacist to call a terminal T2 (see Fig. 1) of the patient (including not only the patient but also the guardian, etc.), or to contact 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 be examined.

[0015] 2(b), the patient support 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 receive a medical examination by making an automated voice call or sending an email to the patient's terminal T2.

[0016] 2(c), the patient support system 1 accepts an operation from the pharmacist in advance. As a result, the patient support system 1 notifies the patient that they should receive a medical examination by making an automated voice call or sending an email to the patient's terminal T2 without notifying the pharmacist. In this case, the patient support system 1 may notify the pharmacist by displaying a message or the like that the patient has been notified.

[0017] Next, we will explain the detailed configuration of the patient support system 1. In the following, we will explain an example in which the patient support system 1 is configured by a single pharmacy terminal 10, but the patient support system 1 may also include other devices such as a server 20. Furthermore, if the patient support system 1 includes other devices such as a server 20, some of the components described below will be configured as functions of the other devices.

[0018] 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 acquisition unit 11, a timing calculation unit (timing calculation means) 12, a storage unit (recording medium) 13, a display control unit (notification means) 14, a communication unit (notification means) 15, an occurrence determination unit (occurrence determination means) 16, a continued administration determination unit (continued administration determination means) 17, a processing unit (processing means) 18, and a setting unit (setting means) 19.

[0019] The acquisition unit 11 acquires various types of information, such as information on prescriptions brought to a pharmacy, information on medical questionnaires filled out by patients, information in the storage unit 13, and external information obtained via a communication line (including information on an electronic medication history book or electronic medical record). The acquisition unit 11 may acquire information manually entered by a pharmacist or the like on a keyboard, or may acquire information using a read-in display such as a QR code (registered trademark) when the prescription or the like has such a read-in display. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 11 may receive information from a hospital terminal or a patient terminal T2 or the like via communication, or may acquire information by recognizing character information from paper, images, or the like using image recognition technology.

[0020] The acquisition unit 11 includes a first acquisition unit (first acquisition means) 11a and a second acquisition unit (second acquisition means) 11b. The first acquisition unit 11a acquires basic information. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of information acquired by the first acquisition unit 11a shown in FIG. 3. The basic information DB includes a patient identification information DB1, a patient contact information DB2, and a dispensing date information DB3. The patient identification information DB1 is information for identifying a patient, such as the patient's name, ID, address, and insurer number. The patient contact information DB2 is information indicating the patient's contact information, such as the patient's email address, ID such as LINE (registered trademark), dedicated app ID, and telephone number. Note that the telephone number information may be included in the patient identification information DB1. In other words, information that serves as both the patient identification information DB1 and the patient contact information DB2 may exist. The first acquisition unit 11a (see FIG. 3) acquires the patient identification information DB1 and the patient contact information DB2 from the basic information DB by reading the prescription, the medical questionnaire, and information in the memory unit 13 (see FIG. 3).

[0021] Furthermore, the first acquisition unit 11a identifies the dispensing date based on calendar information acquired from the storage unit 13 or externally, and acquires the dispensing date information DB3. In this embodiment, the acquisition unit 11 is assumed to operate immediately before or after dispensing a medicine. Therefore, the first acquisition unit 11a acquires today as the dispensing date information DB3. However, the first acquisition unit 11a is not limited to this, and may, for example, execute an acquisition process every predetermined number of days to acquire past dates as the dispensing date information DB3.

[0022] The second acquisition unit 11b shown in Fig. 3 acquires at least one of the first to fourth information. Fig. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of information acquired by the second acquisition unit 11b shown in Fig. 3, where (a) shows the first information, (b) shows the second information, (c) shows the third information, and (d) shows the fourth information. Note that the second acquisition unit 11b also acquires at least one of the first to fourth information from a prescription, a medical questionnaire, a memory unit (see Fig. 3) 13, an external source, etc.

[0023] The first information D1 shown in Figure 5(a) is composed of information Da about the medicine dispensed to the patient. The medicine information Da includes name information Da1 indicating the name of the prescription medicine (including the amount of ingredients such as XX mg), dosage and administration information Da2, and package insert information Da3 that is written on the package insert of the prescription medicine.

[0024] The second information D2 shown in Figure 5(b) is a combination of the above-mentioned drug information Da and patient information Db. The patient information Db is composed of physical information Db1 related to the patient's body and lifestyle information Db2 related to the patient's lifestyle. Note that the patient information Db may be composed of only either the physical information Db1 or the lifestyle information Db2.

[0025] Physical information Db1 specifically includes at least one of the patient's age, height, weight, sex, pregnancy status, allergies, body surface area, and past illnesses. Lifestyle information Db2 specifically includes at least one of the patient's specific foods, smoking status, and occupation. The specific foods may be favorites such as wine or coffee, or foods rich in specific ingredients such as iodine-rich kelp, wakame seaweed, and abalone. The specific foods may be foods the patient prefers to eat, or foods the patient may eat but do not prefer. Whether a food is preferred can be determined, for example, by interviewing the patient. The foods may be anything ingested, not just food ingredients, but also supplements, etc.

[0026] The third information D3 shown in FIG. 5(c) is a combination of the above-mentioned drug information Da and dispensing period information Dc. The dispensing period information Dc corresponds to the quantity of the drug dispensed and dispensed, and is determined by calculation from the quantity and usage. The dispensing period is written on the prescription, and the dispensing period information Dc is included in the electronic medication history book, etc. Therefore, the dispensing period information Dc is not limited to information calculated by calculation, but may also be information read from the prescription, electronic medication history book, etc.

[0027] The fourth information D4 shown in Figure 5(d) is a combination of the information Dc on the number of days for dispensing, refill delivery information Dd, and remaining number of uses information De. The refill delivery information Dd is information that indicates that a drug has been delivered based on a refill prescription. The remaining number of uses information De is information that indicates the remaining number of uses of the refill prescription.

[0028] A refill prescription is a prescription issued by a doctor for the first time, and after that, the patient can receive the medicine directly at a pharmacy without going through a doctor's examination until the maximum number of times is reached. There is a set maximum number of times that a refill prescription can be used; for example, as of April 1, 2024, the maximum number of times is three.

[0029] Fig. 6 is a front view showing an example of a prescription. The basic information DB (see Fig. 4) and part of the first to fourth information D1 to D4 (see Fig. 5) described above can be obtained, for example, from information written on a prescription. As shown in Fig. 6, the patient's name is written on the prescription. The first acquisition unit 11a (see Fig. 3) can acquire the name information, which is one of the patient identification information DB1, based on this written information.

[0030] The prescription also includes the patient's gender. Based on this information, the second acquisition unit 11b (see FIG. 3) can acquire gender information, which is one of the physical information Db1. The prescription also includes the patient's date of birth. The date of birth, combined with today's information, indicates the patient's age. Therefore, the second acquisition unit 11b can acquire age information, which is one of the physical information Db1, based on the date of birth information Db1'.

[0031] The prescription also contains the prescribed drug, dosage and administration, and the number of days for dispensing. Based on these descriptions, the second acquisition unit 11b can acquire name information Da1, dosage and administration information Da2, and number of days for dispensing Dc.

[0032] Furthermore, if the prescription is a refill prescription, the prescription contains a description Dd' indicating that it is a refill prescription and a description De' indicating the upper limit of the number of uses. The second acquisition unit 11b can acquire refill delivery information Dd (see FIG. 5) indicating that the medicine has been delivered based on the refill prescription, based on the description Dd' indicating that it is a refill prescription. The second acquisition unit 11b can also acquire remaining number of uses information De (see FIG. 5) based on the description De' indicating the upper limit of the number of uses. At this time, the second acquisition unit 11b can acquire the remaining number of uses information De from the description De' indicating the upper limit of the number of uses and the usage history stored in the electronic medication history book. Note that a refill prescription also contains a description De'' of the usage history. Therefore, the second acquisition unit 11b may acquire the remaining number of uses information De based on the description De' indicating the upper limit of the number of uses and the description De'' of the usage history.

[0033] It is possible that some patients have multiple refill prescriptions with different contents. Therefore, when referring to the information in the electronic medication history book, it is preferable that the pharmacy terminal 10 (see FIG. 3) checks the usage history of the same refill prescription based on information Df on the prescription issuance date, information Dg on the medical institution that issued the prescription, name information Da1, dosage and administration information Da2, and information Dc on the number of days for dispensing.

[0034] Referring again to Figure 3, the first acquisition unit 11a acquires the patient's address as one of the patient identification information DB1 (see Figure 4) from the details of the questionnaire filled out when the patient visits the pharmacy for the first time, etc. The first acquisition unit 11a also acquires patient contact information DB2 (see Figure 4) indicating the patient's contact information from the patient's telephone number, email address, etc. filled out in the questionnaire. The first acquisition unit 11a may also acquire this information from an electronic medication history book, etc.

[0035] The timing calculation unit 12 calculates the notification timing based on the basic information DB (see FIG. 4) and at least one of the first to fourth information D1 to D4 (see FIG. 5).

[0036] The storage unit 13 stores the above-mentioned various information DBs, D1 to D4, as well as calculated information (particularly, information on the timing of notification), etc. Furthermore, the storage unit 13 is not limited to this, and also functions as a recording medium for recording a patient support program that enables the pharmacy terminal 10 to function as the patient support system 1.

[0037] Next, the notification timing will be described. First, the notification timing based on the first information D1 shown in FIG.

[0038] The first information D1 is composed of drug information Da. One piece of drug information Da is package insert information Da3, which includes information on adverse events (including side effects) that are likely to occur with the drug, the timing of such events, and the timing of when the drug's effects will appear.

[0039] Therefore, the pharmacy terminal 10 shown in Figure 3 can determine the date on which an adverse event is likely to occur and the date on which the drug's effects will be realized from the dispensing date information DB3 (see Figure 4) and the above-mentioned period. The timing calculation unit 12 calculates the date on which such an adverse event is likely to occur and the date on which the drug's effects will be realized as notification timing.

[0040] If the information Da3 (see FIG. 5) on the package insert of the prescription drug does not contain or is insufficient regarding the adverse events that are likely to occur, their timing, and the timing at which the drug will take effect, the second acquisition unit 11b may acquire this information from external information such as the website of the prescription drug manufacturer, academic conference presentations, technical literature, etc. Alternatively, this information may be stored in advance in the memory unit 13 of the patient support system 1 according to this embodiment, and the second acquisition unit 11b may acquire this information from the memory unit 13.

[0041] Fig. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the storage configuration of the storage unit 13 including information on notification timing based on the first information D1. As shown in Fig. 7, the storage unit 13 (see Fig. 3) stores information DT on notification timing based on the first information D1 (see Fig. 5). That is, the storage unit 13 stores information DT1 on adverse event notification timing based on a period when an adverse event is likely to occur as notification timing information DT. The storage unit 13 also stores information DT2 on effect notification timing based on a period when the effect of the drug is produced as notification timing information DT.

[0042] Furthermore, the storage unit 13 stores, in association with the notification timing information DT, patient identification information DB1 such as patient ID, name, address, etc., physical information Db1 such as patient gender, age, etc., name information Da1, dosage and administration information Da2, and patient contact information DB2 such as email address, telephone number, etc. Note that the information stored in association is not limited to the above, and other information may be stored in association if compatible.

[0043] 7, all the notification timing information DT is set to 1:00 PM, but this is not limited to 1:00 PM. Therefore, the notification times may be distributed so that notifications are not sent at the same time to multiple patients, or if the patient has a job that makes them busy during the day, the notification time may be set to nighttime. The same applies to the notification timings based on the second to fourth information D2 to D4 (see FIG. 5).

[0044] Next, the notification timing based on the second information D2 shown in FIG. 5 will be described. The second information D2 is composed of drug information Da and patient information Db. Package insert information Da3, which is one type of drug information Da, contains information on adverse events that are likely to occur with the drug, their timing, and the time when the drug's effects will become apparent, regardless of the patient information Db. Package insert information Da3 also contains information on the likelihood of adverse events occurring in certain age groups, those with certain allergies, or those with certain lifestyle habits, as well as information on the time when these adverse events are likely to occur. Therefore, the pharmacy terminal 10 (occurrence determination unit 16, described below) shown in FIG. 3 can determine whether an adverse event will occur based on the relationship between the drug information Da and patient information Db shown in FIG. 5.

[0045] 3 can determine the date on which an adverse event is likely to occur and the date on which the drug's effects are likely to appear, based on the dispensing date information DB3 (see FIG. 4) and the above-mentioned time period. The timing calculation unit 12 calculates the date on which such an adverse event will occur and the date on which the drug's effects are likely to appear as notification timings.

[0046] Fig. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the storage configuration of the storage unit 13 including information on notification timing based on the second information D2. As shown in Fig. 8, the storage unit 13 (see Fig. 3) stores information DT on notification timing based on the second information D2 (see Fig. 5). That is, the storage unit 13 stores information DT1 on adverse event notification timing based on a period when an adverse event is likely to occur as notification timing information DT. The storage unit 13 also stores information DT2 on effect notification timing based on a period when the effect of the drug is produced as notification timing information DT.

[0047] Furthermore, the storage unit 13 stores, in association with the notification timing information DT, patient identification information DB1 such as patient ID, name, address, etc., physical information Db1 such as patient gender and age, name information Da1, dosage and administration information Da2, physical information Db1 such as patient allergies, whether or not pregnant, and past illnesses, lifestyle information Db2 such as patient's favorite foods and whether or not they smoke, and patient contact information DB2 such as email addresses and telephone numbers. Note that the information stored in association is not limited to the above, and other information may be stored in association if compatible.

[0048] As mentioned above, there are adverse events that are likely to occur in infants and young children, and adverse events that are likely to occur in the elderly. Therefore, instead of or in addition to age, age categories such as infant, young child, and elderly person may be stored as one of the physical information Db1. The same applies to the storage configuration shown in FIG. 7 and the storage configurations described below.

[0049] Next, the timing of notification based on the third information D3 shown in FIG. 5 will be described. The third information D3 is composed of drug information Da and dispensing date information Dc. Information Da3 on the package insert, which is one of the drug information Da, contains information on drug efficacy, and it is possible to infer that the patient has a chronic disease from the drug efficacy. For example, if only a blood pressure lowering drug is prescribed, it can be inferred that the patient has high blood pressure. Furthermore, if a phosphate binder is prescribed in addition to a blood pressure lowering drug, it can be inferred that the patient has kidney disease.

[0050] Therefore, the pharmacy terminal 10 shown in FIG. 3 (continuation medication determination unit 17, described later) can infer from the medication information Da (see FIG. 5) that the patient has a chronic disease, and can determine that continued medication is necessary if the patient has a chronic disease. Therefore, when the continuation medication determination unit 17 determines that continued medication is necessary, the timing calculation unit 12 calculates the timing before the medication is taken up as the notification timing based on the dispensing date information Dc (see FIG. 5) and the dispensing date information DB3 (see FIG. 4). Specifically, the timing calculation unit 12 can determine the timing at which the medication will be taken up if the patient takes the medication appropriately based on the dispensing date information Dc and the dispensing date information DB3. The timing calculation unit 12 calculates the notification timing to be, for example, a predetermined number of days before this timing.

[0051] It should be noted that the storage unit 13 stores information regarding what kind of medicine and its efficacy indicate a chronic disease.

[0052] Furthermore, the pharmacy terminal 10 (continuation determination unit 17 described below) may determine the need for continued administration based not only on the latest drug information Da but also on information Da on multiple past doses of the drug. For example, the continuation determination unit 17 may determine the need for continued administration based on whether a drug with the same efficacy has been prescribed continuously, that is, whether a drug with the same efficacy has been prescribed within a predetermined number of days before or after the day the drug is to be taken up.

[0053] Fig. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the storage configuration of the storage unit 13 including information on the notification timing based on the third information D3. As shown in Fig. 9, the storage unit 13 (see Fig. 3) stores information DT on the notification timing based on the third information D3 (see Fig. 5). That is, the storage unit 13 stores information DT on the notification timing before the medicine that needs to be taken continuously is taken up.

[0054] Furthermore, the storage unit 13 stores, in association with the notification timing information DT, patient identification information DB1 such as patient ID, name, address, etc., physical information Db1 such as patient gender and age, name information Da1, dosage and administration information Da2, dispensing period information Dc, and patient contact information DB2 such as email address, telephone number, etc. Note that the information stored in association is not limited to the above, and other information may be stored in association if compatible.

[0055] Next, the notification timing based on the fourth information D4 shown in Figure 5 will be explained. The fourth information D4 is composed of refill delivery information Dd, remaining number of times information De, and number of days for dispensing information Dc. As described above, by using a refill prescription, patients can receive medication without seeing a doctor until the maximum number of times is reached. However, if the patient wishes to receive medication after the maximum number of times has been reached, the patient must see a doctor.

[0056] For this reason, the pharmacy terminal 10 shown in FIG. 3 determines that the refill prescription cannot be reused if the remaining number information De (see FIG. 5) indicates "0 times." Therefore, if the refill prescription cannot be reused, the timing calculation unit 12 calculates the timing before the medicine is taken up as the notification timing based on the dispensing days information Dc (see FIG. 5) and the dispensing date information DB3 (see FIG. 4). Specifically, the timing calculation unit 12 can determine the timing when the medicine will be taken up if the patient takes the medicine appropriately based on the dispensing days information Dc and the dispensing date information DB3. The timing calculation unit 12 calculates the notification timing to be, for example, a predetermined number of days before this timing.

[0057] Fig. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the storage configuration of the storage unit 13 including information on the notification timing based on the fourth information D4. As shown in Fig. 10, the storage unit 13 (see Fig. 3) stores information DT on the notification timing based on the fourth information D4 (see Fig. 5). That is, the storage unit 13 stores information DT on the notification timing before the medicine is taken up in the case where the refill prescription is not reusable.

[0058] Furthermore, the storage unit 13 stores, in association with the notification timing information DT, patient identification information DB1 such as patient ID, name, address, etc., physical information Db1 such as patient gender and age, name information Da1, information Dc on the number of days for dispensing, refill delivery information Dd, remaining number of times information De, and patient contact information DB2 such as email address, telephone number, etc. Note that the information stored in association is not limited to the above, and other information may be stored in association if compatible.

[0059] Referring again to Figure 3, the display control unit 14 controls the display of the pharmacy terminal 10. In particular, in this embodiment, the display control unit 14 functions to notify the pharmacist when the notification timing arrives.

[0060] Fig. 11 is a front view of a screen showing an example of a notification to a pharmacist. In the example shown in Fig. 11, the display control unit 14 (see Fig. 3) shows an example of a notification at a notification timing based on, for example, the first information D1 (see Fig. 5: a period when an adverse event is likely to occur). When the notification timing arrives, the display control unit 14 notifies the pharmacist that the patient should be examined, based on the content stored in the memory unit 13 (see Fig. 3) as shown in Fig. 11. As a result, the display control unit 14 presents the pharmacist with information about the patient who should be examined.

[0061] Specifically, the display control unit 14 displays an excerpt or the like of a portion of the storage configuration of the storage unit 13 shown in FIG. 7, and also displays the text "If an adverse event occurs, guidance should be given to the patient to receive a medical examination" as information that a medical examination should be performed if an adverse event occurs. Note that various expressions are possible for the text display. Furthermore, the display control unit 14 displays an excerpt or the like of a portion of the storage configuration except for the text display, but is not limited to this, and the entire storage configuration of the storage unit 13 may be displayed. Furthermore, when a portion is excerpted, the content to be excerpted can be changed as appropriate.

[0062] Furthermore, the display control unit 14 presents the pharmacist with a selection unit SP that allows the pharmacist to select a method for encouraging the patient to receive a medical examination. In the example shown in FIG. 7, three contact points for "X Taro" are stored as patient contact information DB2: an email address, a telephone number, and an app ID. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, the display control unit 14 displays a selection unit SP with check boxes corresponding to each contact point, allowing the pharmacist to select which patient contact information DB2 to use for notification to the patient. In FIG. 11, 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, "X Taro" will be notified via the app that he or she should receive a medical examination.

[0063] When multiple check boxes are displayed in the selection section SP, such as "Taro X", it is preferable to allow multiple check boxes to be checked, as this allows notification to be made in multiple ways.

[0064] The pharmacist may also choose not to check the checkbox. This allows the pharmacist to choose not to send a notification by pressing the decision button B without selecting a notification method, for example, if the pharmacist knows that it is inappropriate to prompt the patient to see a doctor because the patient is currently hospitalized for another illness.

[0065] In addition, by having the pharmacist search based on the patient, notification timing, etc., the screen shown in Figure 11 can be displayed in advance before notification, and by selecting the contact method before notification, advance operations can be performed and the notification pattern shown in Figure 2(c) can be realized.

[0066] Fig. 12 is a front view of the screen showing another example of a notification to a pharmacist. In the example shown in Fig. 12, the display control unit 14 (see Fig. 3) shows an example of a notification at a notification timing based on, for example, the third information D3 (see Fig. 5: chronic disease). When the notification timing arrives, the display control unit 14 notifies the pharmacist that the patient should be examined, based on the contents stored in the memory unit 13 (see Fig. 3) as shown in Fig. 12. As a result, the display control unit 14 presents the pharmacist with information about the patient who should be examined.

[0067] At this time, the display control unit 14 displays an excerpt or the like of a portion of the storage configuration of the storage unit 13 shown in Fig. 9, and also displays the following text as information that the remaining medicine that needs to be taken continuously is low and that a medical examination is required: "If the medicine is being taken correctly, the remaining medicine is low, so you will need to be examined and have the medicine dispensed again." Note that the wording of the text display and the display configuration of the part other than the text display can be changed as appropriate, as described above.

[0068] Although not shown in the figure, the display control unit 14 also displays and notifies the pharmacist of information that if the medicine is not working, the patient should see a doctor, and that since the refill prescription cannot be reused, the patient should see a doctor before the medicine runs out.

[0069] Referring again to Figure 3, the communication unit 15 is a functional unit that communicates with the patient, and in this embodiment functions as a means for notifying the patient that they should receive a medical examination. For example, the notification method using an email address is selected for "XX Hanako" shown in Figure 12. Therefore, the communication unit 15 sends a notification to "XX Hanako" by email. Similarly, the notification method using an app is selected for "XX Taro." Therefore, the communication unit 15 sends a notification to "XX Taro" using the app that they should receive a medical examination.

[0070] FIG. 13 is a front view of terminal T2 showing an example of an email notification sent to a patient, illustrating an example of a notification based on an adverse event. For example, assume that an email notification is sent from the communication unit 15 (see FIG. 3) of the pharmacy terminal 10 (see FIG. 3). In this case, when the patient opens the email, the notification content is displayed on the display unit of terminal T2. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the communication unit 15 notifies the patient that they should be examined by notifying them of the adverse event (D51), such as a side effect, information D52 on how to respond when the adverse event occurs, and information D53 indicating that they should be examined if the adverse event is serious. By referring to the notification content, the patient can learn of the need for examination. Note that the information D53 indicating that they should be examined is displayed even if the adverse event is not serious. While FIG. 13 illustrates an example of an email notification, the same applies to notifications via apps, SMS, and the like. In addition, notifications via automated voice calls are formatted as read-outs of the above-described display content.

[0071] 14 is a front view of terminal T2 showing an example of a notification sent to the patient by an app, which shows an example of a notification based on an adverse event. Similarly, in the notification by the app, communication unit 15 (see FIG. 3) notifies the patient that they should receive a medical examination by notifying them of information D51 to D53. Furthermore, it is preferable that communication unit 15 notifies them by including an event selection unit EP that allows the patient to select an adverse event that has occurred.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 14, terminal T2 displays an event selection section EP for possible adverse events and a reply operation section RP. Specifically, the event selection section EP displays a check box adjacent to each adverse event, allowing the user to select an adverse event that has occurred. Furthermore, the event selection section EP preferably includes a selection section that allows the user to select "none" to indicate that no adverse event has occurred. The patient can select one of the event selection sections EP and operate the reply operation section RP to reply to the pharmacy terminal 10 (see FIG. 3).

[0073] In addition, if there is no reply from the patient regarding the adverse event and there is no evidence that the patient has been examined at a medical institution or visited the pharmacy, the pharmacy terminal 10 preferably sends a notification again. Note that evidence of examination at a medical institution can be obtained by communication with a terminal on the medical institution side (not shown).

[0074] Furthermore, if the patient replies that an adverse event has occurred, the pharmacy terminal 10 preferably erases the notification timing information DT based on the current medication. If the patient replies that an adverse event has occurred, the medication is generally discontinued. For this reason, it is preferable to erase the notification timing information DT so that notifications based on the same medication are not made in the future. Note that, to more reliably confirm that medication has been discontinued, processing such as acquiring information from the medical institution's terminal may be added.

[0075] FIG. 15 is a front view of terminal T2 showing another example of a notification by email sent to the patient, showing an example of a notification based on a chronic disease. For example, a notification is sent by email from the communication unit 15 (see FIG. 3) of the pharmacy terminal 10 (see FIG. 3), and when the patient opens the email, the notification content is displayed on the display unit of terminal T2. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the communication unit 15 notifies the patient that they should see a doctor by sending information D54 indicating that they need to continue taking their current medication and information D55 indicating that they should see a doctor to receive the medication. The patient can learn of the need for a medical examination by referring to the notification content. Notifications are also sent via apps, SMS, etc. in the same way. In addition, for automated voice calls, the notification content as described above is read aloud.

[0076] Referring again to FIG. 3, the occurrence determination unit 16 determines whether an adverse event will occur in a patient identified by the basic information DB (see FIG. 4) based on the second information D2 (see FIG. 5). The second information D2 includes drug information Da (see FIG. 5) and patient information Db (see FIG. 5). Therefore, the occurrence determination unit 16 determines that an adverse event will not occur if the drug information Da indicates that the drug is free of adverse events such as side effects, or if the combination of the drug information Da and the patient information Db indicates that an adverse event cannot occur. Note that, depending on the drug, multiple adverse events may occur. Therefore, the occurrence determination unit 16 may determine that some of the multiple adverse events will occur, but the remaining adverse events will not occur.

[0077] When the occurrence determination unit 16 determines that no adverse events will occur, the timing calculation unit 12 prohibits calculation of the notification timing. This prevents unnecessary notifications from being sent. Also, a large number of adverse events may occur depending on the drug. Therefore, when the occurrence determination unit 16 determines that some of the many adverse events will occur and the remaining adverse events will not occur, the timing calculation unit 12 prohibits calculation of the notification timing for the remaining adverse events.

[0078] The continuous administration determination unit 17 determines whether or not continuous administration is necessary based on the drug information Da (see FIG. 5) of the third information D3 (see FIG. 5). As described above, the drug efficacy is clear from the drug information Da, and it is possible to infer that the patient has a chronic disease from the drug efficacy. Therefore, the continuous administration determination unit 17 can infer that the patient has a chronic disease from the drug information Da, and if it can be inferred that the patient has a chronic disease, it determines that continuous administration is necessary.

[0079] The timing calculation unit 12 calculates the notification timing based on the third information D3 when the continuous administration judgment unit 17 judges that continuous administration is necessary, and prohibits the calculation of the notification timing based on the third information D3 when it judges that continuous administration is not necessary.

[0080] The processing unit 18 records the history of notifications made by the communication unit 15. The notification history (notification method and notification date and time) is recorded by the recording process by the processing unit 18. Furthermore, it is preferable that the processing unit 18 also records information on the notification content.

[0081] Here, when the notification pattern shown in FIG. 2(a) is employed, the pharmacy terminal 10 does not need to include the communication unit 15. In this case, the display control unit 14 may display the selection unit SP (see FIGS. 11 and 12) 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 unit SP and the decision button B (see FIGS. 11 and 12) is pressed, a notification history can be recorded. In this case, since the pharmacist must remember to send the email himself, it is preferable that the pharmacy terminal 10 confirms, after a predetermined time (e.g., one hour), by displaying a pop-up or the like, whether the notification has been sent using the selected notification method.

[0082] The setting unit 19 sets the notification conditions and notification methods for the patient. The notification conditions include, for example, when a notification timing based on an adverse event has occurred or when a refill prescription cannot be reused. The notification method includes notification by email or automated voice call.

[0083] Here, the pharmacy terminal 10 can display in advance the screens shown in Figures 11 and 12, or a screen combining Figures 11 and 12, based on a search by a pharmacist or the like. For example, when the screen combining Figures 11 and 12 is displayed, assume that the pharmacist checks only the checkbox corresponding to the email address in the selection unit SP for notifications based on adverse events for a specific patient. In this case, the setting unit 19 shown in Figure 3 sets the arrival of the timing for notification based on an adverse event for the specific patient as the notification condition and sets notification by email as the notification method.

[0084] As a result, when the time comes for notification based on an adverse event for a specific patient, the notification will be sent to the patient by email, omitting notification to the pharmacist, as shown in Figure 2(c). On the other hand, since the checkbox for notifications regarding continued medication is not checked, when the time comes for notification based on continued medication, the screen shown in Figure 12 will be displayed.

[0085] Next, a description will be given of a patient support method using the patient support system 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 16 is a first flowchart showing the patient support method, illustrating the process of calculating the notification timing based on the first information D1.

[0086] 16, first acquisition unit 11a of pharmacy terminal 10 acquires basic information DB (S1). Next, second acquisition unit 11b acquires first information D1 (S2). In these processes, various pieces of information are acquired by various methods, such as manual input, QR code input, and input using image recognition technology.

[0087] Next, the pharmacy terminal 10 determines the time when an adverse event is likely to occur and the time when the drug's effects are likely to occur, for example, based on package insert information Da3 (S3). In this process, if multiple adverse events are likely to occur, the time when each adverse event is likely to occur is determined. Also, if multiple drugs are expected to produce multiple effects, the time for each effect is determined.

[0088] Thereafter, the timing calculation unit 12 calculates the notification timing based on the time determined in step S3 (S4). Then, the process shown in FIG. 16 ends. In this process, if an adverse event is likely to occur within a period of 3 to 5 days, for example, the timing calculation unit 12 calculates the notification timing by adding 3 days to the dispensing date information DB3. That is, in order to make the patient aware of the adverse event early, the timing calculation unit 12 calculates the notification timing by adding the earliest day during which the adverse event is likely to occur (3 days in the above example) to the dispensing date information DB3.

[0089] Furthermore, if, for example, a first adverse event is likely to occur within a period of 3 to 5 days and a second adverse event is likely to occur within a period of 4 to 7 days, the timing calculation unit 12 calculates the notification timing by adding the overlapping days of the periods of the multiple adverse events (4 or 5 days in the above example) to the dispensing date information DB3. This allows multiple adverse events to be notified in one go. Note that if there are multiple overlapping days, it is preferable to use the earliest of those days (4 days in the above example).

[0090] Furthermore, if the drug's effects are likely to occur within a period of, for example, 3 to 5 days, the timing calculation unit 12 calculates the notification timing by adding 5 days to the dispensing date information DB3. That is, in order to prevent the patient from mistakenly determining that the drug is ineffective when the drug's effects are delayed due to individual differences, the timing calculation unit 12 calculates the notification timing by adding the last day of the period in which the drug's effects appear (5 days in the above example) to the dispensing date information DB3. If multiple drug effects are expected from multiple drugs, overlapping days may be added, as in the case of adverse events described above. Furthermore, if there are multiple overlapping days, it is preferable to use the last day of those overlapping days.

[0091] FIG. 17 is a second flowchart showing the patient support method, illustrating the process of calculating the notification timing based on the second information D2.

[0092] 17, first acquisition unit 11a of pharmacy terminal 10 acquires basic information DB (S11). Next, second acquisition unit 11b acquires second information D2 (S12). In these processes, various pieces of information are acquired by various methods, such as manual input, QR code input, and input using image recognition technology.

[0093] Next, the occurrence determination unit 16 determines whether or not there is a possibility of an adverse event occurring based on the second information D2 (S13). If the drug information Da indicates that the drug does not have any adverse events such as side effects of the drug alone, and an adverse event is not likely to occur even when the drug information Da and the patient information Db are combined, the occurrence determination unit 16 determines that there is no possibility of an adverse event occurring (S13: NO).

[0094] If it is determined that there is no possibility of an adverse event occurring (S13: NO), the pharmacy terminal 10 determines the time when the drug's effect will occur, for example, based on package insert information Da3 (S14). In this process, if multiple drug effects are expected from multiple drugs, the time when each effect will occur is determined. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S16. Note that, since this process does not determine the time when an adverse event is likely to occur, calculation of notification timing based on the adverse event is prohibited.

[0095] On the other hand, if it is determined that an adverse event may occur (S13: YES), the pharmacy terminal 10 determines the time when the adverse event is likely to occur and the time when the drug's effects will be realized, for example, based on package insert information Da3 (S15). In this process, if multiple adverse events are likely to occur, the time when each adverse event is likely to occur is determined. Also, if multiple drugs are expected to produce multiple drug effects, the time for each adverse event is determined. Then, the process proceeds to step S16.

[0096] In step S16, the timing calculation unit 12 calculates the notification timing based on the time determined in step S14 or step S15 (S16). After that, the process shown in Fig. 17 ends. This process is the same as step S4 shown in Fig. 16.

[0097] FIG. 18 is a third flowchart showing the patient support method, illustrating the process of calculating the notification timing based on the third information D3.

[0098] 18, first acquisition unit 11a of pharmacy terminal 10 acquires basic information DB (S21). Next, second acquisition unit 11b acquires third information D3 (S22). In these processes, various pieces of information are acquired by various methods, such as manual input, QR code input, and input using image recognition technology.

[0099] Next, the continuous administration determination unit 17 determines whether the patient needs to continue taking the medicine (S23). For example, if only a blood pressure lowering drug has been prescribed, the continuous administration determination unit 17 can infer that the patient has high blood pressure (a chronic disease), and therefore determines that the drug needs to be taken continuously (S23: YES). Information about what drugs and their effects indicate a chronic disease is stored in the memory unit 13. Therefore, the continuous administration determination unit 17 determines whether the drug needs to be taken continuously based on the contents stored in the memory unit 13.

[0100] If it is determined that continued administration is necessary (S23: YES), the timing calculation unit 12 calculates the notification timing, which is the timing before the medicine is consumed (S24). In this process, the timing calculation unit 12 calculates the notification timing to be, for example, a predetermined number of days before the medicine is consumed if the patient takes the medicine appropriately. Then, the process shown in FIG. 18 ends.

[0101] On the other hand, if it is determined that continuous administration is not necessary (S23: NO), the process shown in Fig. 18 ends. That is, the process of step S24 is not executed, and calculation of the notification timing based on the third information D3 is prohibited. Thereafter, the process shown in Fig. 18 ends.

[0102] FIG. 19 is a fourth flowchart showing the patient support method, illustrating the process of calculating the notification timing based on the fourth information D4.

[0103] 19, first acquisition unit 11a of pharmacy terminal 10 acquires basic information DB (S31). Next, second acquisition unit 11b acquires fourth information D4 (S32). In these processes, various pieces of information are acquired by various methods, such as manual input, QR code input, and input using image recognition technology.

[0104] Next, the pharmacy terminal 10 determines whether the refill prescription can be reused (S33). In this process, the pharmacy terminal 10 determines whether the refill prescription can be reused based on, for example, remaining number information De.

[0105] If the refill prescription is not reusable (S33: NO), the timing calculation unit 12 calculates the notification timing to be the timing before the medicine is consumed (S34). In this process, the timing calculation unit 12 calculates the notification timing to be, for example, a predetermined number of days before the medicine is consumed if the patient takes the medicine appropriately. Then, the process shown in FIG. 19 ends.

[0106] On the other hand, if the refill prescription is reusable (S33: YES), the process shown in Fig. 19 ends. That is, the process of step S34 is not executed, and calculation of the notification timing based on the fourth information D4 is prohibited. Thereafter, the process shown in Fig. 19 ends.

[0107] FIG. 20 is a fifth flowchart showing the patient support method, illustrating notification processing based on notification timing.

[0108] First, as shown in Fig. 20, the pharmacy terminal 10 determines whether the notification timing has arrived (S41). If the notification timing has not arrived (S41: NO), this process is repeated until it is determined that the notification timing has arrived.

[0109] When the notification timing arrives (S41: YES), it is determined whether the corresponding prior operation has been performed for the patient for whom the notification timing arrives (S42). For example, if the notification method for a specific patient has been selected and prior operation has been performed only for notifications based on adverse events, when the notification timing for the specific patient regarding continued medication arrives, the pharmacy terminal 10 determines that the corresponding prior operation has not been performed (S42: NO).

[0110] Furthermore, for example, if a notification method is selected only for notifications based on adverse events for a specific patient and a preliminary operation is performed, when the timing for notification based on an adverse event for the specific patient arrives, pharmacy terminal 10 determines that the corresponding preliminary operation is being performed (S42: YES). That is, in this process, pharmacy terminal 10 determines whether the notification conditions set via setting unit 19 are satisfied.

[0111] In the above process, if the notification timing arrives for multiple patients at the same time and advance operations have been performed for only some of the patients, the process proceeds to step S45 for some of the patients, and the process of step S43 is executed for the remaining patients. This is not limited to multiple patients, but also applies when notification timings based on different reasons for the same patient arrive at the same time, such as a notification timing based on an adverse event for the same patient and a notification timing based on the inability to reuse a refill prescription.

[0112] If the corresponding prior operation has been performed (S42: YES), the process proceeds to step S45. On the other hand, if the corresponding prior operation has not been performed (S42: NO), the display control unit 14 notifies the pharmacist by displaying, for example, the same displays as those shown in Figures 11 and 12 (S43). At this time, if the notification timing for multiple patients, etc. arrives simultaneously, the display control unit 14 will display for multiple patients as shown in Figures 11 and 12. Although not shown, if the notification timing for multiple different reasons arrives simultaneously for the same patient, the display control unit 14 may display information, etc. for one patient and reflect the multiple reasons in the text display.

[0113] Thereafter, the pharmacy terminal 10 determines whether a notification method has been selected (S44). In the examples shown in Figures 11 and 12, the pharmacy terminal 10 determines whether any check box in the selection section SP has been checked.

[0114] If a notification method has not been selected (S44: NO), this process is repeated until a notification method is selected. On the other hand, if a notification method has been selected (S44: YES), the process proceeds to step S45.

[0115] In step S45, communication unit 15 of pharmacy terminal 10 notifies the patient (S45). Then, processing unit 18 records a history of the notified patient, notification method, notification reason, notification time, etc. (S46). Thereafter, the process shown in FIG. 20 ends.

[0116] Although not explained above, in the case of the notification pattern shown in Fig. 2(a), for example, step S41 shown in Fig. 20 is executed, and if "YES" is determined, the display of step S43 is displayed. After that, after the notification method is selected in step S44, the process ends, and the pharmacist will contact the patient by an analog method such as making a phone call.

[0117] In this way, the patient support system 1 and the patient support method according to this embodiment acquire the first to fourth information D1 to D4 in addition to the basic information, and send a notification including information that the patient should be examined, thereby more appropriately encouraging the patient to be examined after the prescription is dispensed.

[0118] Furthermore, because each drug has its own period when adverse events are likely to occur and when the drug becomes effective, the notification timing can be calculated based on the dispensing date information DB 3. Then, by sending a notification containing information that a medical examination is necessary if an adverse event occurs or if the drug is not effective, it is possible to more appropriately encourage a medical examination after the drug is dispensed.

[0119] Furthermore, depending on the combination of drug information Da and patient information Db, side effects may occur or the drug may no longer be effective. Since the timing of such adverse events is known in advance, the timing of notification can be calculated based on the dispensing date information DB3. If an adverse event occurs, a notification including information D53 indicating that a patient should be examined can be sent, thereby more appropriately encouraging the patient to be examined after the drug is dispensed.

[0120] Furthermore, if it is determined that an adverse event will not occur based on the drug information Da and the patient information Db, calculation of the notification timing for the adverse event is prohibited. By prohibiting the calculation of the notification timing in this way, notifications for adverse events that cannot occur are prohibited, and it is possible to reduce the possibility of causing anxiety to the patient due to unnecessary notifications.

[0121] Furthermore, if the patient needs to continue taking medication based on the medication information Da, a notification including information D55 indicating that there is little medication remaining and that the patient should seek medical advice can be sent, thereby more appropriately encouraging the patient to seek medical advice after the medication has been dispensed.

[0122] In addition, if a refill prescription that can be used multiple times has been used up to the maximum number of times and cannot be reused, a notification containing information D55 stating that the prescription cannot be reused and that the patient should be examined before the medicine runs out can be sent, which can more appropriately encourage the patient to be examined after the medicine is dispensed.

[0123] In addition, pharmacists are notified of patient information that should be encouraged to be examined, and are allowed to select the method of encouraging the patient to be examined. 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.

[0124] In addition, the system notifies the patient that they should receive a medical examination according to the selected method, and records the history. Therefore, once the pharmacist selects a method, they can notify the patient via automated voice call, email, app, etc., and can also record the history. This eliminates the need for the pharmacist to contact and record the selection after notifying the pharmacist and selecting the method, and allows the pharmacist to more appropriately follow up with the patient and record the results.

[0125] In addition, a setting unit 19 is provided for setting the notification conditions and notification method for the patient, and when the notification conditions are met, the patient is notified using the set notification method. This means that the notification is made based on the settings made in advance by the pharmacist, and it is possible to notify the patient without notifying the pharmacist.

[0126] Furthermore, even in the case of pre-set notifications, the history is recorded, so pharmacists can refer to the history to know whether appropriate follow-up was carried out with the patient.

[0127] Furthermore, the patient support program and recording medium according to this embodiment can realize the above-described patient support system 1 and the patient support method.

[0128] 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.

[0129] For example, in the above embodiment, the patient support system 1 functions to notify the patient that they should receive a medical examination, but it is not limited to having only this function. That is, the patient support 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.

[0130] Furthermore, the patient support system 1 of this embodiment has been described assuming that it will be used 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.

[0131] In addition, the display control unit 14 is preferably configured so that some of the display items displayed on each screen can be added or deleted.

[0132] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, notification to the pharmacist was explained as being by displaying the screen on the pharmacy terminal 10, but this is not limited to this, and notification may be done by other methods, such as displaying or printing out on the terminal T1 held by the pharmacist.

[0133] In addition, in the above embodiment, when notifying the patient, an operation 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?"

[0134] In addition, the pharmacy terminal 10 according to the above embodiment may be configured to perform a search in the same manner as in the case of pre-setting, display a screen such as that shown in Figures 11 and 12, and to send a notification by operating the display screen without waiting for the notification timing.

[0135] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the patient assistance program is recorded in the storage unit 13, but it is not limited to the storage unit 13, and may be recorded in other recording media such as an add-on hard disk or flash memory. [Explanation of symbols]

[0136] 1: Patient support system 10: Pharmacy terminal 11: Acquisition part 11a: First acquisition part (first acquisition means) 11b:Second acquisition part (second acquisition means) 12: Timing calculation unit (timing calculation means) 13: Memory unit (recording medium) 14: Display control unit (notification means) 15: Communication unit (notification means) 16: Occurrence determination unit (occurrence determination means) 17: Continued administration determination unit (continuous administration determination means) 18: Processing section (processing means) 19: Setting unit (setting means) 20: Server D1: First information D2 :Second information D3: Third information D4: Fourth information D53, D55: Information that you should seek medical attention DB:Basic information DB1: Patient identification information DB2: Patient Contact Information DB3: Dispensing date information DT: Notification timing information Da: Drug information Da1: Name information Da2: Dosage and Administration Information Da3: Information on the package insert Db: Patient information Db1:Physical information Db2: Lifestyle Information Dc: Information on the number of days of dispensing Dd: Refill delivery information De: Remaining number of times SP: Selection section

Claims

1. a first acquiring means for acquiring basic information including information for identifying a patient, contact information of the patient, and information on the dispensing date when the medicine was dispensed and delivered; a second acquiring means for acquiring first information which is information on medicines dispensed to a patient; second information which is a combination of the medicine information and patient information which is at least one of physical information on the patient's body and lifestyle information on the patient's lifestyle; third information which is a combination of the medicine information and information on the number of days for dispensing according to the quantity of medicine dispensed and dispensed; or fourth information which is a combination of refill prescription information which indicates that medicines have been dispensed based on a refill prescription, remaining number information which indicates the number of times the refill prescription can be used remaining, and the information on the number of days for dispensing; a timing calculation means for calculating a notification timing from the basic information acquired by the first acquisition means and the information acquired by the second acquisition means; a notification means for sending a notification including information that the patient should receive medical treatment to the patient or a pharmacist at the notification timing calculated by the timing calculation means; A patient support system comprising:

2. the second acquisition means acquires the first information, the timing calculation means calculates a notification timing based on a time when an adverse event or effect occurs in the patient's body based on the drug information, which is the first information, acquired by the second acquisition means, and information on the dispensing date, which is the basic information acquired by the first acquisition means; The notification means sends the notification to the patient or the pharmacist, including information that a medical examination should be performed if an adverse event occurs or that a medical examination should be performed if no effect is obtained. The patient support system according to claim 1 .

3. the second acquisition means acquires the second information, the timing calculation means calculates a notification timing based on a time when an adverse event or effect occurs in the patient's body based on the drug information of the second information acquired by the second acquisition means and the patient information, and based on the dispensing date information of the basic information acquired by the first acquisition means; The notification means sends the notification to the patient or the pharmacist, including information that a medical examination should be performed if an adverse event occurs or that a medical examination should be performed if no effect is obtained. The patient support system according to claim 1 .

4. The method further includes an occurrence determination means for determining whether an adverse event will occur for a patient whose basic information is acquired by the first acquisition means, based on the drug information of the second information acquired by the second acquisition means and the patient information, The timing calculation means prohibits calculation of notification timing regarding an adverse event when it is determined by the occurrence determination means that an adverse event will not occur.

4. The patient support system according to claim 3.

5. Further provided is a means for determining whether or not the drug needs to be taken continuously based on the drug information, the second acquisition means acquires the third information, the timing calculation means, when it is determined by the continuous administration determination means that continuous administration is necessary, calculates a notification timing to be a timing before the medicine is taken up based on the information on the number of dispensing days in the third information and the information on the dispensing date in the basic information acquired by the first acquisition means; The notification means sends the notification to the patient or the pharmacist, including information that the remaining amount of medicine that needs to be taken continuously is low and that the patient should be examined. The patient support system according to claim 1 .

6. the second acquisition means acquires the fourth information, the timing calculation means, when the refill prescription is not reusable based on the remaining number information of the fourth information, calculates a notification timing to be a timing before the medicine is taken up based on the information on the number of dispensing days of the fourth information and the information on the dispensing date of the basic information acquired by the first acquisition means; The notification means notifies the patient or the pharmacist of the notification, which includes information that the patient should see a doctor before the medicine runs out because the refill prescription cannot be reused. The patient support system according to claim 1 .

7. The notification means notifies the pharmacist when the notification timing calculated by the timing calculation means arrives, and allows the patient to select a method for urging the patient to undergo a medical examination. The patient support system according to claim 1 .

8. The notification means notifies the patient that they should receive medical treatment according to 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.

8. The patient support system according to claim 7.

9. The system further comprises a setting unit for setting notification conditions and a notification method to be sent to the patient by the notification unit, When the notification condition set by the setting means is satisfied, the notification means notifies the patient by the set notification method. The patient support system according to claim 1 .

10. The system further includes a processing unit for recording a history of the notification by the notification unit. The patient support system according to claim 9 .

11. a first acquisition step of acquiring basic information including information for identifying a patient, contact information for the patient, and information on the dispensing date when the medicine was dispensed and delivered; a second obtaining step of obtaining first information which is information on medicines dispensed to a patient, second information which is a combination of the medicine information and patient information which is at least one of physical information on the patient's body and lifestyle information on the patient's lifestyle, third information which is a combination of the medicine information and information on the number of days for dispensing according to the quantity of medicine dispensed and dispensed, or fourth information which is a combination of refill prescription information which indicates that medicines have been dispensed based on a refill prescription, remaining number information which indicates the number of times the refill prescription can be used remaining, and the information on the number of days for dispensing; a timing calculation step of calculating a notification timing from the basic information acquired in the first acquisition step and the information acquired in the second acquisition step; a notification step of sending a notification including information that the patient should receive a medical examination to the patient or a pharmacist at the notification timing calculated in the timing calculation step; A patient support method for a patient support system, comprising:

12. A patient support program for causing a computer to execute the patient support method according to claim 11.

13. A computer-readable recording medium on which the patient assistance program according to claim 12 is recorded.

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