Server equipment, computer programs, and methods for supporting medication guidance.
The server-client system supports medication guidance by visualizing long-term prescription drugs eligible for selective treatment, addressing the need to reduce out-of-pocket expenses and promote generic drug use through statistical analysis and comparison.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- KAKEHASHI CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-20
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-01
AI Technical Summary
There is a need for a technology that supports medication guidance under a selective medical treatment system to promote the use of generic drugs and reduce additional out-of-pocket expenses for long-listed drugs.
A server device and client device system that communicates to visualize a list of long-term prescription drugs eligible for selective treatment, providing statistical information and encouraging the use of generic drugs by identifying high-potential substitution drugs and visualizing the contribution to the generic drug dispensing ratio, out-of-pocket expenses, and comparing with generic products.
Facilitates medication guidance by highlighting drugs suitable for substitution with generics, reducing additional costs and promoting their use, thereby managing healthcare expenses effectively.
Smart Images
Figure 2026089241000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a server device capable of communicating with a client device. The present disclosure also relates to a computer program executable by a processor mounted on the server device. The present disclosure also relates to a method for assisting medication guidance performed by the client device and the server device.
Background Art
[0002] The device disclosed in Patent Document 1 provides information that can be used for medication guidance for a patient to a medical worker based on information on a drug prescribed or dispensed to the patient.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] There is a demand for providing a technology that can support medication guidance performed under the selected medical treatment system for long-term prescription drugs.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0005] One exemplary aspect that can be provided by the present disclosure is a server device capable of communicating with a client device, comprising a processor that visualizes a list of a plurality of long-term prescription drugs selected as targets of selected medical treatment within a specified period on the client device based on drug information including information on drugs prescribed or dispensed to a patient.
[0006] One exemplary aspect that can be provided by the present disclosure is a computer program executable by a processor mounted on a server device capable of communicating with a client device, By being executed, the server device will We obtain drug information, including information about medications prescribed or dispensed to patients. Based on the aforementioned drug information, a list of multiple long-listed products selected as eligible for selective treatment within a specified period is made visible to the client device.
[0007] One example of an embodiment that may be provided by this disclosure is a method for supporting medication guidance performed by a client device and a server device, The server device acquires drug information, including information on drugs prescribed or dispensed to patients. In the aforementioned server device, based on the drug information, information corresponding to a list of multiple long-listed products selected as eligible for selective treatment within a specified period is generated based on the drug information. The client device visualizes the list.
[0008] The selective medical treatment system was introduced as one measure to promote the use of generic drugs in light of the social challenge of curbing soaring medical costs. Therefore, the situation in which long-listed drugs are chosen despite the existence of generic drugs and the resulting additional out-of-pocket expenses is a matter of concern for healthcare professionals. The configuration of this embodiment provides statistical information on long-listed drugs selected as eligible for selective medical treatment, which can help in understanding the situation described above. Furthermore, policies based on this understanding can be reflected in medication guidance. Thus, it can support medication guidance conducted under the selective medical treatment system for long-listed drugs. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0009] [Figure 1] This illustrates the configuration of a support system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 illustrates the functional configuration of the client and server devices. [Figure 3] Figure 2 shows an example of the processing flow executed by the processor. [Figure 4] Figure 1 shows an example of the information visualized in the client device. [Figure 5] Figure 1 shows another example of the information visualized in the client device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0010] Examples of embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In each drawing referenced in the following description, the elements shown have been made recognizable as necessary. The scale is being changed.
[0011] As used in this disclosure, the term "medical institution" refers to an institution where medical professionals provide patients with information about pharmaceuticals. Examples of "medical institutions" include hospitals, clinics, medical offices, pharmacies, drugstores, nursing homes, care homes, and elderly care facilities. Examples of "medical professionals" include doctors, nurses, pharmacists, care managers, and registered dietitians.
[0012] Figure 1 illustrates the configuration of a support system 10 according to one embodiment. The support system 10 includes a client device 11 and a server device 12. The support system 10 is configured to support medication guidance provided to patients by healthcare professionals under the system for designated treatment of long-listed drugs.
[0013] As used in this disclosure, the term "long-listed product" refers to an original drug for which a generic version exists. As used in this disclosure, the term "selective medical treatment system" refers to a system in which a patient incurs an additional co-payment when they request a prescription or dispensing of a long-listed product.
[0014] The client device 11 may be a stationary device installed in a specific location, or it may be a portable device that can be carried by the user.
[0015] The server device 12 is installed at a location separated from the client device 11. The client device 11 and the server device 12 are configured to perform two-way communication of data via the communication network 20.
[0016] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the client device 11 includes a communication interface 111. On the other hand, the server device 12 includes a communication interface 121. Each of the communication interface 111 and the communication interface 121 is a hardware interface configured to enable the above-described two-way data communication.
[0017] The client device 11 includes a processor 112 and a user interface 113. The user interface 113 is a hardware interface that mediates the exchange of information between the user and the processor 112 and receives an instruction from the user to cause the client device 11 to execute a predetermined operation. The processor 112 and the user interface 113 may be mounted in a common housing or may be provided in a distributed manner in independent housings.
[0018] The predetermined operation executed by the client device 11 includes transmitting at least one of prescription information and medication history information to the server device 12. The prescription information includes information corresponding to the content described in the prescription issued to the patient. The medication history information includes information corresponding to the medication administration history management record created based on the dispensing performed on the patient.
[0019] Each of the prescription information and the medication history information includes drug information DG. The drug information DG includes information related to the drug prescribed or dispensed to the patient. The information may include at least the following items. · Name (including dosage form) · Quantity prescribed or dispensed · Date and time of prescription or dispensing
[0020] The server device 12 comprises a processor 122 and storage 123. The processor 122 is configured to acquire drug information DG contained in prescription information or patient history information received via the communication interface 121 and store it in the storage 123. The storage 123 also stores information corresponding to the long-term listed drug list. The long-term listed drug list is a list that identifies multiple drugs designated as long-term listed drugs.
[0021] The storage device 123 is a memory device implemented by semiconductor memory, a hard disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, etc. The processor 122 and the storage device 123 may be mounted in a common enclosure, or they may be provided in a distributed manner in separate enclosures.
[0022] The processor 122 is configured to generate list information corresponding to a list of multiple long-listed products selected as eligible for selective treatment within a specified period, based on the drug information DG. The processor 122 is configured to transmit control information CT, which visualizes the list information on the client device 11, via the communication interface 121. Details of the visualized list information will be described later.
[0023] Figure 3 illustrates a specific processing flow executed by the processor 122 configured as described above.
[0024] As described above, the processor 122 acquires drug information DG contained in prescription information or medication history information received via the communication interface 121 (STEP 1). The acquired drug information DG is stored in the storage 123 (STEP 2).
[0025] Next, processor 122 determines whether the predetermined timing has arrived for issuing a list of multiple long-listed products selected as eligible for selective medical treatment within the specified period (STEP 3). This process is repeated until it is determined that the timing has arrived (NO in STEP 3).
[0026] One example of a predetermined timing is the moment when a request for list issuance is received from the client device 11. As illustrated in Figure 2, the processor 112 of the client device 11 is configured to send request information RQ from the communication interface 111 based on appropriate instructions input through the user interface 113. The request information RQ includes information specifying a period. Examples of periods include a specific day, a specific week, a specific month, or a specific year. There may be multiple days, weeks, months, and years.
[0027] Another example of a predetermined timing is a fixed date and time. This date and time may be periodic. For example, it could be 8:00 a.m. every Monday or 7:00 p.m. on the 15th of every month. In this example, no request from the client device 11 is required to issue the list. On the other hand, the period covered by the list is predetermined. The timing and period may or may not be changeable by the user of the client device 11.
[0028] When it is determined that the predetermined timing has arrived (YES in STEP 3), the processor 122 of the server device 12 generates list information (STEP 4). Specifically, it extracts information from the drug information DG stored in storage 123 that matches the name of a drug identified in the long-term listed drug list and that was prescribed or dispensed within the specified period. The list information is generated to include at least the name (including dosage form) and quantity of long-term listed drugs that were selected as eligible for selective treatment within the specified period.
[0029] Next, the processor 122 generates control information CT so that a list of the extracted information laid out in a specified format is visualized. The generated control information CT is transmitted from the communication interface 121 to the client device 11 (STEP 5).
[0030] Figure 4 illustrates the appearance of List 30 as visualized in the client device 11 based on the control information CT. Examples of visualization include display on a screen, projection by a projector, and output of printed materials by a printer. In List 30, the names (including dosage forms) and quantities of multiple long-listed products selected as eligible for selective medical treatment within a specified period are visualized.
[0031] The selective medical treatment system was introduced as one measure to promote the use of generic drugs in light of the social challenge of curbing soaring medical costs. Therefore, the situation in which long-listed drugs are chosen despite the existence of generic drugs and the resulting additional out-of-pocket expenses is a matter of concern for healthcare professionals. The configuration of this embodiment provides statistical information on long-listed drugs selected as eligible for selective medical treatment, which can help in understanding the situation described above. Furthermore, policies based on this understanding can be reflected in medication guidance. Thus, it can support medication guidance conducted under the selective medical treatment system for long-listed drugs.
[0032] As illustrated in Figure 4, in List 30, the quantity prescribed or dispensed for multiple long-listed products can be visualized in descending order.
[0033] This structure allows for the identification of long-listed drugs that are more frequently selected as eligible for selective medical treatment. Such long-listed drugs can also be said to be drugs with a high potential for substitution with generic drugs. Therefore, it can encourage consideration of measures to promote the use of generic drugs.
[0034] As illustrated in Figure 4, in List 30, information regarding the contribution of each of the multiple long-listed products to the generic drug dispensing ratio can be visualized. The generic drug dispensing ratio R is calculated by the following formula. R = A / (A + B) Here, A is the standard unit quantity of the prescribed or dispensed generic drug. B is the standard unit quantity of the prescribed or dispensed long-listed drug. The contribution to the generic drug dispensing ratio corresponds to the increase in the generic drug dispensing ratio R if the entire amount of the selected long-listed drugs listed in List 30 were replaced with generic drugs. The contribution is calculated by the processor 122 when the list information is generated.
[0035] Medical institutions with a high generic drug dispensing rate receive an additional basic dispensing fee, so the contribution of generic drugs to that rate can be a matter of management concern for medical institutions. The above structure allows for the identification of long-listed drugs that contribute significantly to the generic drug dispensing rate, thereby encouraging consideration of measures to promote the use of generic drugs.
[0036] As illustrated in Figure 4, in List 30, the selective medical treatment fee can be visualized for each of the multiple long-listed products. In this case, the information relating to the long-listed product list stored in Storage 123 includes information corresponding to the selective medical treatment fee for each long-listed product. The processor 122 generates the list information while referring to this information.
[0037] The additional out-of-pocket expenses incurred when requesting a prescription or dispensing of long-listed drugs eligible for selective medical treatment are a matter of concern for patients. Including this information in List 30 will enable medication guidance that addresses this concern and facilitate the promotion of generic drug use.
[0038] As illustrated in Figure 5, the processor 122 may be configured to visualize to the client device 11 the proportion of the drug price accounted for by insurance benefits and out-of-pocket expenses for each of the multiple long-listed drugs included in List 30. In this example, the high and low drug prices are represented in the form of a bar graph. The hatched portion corresponds to the insurance benefit portion, and the unhatched portion corresponds to the out-of-pocket expense portion. It is preferable that the out-of-pocket expense portion is visualized in a way that distinguishes the portion accounted for by selective medical treatment fees (the black portion in this example).
[0039] For the visualization of the proportions, the processor 122 may generate control information CT in response to a request from the client device 11, or the control information CT may be generated in such a way that it is visualized together with the list information.
[0040] This configuration allows for a visual understanding of the out-of-pocket expenses incurred when a patient requests a prescription or dispensing of a long-listed drug that is subject to selective medical treatment. This makes it easier to provide medication guidance that encourages the use of generic drugs.
[0041] As illustrated in Figure 5, the processor 122 may be configured to visualize the above proportions to the client device 11 in a manner that allows for comparison with generic products. In this example, a bar graph showing the proportion for the long-listed product "ABC" and a bar graph showing the proportion for the generic product "KHS" are visualized side by side.
[0042] For visualization for comparison, the processor 122 may generate control information CT in response to a request from the client device 11, or the control information CT may be generated in such a way that it is visualized together with list information.
[0043] This configuration allows for a visual understanding of the economic benefits patients gain when they choose generic drugs instead of long-listed medications. This makes it easier to provide medication guidance that encourages the use of generic drugs.
[0044] Each of the processors 112 of the client device 11 and 122 of the server device 12, which have the various functions described above, can be realized by at least one general-purpose microprocessor operating in cooperation with at least one general-purpose memory. Examples of general-purpose microprocessors include CPUs, MPUs, and GPUs. Examples of general-purpose memory include ROMs and RAMs. In this case, the ROM may store a computer program that performs the above-described processing. ROM is an example of a non-temporary computer-readable medium in which a computer program is stored. The general-purpose microprocessor selects at least a portion of the program stored in the ROM and loads it onto the RAM, and then performs the above-described processing in cooperation with the RAM. The computer program may be pre-installed in the general-purpose memory, or it may be downloaded from an external server device via a communication network and then installed in the general-purpose memory. In this case, the external server device is an example of a non-temporary computer-readable medium in which a computer program is stored.
[0045] Each of processors 112 and 122 may be implemented by at least one dedicated integrated circuit capable of executing the above-described computer program. Examples of dedicated integrated circuits include microcontrollers, ASICs, FPGAs, etc. In this case, the above-described computer program is pre-installed in a memory element included in the dedicated integrated circuit. This memory element is an example of a computer-readable medium in which the computer program is stored. Each of processors 112 and 122 can also be implemented by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a dedicated integrated circuit.
[0046] The configurations described herein are merely examples to facilitate understanding of this disclosure. Each configuration example may be modified or combined with other configuration examples as appropriate, as long as it does not deviate from the intent of this disclosure.
[0047] In addition to, or instead of, the quantity of drugs in List 30 as illustrated in Figure 4, the number of prescriptions listing the drug may be visualized for each long-listed product. In this case, drug information DG for a specific drug is stored in storage 123 in association with information identifying the prescriptions listing the drug. The processor 122 refers to this information when generating the list information.
[0048] In some cases, a single patient may be prescribed or dispensed in large quantities of a particular medication. In such situations, the number of prescriptions listing the medication is more likely to reflect the proportion of patients who have chosen a long-listed medication under the elective treatment category than the quantity of the medication prescribed or dispensed. Therefore, the above-described structure can support healthcare professionals who wish to obtain information based on this proportion.
[0049] As illustrated in Figure 1, the support system 10 may include an external device 13. The external device 13 is a device that publicly or commercially provides information corresponding to the long-term listed products list. The administrator of the external device 13 is different from the administrator of the server device 12. In this case, the server device 12 is configured to enable bidirectional communication of information with the external device 13 via the communication network 20. The processor 122 of the server device 12 may refer to the information corresponding to the long-term listed products list stored in the external device 13 when generating list information.
[0050] In the above embodiment, the client device 11 that transmits prescription information and medication history information is the same as the client device 11 that visualizes list information. However, the client device 11 related to the former and the client device 11 related to the latter may be different. Furthermore, there may be multiple client devices 11 related to the former.
[0051] For example, drug information DG contained in prescription information and medication history information transmitted from client devices 11 installed in each of multiple medical institutions may be stored in the storage 123 of the server device 12. A list 30 corresponding to the list information generated based on the drug information DG may be visualized in another client device 11A as illustrated in Figure 1. The client device 11A may be used, for example, by the administrator of prescription or dispensing status at the multiple medical institutions.
[0052] The configurations listed below also constitute part of this disclosure. Item 1: A server device capable of communicating with client devices, The system includes a processor that visualizes, on the client device, a list of multiple long-listed products selected as eligible for selective treatment within a specified period, based on drug information including information on medications prescribed or dispensed to the patient. Server device. Item 2: In the aforementioned list, the multiple long-listed products are visualized in descending order of the quantity prescribed or dispensed. The server device described in item 1. Item 3: In the aforementioned list, information regarding the contribution of each of the multiple long-listed products to the generic drug dispensing ratio is visualized. The server device described in item 1 or 2. Item 4: In the aforementioned list, the number of prescriptions for each of the multiple long-listed products is visualized. A server device as described in any one of items 1 through 3. Item 5: In the aforementioned list, the selected medical treatment fee is visualized for each of the multiple long-listed products. A server device as described in any one of items 1 through 4. Item 6: The processor visualizes to the client device the proportion of the drug price that is covered by insurance and the patient's co-payment for each of the multiple long-listed drugs. A server device as described in any one of items 1 through 5. Item 7: The processor makes the ratio visible to the client device in a manner that allows for comparison with the generic product. The server device described in item 6. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0053] 11: Client device, 12: Server device, 121: Communication interface, 122: Processor, 30: List, DG: Drug information
Claims
1. A server device capable of communicating with client devices, The system includes a processor that visualizes, on the client device, a list of multiple long-listed products selected as eligible for selective treatment within a specified period, based on drug information including information on medications prescribed or dispensed to the patient. Server device.
2. In the aforementioned list, the multiple long-listed products are visualized in descending order of the quantity prescribed or dispensed. The server device according to claim 1.
3. In the aforementioned list, information regarding the contribution of each of the multiple long-listed products to the generic drug dispensing ratio is visualized. The server device according to claim 1.
4. In the aforementioned list, the number of prescriptions for each of the multiple long-listed products is visualized. The server device according to claim 1.
5. In the aforementioned list, the selected medical treatment fee is visualized for each of the multiple long-listed products. The server device according to claim 1.
6. The processor visualizes to the client device the proportion of the drug price that is covered by insurance and the patient's co-payment for each of the multiple long-listed drugs. The server device according to claim 1.
7. The processor makes the ratio visible to the client device in a manner that allows for comparison with the generic product. The server device according to claim 6.
8. A computer program that can be executed by a processor installed in a server device capable of communicating with a client device, By being executed, the server device will We obtain drug information, including information about medications prescribed or dispensed to patients. Based on the aforementioned drug information, a list of multiple long-listed products selected as eligible for selective treatment within a specified period is made visible on the client device. Computer program.
9. A method for supporting medication guidance, which is performed by a client device and a server device, The server device acquires drug information, including information on drugs prescribed or dispensed to patients. In the aforementioned server device, based on the drug information, information corresponding to a list of multiple long-listed products selected as eligible for selective treatment within a specified period is generated based on the drug information. In the aforementioned client device, the list is visualized. Methods for supporting medication guidance.