Electronic prescription system, server equipment, and method for selecting dispensing pharmacies

Abstract

In a system for dispensing medications based on electronic prescriptions, the aim is to enable patients to receive their medications smoothly from pharmacies. [Solution] The server device 1 receives an electronic prescription from the medical institution terminal 2 and transmits the received electronic prescription to the pharmacy terminal 3 of a pharmacy selected based on predetermined selection criteria. Here, the pharmacy selection unit 12 of the server device 1 selects a pharmacy that meets the selection criteria of having the medicine indicated in the electronic prescription in stock, based on inventory information showing the inventory status of medicines at multiple pharmacies 3. In this way, when the server device 1 transmits the electronic prescription received from the medical institution terminal 2 to the pharmacy terminal 3, the pharmacy that has the medicine indicated in the electronic prescription in stock is selected in advance, so that whether the patient requests dispensing in person or online, there will be no situation where the pharmacy does not have the medicine indicated in the electronic prescription in stock.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic prescription system, a server device, and a method for selecting a dispensing pharmacy, and is particularly suitable for application to schemes that dispense medications based on electronic prescriptions. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, in addition to paper prescriptions issued by medical institutions to patients, electronic prescriptions are also issued as electronic data. When a patient chooses an electronic prescription at a medical institution and consents to doctors and pharmacists accessing the patient's medication information, it becomes possible to share medication information across multiple medical institutions and pharmacies. This allows doctors and pharmacists to check for any contraindications, precautions regarding drug interactions, or duplicate prescriptions when prescribing or dispensing medications.

[0003] Figure 7 is a simplified diagram illustrating the conventional process flow when issuing electronic prescriptions. First, a physician at a medical institution registers the electronic prescription (prescription information) on a server called the electronic prescription management service, and hands the patient a copy containing the prescription details and exchange number. The patient then tells the receptionist at the pharmacy they visit the exchange number and requests dispensing. In response, the pharmacist at the pharmacy downloads the electronic prescription corresponding to the exchange number from the electronic prescription management server and dispenses the medication.

[0004] When using electronic prescriptions, a copy of the prescription information is supposed to be issued (handed to the patient), but there are cases where this is not done depending on the circumstances. For example, when it is difficult to hand over a paper copy due to online consultations, etc., the medical institution may use an online consultation application or similar to display the copy on the screen. Also, if a medical institution accepts a patient using their My Number Card, a copy of the prescription information will not be issued in principle, and the patient will use their My Number Card to register at the dispensing pharmacy.

[0005] Using electronic prescriptions allows doctors and pharmacists to check for contraindications, precautions for drug interactions, and duplicate prescriptions, enabling patients to receive their medication with peace of mind. Furthermore, since patients no longer need to carry paper prescriptions, they can more easily receive their medication at their convenience within the prescription's validity period, provided they have their health insurance card and exchange number or My Number card. Additionally, it eliminates the worry of patients losing their prescriptions.

[0006] In the scheme shown in Figure 7, the process of the medical institution sending the electronic prescription to the server and the dispensing pharmacy retrieving the electronic prescription from the server are separated. Furthermore, the principle of free access, where patients choose their own dispensing pharmacy and present an exchange number provided by the medical institution to the pharmacy, is met. However, in this scheme, patients need to go to their desired dispensing pharmacy themselves and present the exchange number.

[0007] In contrast, a system is known in which, based on the premise of providing online medication guidance and delivering medication to the patient's home, a medical institution sends an electronic prescription to a server, and the server sends the electronic prescription to the pharmacy of the patient's choice (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a mechanism that checks whether the pharmacy that receives the electronic prescription from the server has the necessary medicines in stock, and if there are no stocks, searches for other pharmacy that do have stocks and orders the missing medicines.

[0008] Furthermore, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is considering measures to streamline and improve the convenience of pre-sending prescriptions, such as allowing patients to set their "primary care pharmacy" on their My Number Portal, which would then automatically send electronic prescriptions to pharmacies.

[0009] However, in the system described in Patent Document 1, if the pharmacy requested by the patient does not have the medication indicated in the electronic prescription in stock, a time lag occurs between the time the pharmacy receives the electronic prescription from the server and the time it has to order and procure the out-of-stock medication from another pharmacy. As a result, there was a problem in that patients had to wait a long time before receiving their medication. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-2048 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0011] This invention was made to solve these problems, and aims to enable patients to receive their medication smoothly from pharmacies in a dispensing scheme based on electronic prescriptions, without having to search for pharmacies that have the medication in stock or experiencing time lags while pharmacies order and procure the medication. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a server device that receives electronic prescriptions from medical institution terminals and transmits the received electronic prescriptions to pharmacy terminals of pharmacies selected based on predetermined selection criteria. Here, the server device selects pharmacies that meet the selection criteria of having the pharmaceuticals indicated in the electronic prescription in stock, based on inventory information showing the inventory status of pharmaceuticals at multiple pharmacies. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention configured as described above, when the server device transmits the electronic prescription received from the medical institution terminal to the pharmacy terminal, a dispensing pharmacy with the stock of the medicine indicated by the electronic prescription is selected in advance. Therefore, whether the patient visits the dispensing pharmacy to request dispensing or requests dispensing online to the dispensing pharmacy, there will be no situation where the dispensing pharmacy does not have the stock of the medicine indicated by the electronic prescription. Therefore, there is no need for the patient to search for another dispensing pharmacy with the stock of the medicine after visiting the dispensing pharmacy, or for the dispensing pharmacy that has received the dispensing request to place an order for the shortage medicine and cause a time loss during procurement. The patient can smoothly receive the medicine from the dispensing pharmacy where the dispensing was originally requested.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0014] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing an overall configuration example of an electronic prescription system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing the flow of an electronic prescription using the electronic prescription system according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the server device according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of screen transition displayed on the electronic medicine notebook application. [Figure 5] It is a flowchart showing an operation example of the server device according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the server device according to a modification example. [Figure 7] It is a diagram simply showing the flow of conventional processing when issuing an electronic prescription.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration example of an electronic prescription system according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic prescription system of this embodiment includes a server device 1, a medical institution terminal 2 used in a medical institution, and a pharmacy terminal 3 used in a plurality of dispensing pharmacies , ,

[0019] , 3 -2 , ··· (hereinafter, may be collectively referred to as the pharmacy terminal 3), and a patient terminal 4 used by a patient.

[0016] The server device 1 is communicably connected to the medical institution terminal 2, the pharmacy terminal 3, and the patient terminal 4 via the communication network 10. The communication network 10 is, for example, the Internet, and is constructed including a public communication line network, a mobile phone line network, etc. A part of the communication network 10 may include a wireless communication path, a LAN (Local Area Network), etc.

[0017] The communication network 10 is also connected to an electronic prescription management service server 100 that provides an electronic prescription management service. The electronic prescription management service server 100 is a server operated by the Social Insurance Medical Fee Payment Fund and the National Health Insurance Central Association under the management of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The electronic prescription management service server 100 receives and stores an electronic prescription from the medical institution terminal 2, and then downloads the corresponding electronic prescription to the pharmacy terminal 3 in response to a download request received from the pharmacy terminal 3 together with an exchange number, a health insurance card number, etc.

[0018] The server device 1 is a server operated by an entity other than the Social Insurance Medical Fee Payment Fund and the National Health Insurance Central Association that operates the electronic prescription management service, and is, for example, a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer, or a device logically realized by cloud computing. The server device 1 may be constituted by one device, or may be constituted by a combination of a plurality of devices.

[0019] The medical institution terminal 2 consists of, for example, a general-purpose computer such as a personal computer, or a dedicated computer designed specifically for a particular medical use or processing (including processing related to electronic prescriptions). The medical institution terminal 2 can access the server device 1 and the electronic prescription management service server 100 via the communication network 10 using installed applications or a web browser, and transmit electronic prescriptions.

[0020] The pharmacy terminal 3 consists of, for example, a general-purpose computer such as a personal computer, or a dedicated computer designed specifically for a particular purpose or process related to dispensing (including processing related to electronic prescriptions). The pharmacy terminal 3 can receive electronic prescriptions from the server device 1 via the communication network 10, or access the electronic prescription management service server 100 to download electronic prescriptions, using the installed applications or web browser.

[0021] The patient terminal 4 consists of a general-purpose computer such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. The patient terminal 4 can access the server device 1 via the communication network 10 through the installed application or web browser. An example of an application installed on the patient terminal 4 is an electronic medication record application.

[0022] Figure 1 shows one medical institution terminal 2 and one patient terminal 4, and one pharmacy terminal 3. -1 ,3 -2 This indicates multiple instances of ,.. This assumes that an electronic prescription issued for one patient at a certain medical institution is sent from the medical institution terminal 2 to the server device 1, and that a dispensing pharmacy that meets predetermined selection criteria is selected from among multiple dispensing pharmacies, and the electronic prescription is sent from the server device 1 to the pharmacy terminal 3 of the selected dispensing pharmacy. In reality, there are multiple medical institution terminals 2 and multiple patient terminals 4, and the processing of this embodiment is applied to electronic prescriptions issued from any medical institution to any patient.

[0023] Figure 2 shows the flow of an electronic prescription using the electronic prescription system according to this embodiment. In Figure 2, a doctor at a medical institution examines a patient and issues an electronic prescription. The examination can be conducted either by the patient visiting the medical institution in person or online. The electronic prescription records the patient's name, date of birth, gender, insurer number, prescription number, name of the medical institution, name of the prescribing doctor, type of medication prescribed by the doctor, dosage and administration, duration of treatment, dosage form, etc., and in some cases, dispensing method is also recorded.

[0024] After the examination, the medical institution provides the patient with a copy containing the prescription details and exchange number. The exchange number is issued when the electronic prescription is registered with the electronic prescription management service and is required when a pharmacy requests an electronic prescription from a patient who does not use their My Number Card as their health insurance card. If the patient visits the medical institution for an examination, the medical institution creates a paper copy and hands it to the patient. Alternatively, the data of the copy may be provided to the electronic medication record app on the patient's terminal 4 using wireless communication or a QR code. On the other hand, if the patient receives a consultation online, the medical institution communicates the prescription details and exchange number to the patient by displaying an image of the copy on the screen. If the patient registers using their My Number Card at the medical institution, a copy will not be issued, and the exchange number will be linked to the My Number Card.

[0025] Furthermore, the medical institution operates the medical institution terminal 2 to send the electronic prescription to the server device 1 and the electronic prescription management service server 100. The electronic prescription sent to the electronic prescription management service server 100 is treated as the original. The electronic prescription management service server 100 associates the received electronic prescription with the exchange number issued at the time of registration and stores it in its database.

[0026] Subsequently, when the electronic prescription management service server 100 receives a download request from the pharmacy terminal 3 along with the exchange number and insurance card number, it reads the electronic prescription corresponding to the exchange number from the database and downloads it to the pharmacy terminal 3. This download request is executed after the dispensing pharmacy receives the patient's copy of the exchange number (or My Number Card) and health insurance card number, etc., and receives a request for dispensing. The dispensing pharmacy to which the patient requests dispensing is selected in advance by the server device 1, as described below, and is the dispensing pharmacy that the patient has approved.

[0027] When server device 1 receives an electronic prescription from medical institution terminal 2, it selects a pharmacy that meets predetermined selection criteria from among multiple pharmacies and sends the electronic prescription to the pharmacy terminal 3 of the selected pharmacy. This transmission is performed via a push method, independent of any download request from the pharmacy terminal 3. If only one pharmacy meets the selection criteria, server device 1 presents that single pharmacy to the electronic medication record app on patient terminal 4, and sends the electronic prescription to the pharmacy terminal 3 of that pharmacy after obtaining the patient's consent. On the other hand, if multiple pharmacies meet the selection criteria, server device 1 presents all of those pharmacies to the electronic medication record app on patient terminal 4, and sends the electronic prescription to the pharmacy terminal 3 of the pharmacy selected by the patient.

[0028] In a dispensing pharmacy, when an electronic prescription is received from server device 1 at the pharmacy terminal 3, preparation for dispensing can begin according to the prescription details recorded in the electronic prescription. Subsequently, when the patient requests dispensing after receiving a copy of the exchange number (or My Number card), a download request is sent from the pharmacy terminal 3 to the electronic prescription management service server 100 along with the exchange number, and the original electronic prescription is downloaded from the electronic prescription management service server 100.

[0029] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the server device 1 according to this embodiment. The server device 1 of this embodiment includes, as its functional configuration, an electronic prescription receiving unit 11, a dispensing pharmacy selection unit 12, an electronic prescription transmission unit 13, an inventory management unit 14, a pharmacy-related information management unit 15, a dispensing time specification unit 16, and a request information receiving unit 17. Furthermore, the server device 1 of this embodiment includes, as storage media, an electronic prescription storage unit 21, an inventory information storage unit 22, and a pharmacy-related information storage unit 23.

[0030] The above-described functional blocks 11 to 17 perform the processes described below through the cooperation of hardware and software. For example, the processes of functional blocks 11 to 17 are executed by the operation of programs stored in storage media such as RAM, ROM, hard disk, or semiconductor memory, under the control of a processor configured by a microcomputer equipped with a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc. In addition to the microcomputer, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) may also be included.

[0031] The electronic prescription receiving unit 11 receives the electronic prescription from the medical institution terminal 2 and stores the received electronic prescription in the electronic prescription storage unit 21. The dispensing pharmacy selection unit 12 selects a dispensing pharmacy to which the electronic prescription received by the electronic prescription receiving unit 11 will be sent. Details of this selection process will be described later. The electronic prescription transmission unit 13 transmits the electronic prescription to the pharmacy terminal 3 of the dispensing pharmacy selected by the dispensing pharmacy selection unit 12.

[0032] The inventory management unit 14 manages inventory information showing the inventory status of pharmaceuticals at multiple pharmacies. In other words, the inventory management unit 14 manages inventory information at multiple pharmacy terminals 3 -1 ,3 -2 The system obtains drug inventory information from the pharmacy terminal and stores it in the inventory information storage unit 22. Here, the pharmacy terminal 3 transmits drug inventory information, for example, entered by a pharmacy staff member, to the server device 1 as needed, and the inventory management unit 14 updates the inventory information stored in the inventory information storage unit 22 each time it obtains inventory information from the pharmacy terminal 3.

[0033] The inventory information transmitted from the pharmacy terminal 3 includes pharmacy information that identifies the dispensing pharmacy that transmitted the information, drug information that can identify the drug (for example, the generic name or brand name of the drug, various codes assigned to or given to the drug, etc.), and drug inventory quantity information. The inventory information transmitted from the pharmacy terminal 3 may also be drug inbound and outbound information. In this case, the inventory management unit 14 calculates the drug inventory quantity based on the inbound and outbound information and stores it in the inventory information storage unit 22.

[0034] This example shows a configuration in which inventory information is transmitted from the pharmacy terminal 3 to the server device 1, but it is not limited to this configuration. For example, if a pharmacy uses an inventory management system that automates inventory management using a drug picking system or an automated receiving and dispatching system, the inventory information automatically generated by the inventory management system may be transmitted to the server device 1.

[0035] The pharmacy-related information management unit 15 manages pharmacy-related information that indicates the types of medication guidance and drug dispensing methods that can be implemented at multiple dispensing pharmacies. In other words, the pharmacy-related information management unit 15 manages multiple pharmacy terminals 3 -1 ,3 -2 Pharmacy-related information is obtained from ... and stored in the pharmacy-related information storage unit 23. Here, the pharmacy terminal 3 transmits pharmacy-related information, which is entered according to the operation of, for example, the staff of the dispensing pharmacy, to the server device 1 at any time, and the pharmacy-related information management unit 15 stores the pharmacy-related information received from the pharmacy terminal 3 in the pharmacy-related information storage unit 23.

[0036] For example, the pharmacy-related information management unit 15 acquires information on the type of medication guidance that the dispensing pharmacy can provide, indicating whether it is conducted in person or online, from the pharmacy terminal 3, and stores this information in the pharmacy-related information storage unit 23 in association with pharmacy information that identifies the dispensing pharmacy. This information on the type of guidance indicates whether only in-person medication guidance is possible, only online medication guidance is possible, or both in-person and online medication guidance is possible.

[0037] In addition, the pharmacy-related information management unit 15 acquires delivery method information indicating the delivery methods available at the dispensing pharmacy from the pharmacy terminal 3, and stores it in the pharmacy-related information storage unit 23 in association with the pharmacy information identifying the dispensing pharmacy. This delivery method information is information indicating which of, for example, delivery at the storefront, delivery by home delivery, delivery by delivery to a designated locker, etc., the dispensing pharmacy can handle.

[0038] The dispensing time specifying unit 16 specifies the required time for dispensing the pharmaceuticals indicated by the electronic prescription stored in the electronic prescription storage unit 21 for each dispensing pharmacy. For example, the dispensing time specifying unit 16 specifies the required time for dispensing for each dispensing pharmacy based on the type, dosage, and administration period of the dispensed pharmaceuticals recorded in the electronic prescription. The method for specifying the required time is exemplified below. Note that the specifying method described here is an example, and other methods may be used.

[0039] As an example, the dispensing time specifying unit 16 stores in advance table information in which the required time per unit dose is recorded for each dispensing pharmacy for each type of prescription drug, and refers to this table information to specify the required time for dispensing for each dispensing pharmacy. This table information is created in advance based on information provided from a plurality of pharmacy terminals 3 -1 ,3 -2 ,··· respectively.

[0040] As another example, the dispensing time specifying unit 16 may calculate the required time for dispensing using a function with the type, dosage, and administration period of the prescription drug as explanatory variables and the required time for dispensing as the objective variable. This function is created for each dispensing pharmacy based on information provided from a plurality of pharmacy terminals 3 -1 ,3 -2 ,··· respectively. The dispensing time specifying unit 16 calculates the required time for dispensing for each dispensing pharmacy by inputting the information of the explanatory variables into the function prepared for each dispensing pharmacy. The number of pharmacists working at the dispensing pharmacy may be transmitted from the pharmacy terminal 3 to the server device 1 at any time, and the required time for dispensing may be calculated for each dispensing pharmacy using a function with the number of pharmacists added as an explanatory variable.

[0041] Furthermore, the dispensing time may be calculated using a function that includes information such as the dosage form of the dispensed drug (the form of the drug, such as tablets, capsules, or injections) and the dispensing method (instructions for crushing / scoring, dissolution / dilution, preparation of mixed drugs, instructions for unit-dose packaging, instructions for dosage form, etc.) recorded in the electronic prescription as explanatory variables, and the dispensing time as the dependent variable. Alternatively, the dispensing time may be calculated by referring to table information constructed by relating the dispensing complexity index value calculated by the function with the dispensing time.

[0042] The preference information receiving unit 17 functions as a preference date and time receiving unit, a preference method receiving unit, and a preference delivery method receiving unit. Specifically, the preference information receiving unit 17 receives preference date and time information from the patient terminal 4, indicating the date and time the patient wishes to receive the medication. The preference information receiving unit 17 also receives preference method information from the patient terminal 4, indicating the preference method of medication guidance the patient wishes to receive. Furthermore, the preference information receiving unit 17 also receives preference delivery method information from the patient terminal 4, indicating the preference method the patient wishes to receive the medication. This preference information can be transmitted from the patient terminal 4 to the server device 1, for example, by accessing the server device 1 from the patient terminal 4 using an electronic medication record app, and then through the preference input screen presented by the server device 1.

[0043] For example, a patient can view the prescription details of an electronic prescription corresponding to an exchange number by entering the exchange number into an input screen provided by the electronic medication record app and sending it to the server device 1. Alternatively, the patient terminal 4 may input the exchange number by voice, and the exchange number, converted into text data by voice recognition processing, may be sent to the server device 1. The viewing screen provided by the server device 1 displays a button to request the display of the preference input screen. When the patient operates this button, a request to display the preference input screen is sent from the patient terminal 4 to the server device 1, and the preference input screen is displayed on the patient terminal 4 accordingly. Through this preference input screen, the patient notifies the server device 1 of their preferences by entering their desired pick-up date and time, desired type of medication guidance, and desired delivery method.

[0044] Figure 4 shows an example of the screen transitions displayed in the electronic medication record app. When a redemption number is sent to the server device 1 to request viewing, the prescription details viewing screen shown in Figure 4(a) is displayed. When the desired input button on this viewing screen is operated, the desired pickup date and time input screen shown in Figure 4(b) is displayed. After entering the desired pickup date and time and operating the next button, the desired medication guidance method input screen shown in Figure 4(c) is displayed.

[0045] After selecting the desired instruction method and clicking the "Next" button, a screen for inputting preferences regarding the delivery method, as shown in Figure 4(d), will be displayed. After selecting the desired delivery method and clicking the "Next" button, the user will be taken to the confirmation screen shown in Figure 4(e), where the information entered through the preference input screens in Figures 4(b) to (d) will be displayed in a list. Upon clicking the "Confirm" button, the desired date and time information, desired instruction method information, and desired delivery method information entered through the three preference input screens will be sent to the server device 1, which will then be received by the preference information receiving unit 17.

[0046] The pharmacy selection unit 12 selects a pharmacy from among multiple pharmacies whose inventory information is recorded in the inventory information storage unit 22, based on the inventory information stored and managed in the inventory information storage unit 22 by the inventory management unit 14, that satisfies the first selection condition: that it has the medicine in stock as indicated by the electronic prescription received by the electronic prescription receiving unit 11 and stored in the electronic prescription storage unit 21. In other words, the pharmacy selection unit 12 refers to the inventory information recorded for each pharmacy in the inventory information storage unit 22 and searches for and selects a pharmacy that has in stock the amount specified by the dosage and duration of administration for the type of medicine indicated by the electronic prescription.

[0047] Furthermore, the pharmacy selection unit 12 selects a pharmacy that further satisfies the second selection condition, that dispensing will be completed by the patient's desired pick-up date and time, based on the desired date and time information received by the request information reception unit 17 and the required dispensing time specified for each pharmacy by the dispensing time specification unit 16. Specifically, the pharmacy selection unit 12 calculates the possible dispensing completion date and time by adding the required dispensing time specified by the dispensing time specification unit 16 to the date and time when the request information reception unit 17 received the desired date and time information, and selects a pharmacy where this possible dispensing completion date and time is earlier than the patient's desired pick-up date and time. Alternatively, the possible dispensing completion date and time may be calculated by adding the required dispensing time and a predetermined margin time to the date and time when the request date and time information was received.

[0048] Furthermore, the pharmacy selection unit 12 selects a pharmacy that further satisfies the third selection condition, which is that medication guidance can be provided in the manner desired by the patient, based on the guidance method information stored and managed in the pharmacy-related information storage unit 23 by the pharmacy-related information management unit 15 and the desired method information received by the desired method information reception unit 17. In other words, if the desired method information indicates that face-to-face medication guidance is desired, the pharmacy selection unit 12 selects a pharmacy that can provide face-to-face medication guidance, and if online medication guidance is desired, it selects a pharmacy that can provide online medication guidance.

[0049] Furthermore, the pharmacy selection unit 12 selects a pharmacy that further satisfies the fourth selection condition, which is that the pharmacy can dispense the medicine using the method desired by the patient, based on the dispensing method information stored and managed in the pharmacy-related information storage unit 23 by the pharmacy-related information management unit 15 and the desired dispensing method information received by the desired dispensing method reception unit 17. Specifically, the pharmacy selection unit 12 selects a pharmacy that can dispense the medicine at the store if the desired dispensing method information indicates that the patient wants to dispense the medicine at the store, a pharmacy that can deliver to the patient's home if the patient wants home delivery, and a pharmacy that can deliver to a designated locker if the patient wants delivery to a designated locker.

[0050] As described above, the pharmacy selection unit 12 selects a pharmacy that satisfies all of the first to fourth selection criteria. As mentioned above, if there is only one pharmacy that satisfies all of the first to fourth selection criteria, the pharmacy selection unit 12 presents that one pharmacy to the electronic medication record app on the patient terminal 4. At this time, the pharmacy selection unit 12 displays multiple pharmacy terminals 3 -1 ,3 -2 The system may read and display information such as the name, address, and business hours of a dispensing pharmacy from a pharmacy master database (not shown) that has been constructed by collecting information in advance from various sources. When the patient accepts the presented dispensing pharmacy, the electronic prescription transmission unit 13 transmits the electronic prescription to the pharmacy terminal 3 of that dispensing pharmacy.

[0051] On the other hand, if multiple pharmacies are selected that meet all of the first to fourth selection criteria, the pharmacy selection unit 12 presents these multiple pharmacies to the electronic medication record app on the patient terminal 4. At this time, the pharmacy selection unit 12 may read and display information such as the name, address, and business hours of each pharmacy from the pharmacy master database. When the patient selects one of the presented pharmacies, the electronic prescription transmission unit 13 sends the electronic prescription to the pharmacy terminal 3 of the selected pharmacy.

[0052] If no dispensing pharmacy is selected that satisfies all of the first to fourth selection criteria, the dispensing pharmacy selection unit 12 displays a message to that effect on the electronic medication record app and prompts the user to change their preferred information. If the user changes their preferred information regarding at least one of the following: the date and time of medication pickup, the type of medication guidance, or the method of dispensing medication, the dispensing pharmacy selection unit 12 selects a dispensing pharmacy that satisfies all of the first to fourth selection criteria based on the changed preferred information.

[0053] While the first to fourth selection criteria are provided as examples here, it is not mandatory to use all four selection criteria when selecting a pharmacy. For example, you may use only the first selection criterion, or you may use the first selection criterion along with one or two of the second to fourth selection criteria.

[0054] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the server device 1 configured as described above. The flowchart in Figure 5 shows the processing flow from when the server device 1 receives an electronic prescription from the medical institution terminal 2 until it sends the electronic prescription to one of the pharmacy terminals 3.

[0055] When the electronic prescription receiving unit 11 receives an electronic prescription from the medical institution terminal 2 and stores the received electronic prescription in the electronic prescription storage unit 21 (step S1), the dispensing pharmacy selection unit 12 selects a dispensing pharmacy that has the drug indicated by the electronic prescription stored in the electronic prescription storage unit 21 in stock, based on the inventory information stored in the inventory information storage unit 22, from among a number of dispensing pharmacies whose inventory information is recorded in the inventory information storage unit 22 (step S2).

[0056] Subsequently, the request information receiving unit 17 determines whether or not it has received request information from the patient terminal 4 (step S3). It waits until it receives the request information, and once it has received the request information, the dispensing pharmacy selection unit 12 selects a dispensing pharmacy from among the dispensing pharmacies selected in step S2 that meets the third selection condition, which is that it can provide medication guidance in the manner desired by the patient, based on the guidance manner information stored in the pharmacy-related information storage unit 23 and the request manner information received by the request information receiving unit 17 (step S4).

[0057] Next, the pharmacy selection unit 12 selects a pharmacy from among those selected in step S4 that meets the fourth selection condition, which is that it can dispense the medicine using the method desired by the patient, based on the dispensing method information stored in the pharmacy-related information storage unit 23 and the desired dispensing method information received by the desired dispensing method unit 17 (step S5). Note that the processing in step S4 and step S5 may be performed in reverse order.

[0058] Next, the dispensing time identification unit 16 identifies the time required to dispense the medicine indicated by the electronic prescription stored in the electronic prescription storage unit 21 for each dispensing pharmacy (step S6). By executing the processing of the dispensing time identification unit 16 after narrowing down the applicable dispensing pharmacies using the first selection criterion, third selection criterion, and fourth selection criterion, the number of dispensing pharmacies to which the time identification processing is applied can be reduced. If this is not taken into consideration, the selection of dispensing pharmacies using the first to fourth selection criterion can be performed in any order.

[0059] After determining the time required for dispensing, the pharmacy selection unit 12 selects a pharmacy from among those selected in step S5 that satisfies the second selection condition, which is that dispensing will be completed by the pick-up date and time, based on the desired date and time information received by the desired information reception unit 17 and the time required for dispensing determined for each pharmacy by the dispensing time determination unit 16 (step S7).

[0060] Here, the pharmacy selection unit 12 determines whether or not one or more pharmacies have been selected (step S8). If one or more pharmacies have been selected, the pharmacy selection unit 12 displays the selected pharmacies on the electronic medication record app of the patient terminal 4 (step S9) and determines whether the patient has given their consent or selected one of the pharmacies (step S10). If the patient has given their consent or selected a pharmacie, the electronic prescription transmission unit 13 transmits the electronic prescription to the selected pharmacies (step S11). This completes the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 5.

[0061] In step S8 above, if it is determined that no dispensing pharmacy meets all of the first to fourth selection criteria, the dispensing pharmacy selection unit 12 displays a message to that effect on the electronic medication record app on the patient terminal 4 and prompts the patient to change their preferred information (step S12). If the patient changes their preferred information regarding at least one of the following: the date and time of receiving the medication, the type of medication guidance, or the method of dispensing the medication (step S13: Yes), the process returns to step S4, and the dispensing pharmacy selection unit 12 selects a dispensing pharmacy that meets all of the first to fourth selection criteria based on the changed preferred information.

[0062] On the other hand, if no changes are made to the desired information (Step S13: No), the flowchart shown in Figure 5 terminates. In this case, the electronic prescription transmission unit 13 does not send the electronic prescription to any of the pharmacy terminals 3. The patient will then select a pharmacy themselves and request dispensing. The pharmacy that receives the request has not received the electronic prescription from the server device 1 before receiving the request, but can download the electronic prescription from the electronic prescription management service server 100 and dispense the medication if it has the drug in stock.

[0063] Furthermore, if no changes are made to the desired information regarding the second to fourth selection criteria (Step S13: No), a screen may be displayed to allow the patient to select their preferred pharmacy themselves, and the electronic prescription may be sent to the pharmacy terminal 3 of the selected pharmacy through this screen. For example, the server device 1 may display a screen on the patient terminal 4 in which one or more search criteria can be entered, search for pharmacies that match the search criteria entered by the patient, and present them to the patient terminal 4, allowing the patient to select their preferred pharmacy from among them. Examples of search criteria include conditions related to accessibility (within a specified distance from a designated location such as home or work, with parking, etc.), conditions related to business hours (weekend service, 24-hour service, etc.), and conditions related to the availability of generic drugs, etc., allowing for search criteria that take into account the patient's convenience.

[0064] As explained in detail above, this embodiment includes a server device 1 that receives an electronic prescription from a medical institution terminal 2 and transmits the received electronic prescription to a pharmacy terminal 3 of a pharmacy selected based on predetermined selection criteria. Here, the server device 1 selects a pharmacy that meets the first selection criterion of having the medicine indicated in the electronic prescription in stock, based on inventory information showing the inventory status of medicines at multiple pharmacies.

[0065] According to this embodiment, when the server device 1 transmits an electronic prescription received from the medical institution terminal 2 to the pharmacy terminal 3, a pharmacy that has the medicine indicated in the electronic prescription in stock is selected in advance. Therefore, whether the patient goes to a pharmacy to request dispensing or requests dispensing online, the pharmacy will always have the medicine indicated in the electronic prescription in stock. As a result, patients can smoothly receive their medication from the pharmacy they initially requested dispensing from, without having to search for another pharmacy with the medicine in stock after going to the pharmacy, or without any time loss while the pharmacy that received the dispensing request orders and procures any missing medicines.

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the server device 1 receives input of desired information from the patient and selects a dispensing pharmacy that also satisfies a second selection condition, that dispensing is completed by the date and time the patient wishes to receive the medication; a third selection condition, that medication guidance can be provided in the manner the patient wishes; and a fourth selection condition, that the medication can be dispensed using the method the patient wishes. As a result, patients can receive their medication smoothly from a dispensing pharmacy that not only has the medication in stock but also meets their preferences.

[0067] The server device 1' may also be configured as shown in Figure 6. Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the modified server device 1'. In Figure 6, components with the same reference numerals as those shown in Figure 3 have the same function, so redundant explanations are omitted here. As shown in Figure 6, the modified server device 1' further includes a patient-related information management unit 18 as its functional configuration, and replaces the dispensing pharmacy selection unit 12 with a dispensing pharmacy selection unit 12'. It also further includes a patient-related information storage unit 24 as a storage medium.

[0068] The patient-related information management unit 18 stores and manages the identification information of one or more primary care pharmacies in the patient-related information storage unit 24, in association with the patient's identification information. For example, the patient-related information management unit 18 stores the identification information of multiple pharmacy terminals 3 -1 ,3 -2 The system obtains the identification information of patients who use the pharmacy as their primary care pharmacy from the patient terminal 4 and stores it in the pharmacy-related information storage unit 23 in association with the identification information of the dispensing pharmacy. Alternatively, the patient-related information management unit 18 may obtain the identification information of the dispensing pharmacy that the patient uses as their primary care pharmacy from the patient terminal 4 and store it in the pharmacy-related information storage unit 23 in association with the patient's identification information.

[0069] Here, patient identification information only needs to be information that uniquely identifies an individual patient. For example, it could be the patient's name and date of birth, the symbol, number, and sub-number on their health insurance card, or a patient number assigned by the pharmacy. Pharmacy identification information only needs to be information that uniquely identifies an individual pharmacy. For example, it could be the name of the pharmacy (including the store name), or a pharmacy ID assigned to each individual pharmacy.

[0070] The pharmacy selection unit 12' identifies one or more of the patient's primary care pharmacies by referring to information stored and managed in the patient-related information storage unit 24 by the patient-related information management unit 18, based on the patient identification information contained in the electronic prescription received by the electronic prescription receiving unit 11 and stored in the electronic prescription storage unit 21. It then determines whether the primary care pharmacy meets the selection criteria, and if it is determined to meet the criteria, it selects that primary care pharmacy as the destination pharmacy for the electronic prescription. If there are multiple primary care pharmacies that meet the selection criteria, they are presented to the patient for selection, and the primary care pharmacy selected by the patient is selected as the destination pharmacy. On the other hand, if it is determined that the primary care pharmacy does not meet the selection criteria, it searches for a dispensing pharmacy that meets the selection criteria from other dispensing pharmacies other than the primary care pharmacy and selects it as the destination pharmacy for the electronic prescription.

[0071] According to this modified configuration, the patient's primary care pharmacy can be preferentially selected as the recipient of the electronic prescription, provided that the selection criteria are met. The selection criteria used in this modified configuration may include all of the first to fourth selection criteria, only the first selection criterion, or the first selection criterion and one or two of the second to fourth selection criteria.

[0072] In the case of a patient's regular pharmacy, the manner of medication guidance and the method of dispensing medication may already be established, so it may be acceptable to use only the first and second selection criteria. Alternatively, while using the first and second selection criteria as a general rule, it may be acceptable to confirm with the patient whether the manner of medication guidance and the method of dispensing medication should remain the same as usual, and if the patient requests something different, at least one of the third and fourth selection criteria may be further considered when selecting a dispensing pharmacy.

[0073] In the modified example shown in Figure 6, an example is described in which a pharmacy that meets the selection criteria is selected from among the pharmacy-related information storage units 23, where the patient's primary care pharmacy is stored. However, the system is not limited to this example. For example, the flowchart shown in Figure 5 may be executed without limiting the selection to the primary care pharmacy. If the patient does not change their preferred information regarding the second to fourth selection criteria (step S13: No), the server device 1 may display one or more primary care pharmacies stored in the pharmacy-related information storage units 23 on the screen of the patient terminal 4, allowing the patient to select one.

[0074] Furthermore, the above embodiments are merely examples of how the present invention may be implemented, and the technical scope of the invention should not be interpreted as being limited by them. In other words, the present invention can be implemented in various ways without departing from its gist or its main features. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 1,1' Server device 2. Medical Institution Terminals 3. Pharmacy terminal 4. Patient terminal 11 Electronic prescription receiving unit 12,12' Pharmacy Selection Department 13 Electronic Prescription Transmission Unit 14. Inventory Management Department 15. Pharmacy-Related Information Management Department 16 Dispensing Time Specific Department 17. Information Request Department 18. Patient-Related Information Management Department 21 Electronic prescription storage unit 22 Inventory Information Storage Unit 23 Pharmacy-related information storage unit 24 Patient-related information storage unit

Claims

1. An electronic prescription system comprising a medical institution terminal used in a medical institution, a pharmacy terminal used in a dispensing pharmacy, and a server device connected to the medical institution terminal and the pharmacy terminal via a communication network, The above server device is The inventory management department manages inventory information showing the inventory status of pharmaceuticals at multiple dispensing pharmacies, The electronic prescription receiving unit receives electronic prescriptions from the above medical institution terminal, The above-mentioned electronic prescription receiving unit selects a dispensing pharmacy to which the above-mentioned electronic prescription will be sent, and The system comprises an electronic prescription transmission unit that transmits the electronic prescription to the pharmacy terminal of the pharmacy selected by the above-mentioned pharmacy selection unit, The above-mentioned pharmacy selection department selects pharmacies that meet the selection criteria of having the pharmaceuticals indicated in the electronic prescription in stock, based on the inventory information managed by the above-mentioned inventory management department. An electronic prescription system characterized by the following features.

2. The above server device is A preferred date and time reception unit receives preferred date and time information, indicating the patient's preferred pick-up date and time, from the patient's terminal used by the patient via the communication network. The system further includes a dispensing time identification unit that identifies the time required for dispensing the medicine indicated in the above electronic prescription for each dispensing pharmacy, The above-mentioned pharmacy selection unit selects pharmacies that further satisfy the selection criterion of completing dispensing by the above-mentioned pick-up date and time, based on the above-mentioned preferred date and time information received by the above-mentioned preferred date and time reception unit and the above-mentioned dispensing time determination unit which determines the required time for each pharmacie. The electronic prescription system according to claim 1.

3. The above server device is A pharmacy-related information management unit stores and manages information indicating whether the above-mentioned pharmacy can provide medication guidance in person or online, in association with the identification information of the above-mentioned pharmacy. The system further comprises a preference reception unit that receives preference information indicating the type of medication guidance desired by the patient from the patient's terminal via the communication network, The above-mentioned pharmacy selection department selects pharmacies that further meet the selection criteria of being able to provide medication guidance in the manner desired by the patient, based on the above-mentioned guidance method information managed by the above-mentioned pharmacy-related information management department and the above-mentioned preferred method information received by the above-mentioned preferred method reception department. The electronic prescription system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The above server device is A pharmacy-related information management unit stores and manages dispensing method information indicating the dispensing methods for the medications that can be dispensed, in association with the identification information of the above-mentioned dispensing pharmacy. The system further includes a preferred delivery method reception unit that receives preferred delivery method information, indicating the patient's preferred delivery method, from the patient's terminal via the communication network. The above-mentioned pharmacy selection department selects pharmacies that meet the selection criteria of being able to dispense medication using the method preferred by the patient, based on the above-mentioned dispensing method information managed by the above-mentioned pharmacy-related information management department and the above-mentioned preferred dispensing method information received by the above-mentioned preferred dispensing method reception department. The electronic prescription system according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The above server device is A pharmacy-related information management unit stores and manages dispensing method information indicating the dispensing methods for the medications that can be dispensed, in association with the identification information of the above-mentioned dispensing pharmacy. The system further includes a preferred delivery method reception unit that receives preferred delivery method information, indicating the patient's preferred delivery method, from the patient's terminal via the communication network. The above-mentioned pharmacy selection department selects pharmacies that meet the selection criteria of being able to dispense medication using the method preferred by the patient, based on the above-mentioned dispensing method information managed by the above-mentioned pharmacy-related information management department and the above-mentioned preferred dispensing method information received by the above-mentioned preferred dispensing method reception department. The electronic prescription system according to claim 3.

6. The above server device further includes a patient-related information management unit that stores the identification information of the patient's primary care pharmacy in association with the patient's identification information. The above-mentioned pharmacy selection unit identifies the patient's primary care pharmacy by referring to information managed by the above-mentioned patient-related information management unit, based on the patient's identification information contained in the above-mentioned electronic prescription received by the above-mentioned electronic prescription receiving unit, and determines whether the above-mentioned primary care pharmacy meets the above-mentioned selection criteria. If it is determined that the above-mentioned primary care pharmacy meets the above-mentioned selection criteria, the above-mentioned primary care pharmacy is selected as the destination pharmacy. On the other hand, if it is determined that the above-mentioned primary care pharmacy does not meet the above-mentioned selection criteria, the unit searches for a dispensing pharmacy that meets the above-mentioned selection criteria from other dispensing pharmacies other than the above-mentioned primary care pharmacy and selects it as the destination pharmacy. The electronic prescription system according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The above server device further includes a patient-related information management unit that stores the identification information of the patient's primary care pharmacy in association with the patient's identification information. If the above-mentioned pharmacy selection unit determines that there are no dispensing pharmacies that meet the above selection criteria, it will identify the patient's primary care pharmacy by referring to the information managed by the above-mentioned patient-related information management unit based on the patient's identification information contained in the above-mentioned electronic prescription received by the above-mentioned electronic prescription receiving unit, and present it to the above-mentioned patient, and if the above-mentioned primary care pharmacy is selected by the above-mentioned patient, it will select that primary care pharmacy as the dispensing pharmacy to which the prescription is sent. The electronic prescription system according to claim 1 or 2.

8. A server device that is connected via a communication network to medical terminals used in medical institutions and pharmacy terminals used in dispensing pharmacies, The inventory management department manages inventory information showing the inventory status of pharmaceuticals at multiple dispensing pharmacies, The electronic prescription receiving unit receives electronic prescriptions from the above medical institution terminal, The above-mentioned electronic prescription receiving unit selects a dispensing pharmacy to which the above-mentioned electronic prescription will be sent, and The system comprises an electronic prescription transmission unit that transmits the electronic prescription to the pharmacy terminal of the pharmacy selected by the above-mentioned pharmacy selection unit, The above-mentioned pharmacy selection department selects pharmacies that meet the selection criteria of having the pharmaceuticals indicated in the electronic prescription in stock, based on the inventory information managed by the above-mentioned inventory management department. A server device characterized by the following features.

9. A method for selecting a dispensing pharmacy to which an electronic prescription received from a medical institution terminal will be sent, in a server device connected via a communication network to a medical institution terminal used by a medical institution and a pharmacy terminal used by a dispensing pharmacy, The electronic prescription receiving unit of the server device described above receives an electronic prescription from the medical institution terminal described above. The server device has a pharmacy selection unit that, based on inventory information indicating the inventory status of pharmaceuticals at multiple pharmacies, selects a pharmacy that meets the selection criterion of having the pharmaceuticals indicated in the electronic prescription in stock, as the destination for the electronic prescription received by the electronic prescription receiving unit. A method for selecting a dispensing pharmacy characterized by the following features.

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