(19) United States
`(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2004/0176985 A1
`(43) Pub. Date:
`Sep. 9, 2004
`Lilly et al.
`
`US 20040176985A1
`
`(54) CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE TRACKING
`SYSTEM AND METHOD
`
`(76) Inventors; Ralph B_ Lilly, Houston, TX (Us);
`Jesse J. Bornfreund, Houston, TX
`(US); J e?'rey A. Anon, Houston, TX
`(US)
`
`Corres ondence Address:
`P
`WILLIAM E. JOHNSON JR,
`s
`THE MATTHEWS FIRM
`1900 WEST LOOP SOUTH, STE 1800
`HOUSTON, TX 77027 (Us)
`
`(21) App1_ NO;
`
`10/803,259
`
`22 Filed;
`(
`)
`
`Mar, 18 2004
`,
`
`Related US, Application Data
`
`(63) Continuation of application No. 10/062,251, ?led on
`Jan, 31, 2002, now abandoned,
`
`(60) Provisional application No. 60/332,807, ?led on Nov.
`14, 2001.
`
`Publication Classi?cation
`
`(51) Int. Cl.7 ................................................... .. G06F 17/60
`(52) US. Cl. ................................................................ .. 705/2
`
`ABSTRACT
`(57)
`A method for tracking prescriptive medications is provided
`Whereby a complete prescriptive medication history includ
`in active and inactive rescri tive medications is stored for
`g
`P
`P
`a luralit of atients utiliZin a luralit of harmacies
`P
`y
`P
`g
`P
`y
`P
`Wherein the pharmacies may be affiliated or unaffiliated. The
`information may be selectively retrieved through a secure
`computer connection by entities such as hospitals, doctors,
`pharmacies, insurance companies, government agencies and
`the like. The information may be utilized to bene?t the
`patient Whereby a doctor is able to obtain an accurate vieW
`of the com lete
`rescri tive medication histor of the
`P
`P
`p
`y
`patient including prescriptive medications by other doctors.
`Hospitals Will be able to obtain, in accord With the invention,
`a prescriptive medication history prior to treatment such as
`emergency treatment Where such information is not nor
`mally available. The stored data for each prescriptive medi
`cation transaction includes searchable data such as the
`patient’s name, address, doctor, pharmacy, aberrant use ?ag,
`and the like.
`
`nuCTnRS
`
`PHARHACIES
`
`HEISPITALS
`
`PHACRDMMASNLiTEISCAL
`
`INSURANCE
`
`112 '\
`CnvERNMENT
`AGENCIES
`1
`
`SECURE
`APPLET
`
`116
`114
`HEALTH
`HEALTH CARE
`RESEARCHERS
`INFEIMTICS
`|
`l
`I
`184
`LEIG IN /
`REQUEST
`138
`/'
`|
`APPLICATIEIN
`PREIGRAM INTERFACE
`
`126
`
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`
`130
`DTHEERBEQ'I‘JEESCARE
`l
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`PRESCRIPTICIN
`INFEIRMATIDN
`TRANSACTInN
`136
`1
`\ INFURMATIDN
`ACCESS FILTER
`
`122
`
`DNA STnRACE
`
`132
`
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`\
`134
`
`100
`
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`152 —\ RESPDND\
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`154
`
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`/158 / 156
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`148
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`NU
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`
`144
`
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`
`SYSTEM
`
`LIIIG REQUEST
`
`uPnAiE ACCESS
`LEIG
`
`_
`
`160
`
`140
`
`EITHER PRuvInER
`INFIJ, APPLICATIDNS,
`SERVICES
`
`/
`
`150
`
`142
`
`146
`
` PAR1036
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`Patent Application Publication Sep. 9, 2004 Sheet 1 0f 2
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`US 2004/0176985 A1
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Sep. 9, 2004 Sheet 2 0f 2
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`US 2004/0176985 A1
`
`
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`PAR1036
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`US 2004/0176985 A1
`
`Sep. 9, 2004
`
`CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE TRACKING SYSTEM
`AND METHOD
`
`[0001] This application claims the bene?t of US. Provi
`sional Application No. 60/332,807, ?led on Nov. 14, 2001,
`and is a continuation of US. application Ser. No. 10/062,
`251, ?led Jan. 31, 2002.
`
`TECHNICAL FIELD
`
`[0002] The present invention relates generally to methods
`for tracking controlled substances and, more speci?cally, to
`methods especially suitable for tracking and managing pre
`scription information in aggregate.
`
`BACKGROUND ART
`
`[0003] Although the exact frequency of prescription drug
`abuse is unknoWn in the United States, it has been reported
`that more than ?fty percent of all emergency room visits for
`drug-related problems are connected to prescription drug
`misuse or accidental overdose. It has also been estimated
`that in some communities, more than sixty percent of
`medical examiner cases are related to prescription drugs.
`
`[0004] It is estimated that more than four million people a
`year in the US. misuse or abuse prescription drugs. For
`instance, according to an August 1999 article in the Journal
`of the American Geriatrics Society, older Americans (age 65
`and older) currently account for 12.5% of the total US
`population, but consume 25% of all prescription medica
`tions. It is documented that 17% of the senior population
`misuses medications, accounting for approximately $2 bil
`lion loss annually.
`
`[0005] The AMA estimates that 5% of physicians are
`grossly negligent and 1-1.5% are dishonest in their prescrib
`ing of pharmaceuticals. This Would amount to a cost of $2.5
`billion annually.
`[0006] Three hundred ?fty thousand adverse medication
`errors (probably far greater not reported) occur each year
`among one-half million nursing home residents in the
`United States. One employee in ten has a problem With
`alcohol/drugs. Absenteeism is 66% higher among drug
`users.
`
`[0007] Among drug users, health bene?t utiliZation is
`300% higher, disciplinary actions are 90% higher, and
`employee turnover is signi?cantly higher. Forty-seven per
`cent of Workplace accidents are drug related.
`
`[0008] In fact, it is clear that the Healthcare industry is
`facing a number of challenges today unlike ever faced
`before. An educated, consuming public has ever increasing
`expectations for exponential improvement in healthcare
`delivery, While at the same time, economic pressures are
`forcing tighter controls over cost, efficiency and quality.
`[0009] The industry has Widely recogniZed a need for
`better ef?ciencies, but Without notable success in many
`areas, including prescription abuse. For instance, the Health
`care Information Portability and Accountability Act
`(HIPAA) mandates making the exchange of information
`more ubiquitous, secure, and ef?cient but does not provide
`a solution With respect to prescription tracking and abuse.
`While it is Well knoWn that it Would be desirable to reduce
`spiraling cost structures, mitigate health risks, provide more
`ef?cient billing and business modeling, eliminate redun
`
`dancy, and improve informational ?oW, the solutions to such
`overWhelming problems are generally unavailable.
`[0010] In 1993, prescription drug sales Were $25 billion.
`Since that time prescriptions have risen more than 50%,
`totaling close to three billion prescriptions annually. With
`soaring costs, the sum of prescription drugs is currently
`greater that $50 billion annually, With limited ability to
`control or manage those costs.
`
`[0011] These estimates are only for the cost of drugs
`themselves, and don’t include many of the highly signi?cant
`tangential costs associated With abuse, additional healthcare
`requirements and costs associated With drug interactions,
`insurance fraud resulting from purchase of class drugs for
`resale on the street, dispensing of Wrong prescriptions due to
`misread prescriptions, and the like, Which are proportionally
`of greater cost.
`[0012] It Would be desirable to provide a healthcare utility
`that can assist substantially in reducing these misused and
`abused prescriptions. It Would be desirable to provide major
`changes in the delivery of prescription drugs that produce
`measurable social and economic impacts on spending Within
`the healthcare value chain including less abuse-related
`healthcare costs, feWer erroneous prescriptions, more
`accountability, and better tracking and management of pre
`scriptions.
`[0013] Patents that involve attempts to solve the above or
`related problems include the folloWing:
`[0014] US. Pat. No. 6,067,524, issued May 23, 2000, to
`Byerly et al., discloses a method and system for generating
`advisory messages to pharmacy patients that includes
`appending patient-speci?c information to a data record
`containing normally transmitted information. The data
`record is transmitted betWeen a third party computer and a
`pharmacy computer during a pharmacy transaction. The data
`record transmitted to the pharmacy computer is captured by
`an advisory computer as the data record is received by the
`pharmacy computer or after the data record is transmitted to
`the pharmacy computer, and the patient-speci?c information
`is extracted from the captured data record. The advisory
`computer generates an advisory message based on the
`extracted patient-speci?c information, and it transmits the
`generated advisory message to a pharmacy printer. The
`advisory computer includes a memory containing a data
`structure for storing the patient-speci?c information, the
`normally transmitted information, and the generated advi
`sory message. A computer program product includes a
`computer storage medium and a computer program code
`mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for
`causing a computer to generate an advisory message. The
`computer program code mechanism includes a ?rst com
`puter code device con?gured to append the patient-speci?c
`information, a second computer code device con?gured to
`capture the data record transmitted to the pharmacy com
`puter, a third computer code device con?gured to extract the
`patient-speci?c information from the captured data record, a
`fourth computer code device con?gured to generate the
`advisory message based on the extracted patient speci?c
`information, and a ?fth computer code device con?gured to
`transmit the generated advisory message to the pharmacy
`printer.
`[0015] US. Pat. No. 6,055,507, issued Apr. 25, 2000, to D.
`W. Cunningham, discloses a neW and improved method of
`
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`

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`US 2004/0176985 A1
`
`Sep. 9, 2004
`
`dispensing, tracking and managing pharmaceutical product
`samples by communicatively linking prescribers and phar
`macies to a central computing station. The method entails
`utiliZing product trial media that is exchanged for actual
`pharmaceutical product. The media is encoded With infor
`mation that identi?es a particular pharmaceutical trial prod
`uct, such as by magnetic encoding similar to that used With
`credit cards. The media is distributed to participating medi
`cal doctors or prescribers Who then activate the media via the
`central computing station. The prescriber then transfers the
`activated media to patients Who then present the media to
`participating pharmacies. Before ?lling the pharmaceutical
`trial product identi?ed by the media, the pharmacy validates
`the media via a link With the central computing station.
`Then, the pharmacy dispenses the prescribed pharmaceutical
`trial product. The central computing station also includes a
`database that records data related to the use of the media so
`that all pharmaceutical trial products can be accounted for.
`
`[0016] Us. Pat. No. 5,542,420, issued Aug. 6, 1996, to
`Goldman et al., discloses a health care system for specifying
`edibles to individual subjects. The personaliZed method and
`system for storage, communication, analysis and processing
`of health-related data comprises a storage containing data
`relating to health and edibles and is adapted to receive data
`on the conditions and characteristics of the individual sub
`jects. The health care system further comprises input termi
`nals adapted to be coupled to the storage means for provid
`ing data on the conditions and characteristics of the
`individual subjects, and a health computer for correlating the
`data relating to health and edibles With the data on the
`condition and characteristics of an individual subject to
`provide a personaliZed prescription of edibles.
`
`[0017] Us. Pat. No. 5,628,530, issued May 13, 1997, to
`G. B. Thornton, discloses a method and system for collec
`tively tracking demographics of physician prescribed starter
`drug samples dispensed to a plurality of patients from a
`plurality of different dispensing locations employs a multi
`part product speci?c sample drug voucher, such as a smart
`card or a preprinted tWo part voucher, Which has a marketing
`information portion and a separable prescription portion to
`be completed by the prescribing physician With starter drug
`sample quantity and dosage information along With patient
`demographic information. The prescription portion is seg
`regated from the marketing information portion at the phar
`macy either electronically by a card reader, if it had been
`encoded on a smart card by the physician, or physically by
`separation along a perforation, if recorded on a tWo part
`voucher, and is electronically retreivably stored in the phar
`macy computer from Where this tracking information is
`electronically transmitted to a central remote computer, such
`as at the drug manufacturer, for subsequent rapid market
`analysis.
`[0018] Us. Pat. No. 5,737,539, issued Apr. 7, 1998, to
`Edelson et al., discloses an electronic prescription creation
`system for use by professional prescribers at the point of
`care Which has a prescription division subsystem permitting
`creation of a single prescription to be automatically divided
`into tWo components for ful?lment of one portion quickly
`and locally at higher cost and of another portion by remote
`mail order taking more time but providing a cost saving for
`a major part of the prescription. The prescription creation
`system has an ability to access remote source databases for
`system presentation to the prescriber of relevant, authoriZed
`
`and current drug, drug formulary and patient history infor
`mation, With dynamic creation of a transient virtual patient
`record, the information being presented to the prescriber
`before completion of the prescription, permitting enhance
`ment of the quality of prescribing decisions.
`
`[0019] US. Pat. No. 5,758,095, issued May 26, 1998, to
`Albaum et al., discloses a system and method for ordering
`and prescribing drugs for a patient. This system includes an
`improved process for facilitating and automating the process
`of drug order entry. The user may interact With the system
`in a variety of Ways such as keyboard, mouse, pen-base entry
`or voice entry. The system includes a database containing
`medical prescribing and drug information Which is both
`general and patient-speci?c. The system also permits the
`user to vieW current and previously prescribed medications
`for any patient. The system can alert the user to potentially
`adverse situations as a result of the prescribed medication
`based on information in the database. The system also can
`automatically determine product selection based on descrip
`tions and can automatically communicate the order to a
`pharmacy. Further, the system includes a means for auto
`matically displaying messages to the user relating to prede
`termined situations. For eXample, such situations may
`include a medication Which is not available in the formulary
`or the prescription of a non-recommended medication. The
`system streamlines the order entry process and makes infor
`mation important to the drug ordering process easily avail
`able.
`
`[0020] US. Pat. No. 5,845,255, issued Dec. 1, 1998, to C.
`Mayaud, discloses a Wirelessly deployable, electronic pre
`scription creation system for physician use that captures into
`a prescription a patient condition-objective of the prescribed
`treatment and provides for patient record assembly from
`source elements, With privacy controls for patient and doc
`tor, adverse indication revieW and online access to compre
`hensive drug information including scienti?c literature.
`Extensions to novel multi-drug packages and dispensing
`devices, and an “intelligent netWork” remote data retrieval
`architecture as Well as onscreen physician-to-pharmacy and
`physician-to-physician e-mail are also provided.
`
`[0021] US. Pat. No. 5,991,731, issued Nov. 23, 1999, to
`Colon et al., discloses a computer system and method for
`managing data used in conducting clinical studies concern
`ing subjects at a plurality of participating, geographically
`distributed clinical sites, Wherein each participating clinical
`site having a computer or inputting, transmitting and receiv
`ing data over the Internet. An Internet netWork server
`computer is interfaced to a database host computer through
`a private netWork. The system communicates data over the
`Internet to determine patient eligibility, randomiZation and
`initial prescriptions, Which can then be adjusted by the
`physician online. The ?nal prescription is printed out for
`signature and sent electronically to a distribution center.
`Study data is maintained in a database in the host computer
`behind a ?reWall provided in the Internet server computer.
`
`[0022] US. Pat. No. 5,832,449, issued Nov. 3, 1998, to D.
`W. Cunningham, discloses a neW and improved method of
`dispensing, tracking and managing pharmaceutical product
`samples by communicatively linking prescribers and phar
`macies to a central computing station. The method entails
`utiliZing product trial media that is eXchanged for actual
`pharmaceutical product. The media is encoded With infor
`
` PAR1036
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`

`

`US 2004/0176985 A1
`
`Sep. 9, 2004
`
`mation that identi?es a particular pharmaceutical trial prod
`uct, such as by magnetic encoding similar to that used With
`credit cards. The media is distributed to participating medi
`cal doctors or prescribers Who then activate the media via the
`central computing station. The prescriber then transfers the
`activated media to patients Who then present the media to
`participating pharmacies. Before ?lling the pharmaceutical
`trial product identi?ed by the media, the pharmacy validates
`the media via a link With the central computing station.
`Then, the pharmacy dispenses the prescribed pharmaceutical
`trial product. The central computing station also includes a
`database that records data related to the use of the media so
`that all pharmaceutical trial products can be accounted for.
`
`[0023] Us. Pat. No. 6,068,156, issued May 30, 2000, to
`Liff et al., discloses an automated drug dispensing system
`that includes a cabinet adapted to store a variety of prepack
`aged pharmaceuticals in a plurality of bins for ?lling patient
`prescriptions. Each bin stores a particular variety of pack
`aged multiple-dose pharmaceutical. Each variety of phar
`maceutical is associated With a particular code. A controller
`receives request signals and in response generates dispense
`signals. Each bin includes a dispenser coupled to the con
`troller for dispensing the packaged pharmaceuticals there
`from in response to a dispense signal sent from the control
`ler. After a package is dispensed, a code reader determines
`the code of the dispensed package and veri?es Whether the
`code on the dispensed package matches the code of the
`requested package.
`[0024] Us. Pat. No. 6,073,106, issued Jun. 6, 2000, to
`RoZen et al., discloses a method Whereby via Internet
`communications or via phone/faX/mail, a participant is
`prompted to provide a constant identi?er and a selected
`passWord. Emergency and con?dential categories of medical
`information are identi?ed, and the participant is prompted to
`provide personal information in each of the categories and a
`different personal identi?cation number (E-PIN, C-PIN) for
`each category. The participant is also prompted to provide an
`instruction to disclose or to not disclose the personal infor
`mation in the emergency category in the event a requester of
`the information is an emergency medical facility and is
`unable to provide the participant’s E-PIN. Alteration of any
`of the participant’s medical information is enabled upon
`presentation of the participant’s identi?er and passWord by
`the requester. The emergency information or the con?dential
`information is disclosed upon presentation of the partici
`pant’s identi?er and E-PIN or C-PIN. In addition, the
`emergency information is disclosed to an emergency medi
`cal facility veri?ed as such by a service provider in the event
`the participant has provided an instruction to disclose the
`emergency information. Storage and access to health related
`documents such as healthcare poWer of attorney, consent for
`treatment, and eyeglass prescription is also provided.
`
`[0025] Us. Pat. No. 6,128,620, issued Oct. 3, 2000, to
`Pissanos et al., discloses a medical database and associated
`methods especially suited for compiling information in a
`medical malpractice situation. A general medical database is
`provided and speci?c medical information corresponding to
`a given situation is entered. Entry of the information auto
`matically cross-references some terms of the entered data to
`de?nitions in the general medical database. Terms are
`readily looked up When revieWing speci?c medical infor
`mation and de?nitions are easily inserted Where desired. A
`drug reference display provides tWo-Way lookup from drugs
`
`to their side effects (or contraindications or interactions) and
`back. Signi?cant information from an entered medical chro
`nology is easily copied to a signi?cant information section
`When a revieWer ?nds the information important.
`
`[0026] US. Pat. No. 6,195,612, issued Feb. 27, 2001, to T.
`L. Pack-Harris, discloses a pharmacy bene?t management
`system that includes a pharmacy computer for generating
`pharmacy claim information based on pharmacy activity of
`a medical group. Ahealth plan computer is responsive to the
`pharmacy claim information for generating pharmacy activ
`ity information for the medical group. A medical group
`computer receives the pharmacy activity information from
`the health plan computer and stores the pharmacy activity
`information. The pharmacy activity information is processed
`to generate utiliZation information to enable the medical
`group to monitor the pharmacy activity.
`
`[0027] US. Pat. No. 6,216,104 B1, issued Apr. 10, 2001,
`to Mosfeghi et al., discloses a Computer-based Patient
`Record (CPR) system including user equipment devices
`Which are con?gured for speech synthesis in response to
`speech markup language teXt and Which are connected via a
`netWork to a middle tier of a server system. The CPR system
`further includes a message delivery facility for delivery of
`teXtual messages to any of pager, electronic mail, or voice
`mail (after teXt-to-speech synthesis) message delivery
`vehicles. The server system accesses a user speci?c data
`store containing speech synthesis pro?les Which include
`prosodic information of the voices and speech of users, and
`message delivery pro?les Which specify Which of the afore
`mentioned message delivery vehicles are to be used and in
`What order. The stored speech synthesis information asso
`ciated With an originator of a message and the stored
`message delivery information associated With the recipient
`of message are provided by the server to user equipment or
`a reminder generator to produce speech markup ?les con
`taining information needed to synthesiZe the vocal and
`speech characteristics of the originator accompanied by
`delivery instructions re?ecting the message delivery prefer
`ences of the recipient.
`
`[0028] US. Pat. No. 6,219,674 B1, issued Apr. 17, 2001,
`to J. B. Classen, discloses systems and methods for creating
`and using product data to enhance the safety of a medical or
`non-medical products. The systems receive vast amounts of
`data regarding adverse events associated With a particular
`product and analyZe the data in light of already knoWn
`adverse events associated With the product. The system
`develops at least one proprietary database of neWly discov
`ered adverse event information and neW uses for the product
`and may catalog adverse event information for a large
`number of population sub-groups. The system may also be
`programmed to incorporate the information into intellectual
`property and contract documents. Manufacturers can include
`the information in consumer product information Which they
`provide to consumers or, in the case of certain medical
`products, prescribers of the medical products.
`
`[0029] US. Pat. No. 6,230,142 B1, issued May 8, 2001, to
`Benigno et al., discloses systems useful for analyZing data
`related to clinical pathWays and performing actions based
`upon the analyses. A self-analyZing system for suggesting
`default clinical pathWays for various procedures. A self
`analyZing system for suggesting deviation from a current
`clinical pathWay and entry into an alternative clinical path
`
` PAR1036
`IPR of U.S. Patent No. 7,668,730
` Page 6 of 12
`
`

`

`US 2004/0176985 A1
`
`Sep. 9, 2004
`
`Way based upon historical information about the results of
`actions. Statistical analysis systems based on clinical path
`Ways. A rating system for care providers or proposed path
`Ways based on historical information. Systems for gathering
`clinical pathWay information. Systems for tracking clinical
`pathWay outcomes based on data collected post-treatment. A
`system for prequali?cation for appropriate discharge and
`post-discharge handling of and communication With a neW
`class of patient, those requiring stable acute care. A ques
`tionnaire computer language and subsystem are used in
`various stages of the systems of the invention. Correspond
`ing methods are also disclosed.
`
`[0030] US. Pat. No. 6,283,322 B1, issued Sep. 4, 2001, to
`Liffet al., discloses an automated drug dispensing system
`that includes a cabinet adapted to store a variety of prepack
`aged pharmaceuticals in a plurality of bins for ?lling patient
`prescriptions. Each bin stores a particular variety of pack
`aged multiple-dose pharmaceutical. Each variety of phar
`maceutical is associated With a particular code. A controller
`receives request signals and in response generates dispense
`signals. Each bin includes a dispenser coupled to the con
`troller for dispensing the packaged pharmaceuticals there
`from in response to a dispense signal sent from the control
`ler. After a package is dispensed, a code reader determines
`the code of the dispensed package and veri?es Whether the
`code on the dispensed package matches the code of the
`requested package.
`[0031] US. Pat. No. 6,240,394 B1, issued May 29, 2001,
`to Uecker et al., discloses a system for generating targeted
`advisory messages for pharmacy patients based on selected
`monitored data components of each transaction. When a
`pharmacy computer prints transaction data, the system
`monitors the data using printer data capture hardWare inter
`posed betWeen the pharmacy computer and its printer. An
`additional processor compares selected components of the
`monitored transaction data With preselected combinations of
`the these components in a database. The database associates
`the preselected combinations of transaction data compo
`nents With advisory message components retrieved from the
`database and used to build an advisory message for output
`to a printer, Which may be the pharmacy computer or an
`additional printer. Targeting of the advisory messages is
`based on selected combinations of the identity of the drug
`being dispensed to the patient, the patient’s age and gender,
`the neW or reneWal status of the prescription, and the identity
`of the party primarily responsible for payment to the phar
`macy for the transaction.
`
`[0032] The above-cited patents do not solve the problem
`of misused and abused prescriptions discussed above. Con
`sequently, there remains a need for an improved system for
`tracking prescription drugs and/or controlled substances.
`Those of skill in the art Will appreciate the present invention
`Which addresses the above and other problems.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`[0033] An objective of the present invention is to provide
`an improved method for controlling information related to
`controlled substances and/or prescriptive medications.
`[0034] Another objective of the present invention is to
`provide a complete prescriptive medication history of
`patients for use by doctors, hospitals, pharmacists, and other
`health care Workers.
`
`[0035] Another objective of the present invention is to
`provide a means for searching massive amounts of data for
`selected criteria to reduce costs involved With prescriptive
`medications.
`[0036] These and other objectives, features, and advan
`tages of the present invention Will become apparent from the
`draWings, the descriptions given herein, and the appended
`claims. HoWever, it Will be understood that the above-listed
`objectives of the invention are intended only as an aid in
`quickly understanding aspects of the invention, and are not
`intended to limit the invention in any Way, and therefore do
`not form a comprehensive or restrictive list of objectives,
`and/or features, and/or advantages.
`[0037] Accordingly, the invention comprises, in one
`embodiment thereof, a method for tracking prescriptive
`medications. The method may comprise one or more steps
`such as, for instance, providing respective computer con
`nections to a plurality of entities Wherein the plurality of
`entities may comprise a plurality of unaffiliated and/or
`af?liated pharmacies, storing pharmaceutical computer data
`relating to prescriptive medication purchases obtained by a
`plurality of prescriptive medication purchasers from the
`plurality of unaf?liated pharmacies, and selectively trans
`ferring the pharmaceutical computer data through the com
`puter connections to at least one of the plurality of entities
`for obtaining a medication history of a selected prescriptive
`medication purchaser for all prescriptive medications pur
`chased by the selected prescriptive medication purchaser
`from all of the plurality of unaf?liated pharmacies based on
`the transferred pharmaceutical computer data.
`[0038] The method may further comprise providing that
`the at least one of the plurality of entities comprises a
`physician’s of?ce and the selected prescriptive medication
`purchaser is a patient of the physician such that the physi
`cian’s of?ce utiliZes the pharmaceutical computer data to
`verify the medication history of the selected prescriptive
`medication purchaser.
`[0039] Other steps may further comprise providing that
`the at least one of the plurality of entities comprises a
`pharmacy With a pharmacist, such that When the selected
`prescriptive medication purchaser requests that the pharma
`cist ?ll a neW prescriptive medication then the pharmacist
`utiliZes the pharmaceutical computer data to compare the
`neW prescriptive medication With respect to the medication
`history of the selected prescriptive medication purchaser.
`The method may further comprise the pharmacist accepting
`or declining to ?ll the neW prescriptive medication based on
`the medication history.
`[0040] Other steps may further comprise providing that at
`least one of the plurality of entities comprises a hospital and
`the selected prescriptive medication purchaser is a patient of
`the hospital such that the hospital utiliZes the pharmaceutical
`computer data to determine the medication history of the
`selected prescriptive medication purchaser.
`[0041] The method may further comprise providing that
`the pharmaceutical computer data for each of the prescrip
`tive medication purchases comprises a name of a respect