Secure on-line authentication system for processing prescription drug fulfillment

Abstract

A method of processing drug prescriptions via a communications network includes registering doctors, pharmacies and patients as participants such that each registered participant's identity is uniquely defined and determinable. Registered doctors from which prescriptions are received via the communications network have their identities authenticated. Each of the received prescriptions indicates a respective registered patient's identity for whom the prescription is intended. Registered patients from which orders are received via the communications network also have their identities authenticated. Each of the received orders indicates the prescription being ordered. The method also includes forwarding the orders to registered pharmacies via the communications network.

1 . A computer-implemented method of processing drug prescriptions via the Internet, wherein the method is performed by a pharmacy registered with an external agent, said method comprising:
 a) receiving a first request at a server and over the Internet, wherein the first request is received from a doctor registered with the external agent and specifies a prescription, wherein the prescription identifies a patient registered with the external agent;   b) redirecting the doctor to the external agent via the server and using the Internet, wherein the external agent authenticates the doctor and returns the doctor using the Internet;   c) receiving a second request at the server and over the Internet, wherein the second request is received from the patient registered with the external agent and specifies an order for the prescription; and,   d) redirecting the patient to the external agent via the server and using the Internet, wherein the external agent authenticates the patient and returns the patient using the Internet;   e) receiving patient-specific authorization level for the patient from the external agent at the server, the patient-specific authorization level including one or more limitations on requests from the patient; and,   f) the server rejecting the second request in response to the second request violating the patient-specific authorization level and allowing the second request otherwise.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first request and/or the second request are sent by the doctor and/or the patient, respectively, using a computer program. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the limitations of the patient-specific authorization level indicate one or more of degree of access to pharmaceutical data maintained by the pharmacy and privileges granted to the patient. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the external agent further determines a doctor-specific authorization level for the doctor, said method further comprising:
 g) receiving the doctor-specific authorization level from the external agent, the doctor-specific authorization level including one or more limitations on requests from the doctor; and,   h) rejecting the first request in response to the first request violating the doctor-specific authorization level and allowing the first request otherwise.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , where the limitations of the doctor-specific authorization level include a limit on which patients the doctor may submit prescriptions for. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the limitations of the doctor-specific authorization level is set by a patient. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the limitations of the doctor-specific authorization level indicate one or more of degree of access to pharmaceutical data maintained by the pharmacy and privileges granted to the doctor. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 g) notifying the patient of receipt of the prescription.   
     
     
         9 . A computer-implemented method of processing drug prescriptions comprising:
 a) registering with an external agent one or more doctors, one or more pharmacies, and one or more patients as users of a common Internet based system, wherein each of the registered users include a unique system user identity, wherein the external agent comprises a server;   b) receiving a plurality of prescriptions by the common Internet based system from doctors registered as users, wherein the prescriptions are written for patients registered as users;   c) posting received prescriptions in a database of the common Internet based system prior to pharmacy selection by patients registered as users;   d) choosing pharmacies registered as users to fill the plurality of posted prescriptions by patients registered as users for whom the prescriptions are posted, wherein each prescription to be filled by a chosen pharmacy for a specific patient comprises an order;   e) determining a patient-specific authorization level for one of the patients, the patient-specific authorization level including one or more limitations on orders from the one of the patients;   f) rejecting an order for the one of the patients in response to the order violating the patient-specific authorization level and allowing the order otherwise; and,   g) in response to allowing the order, forwarding the order from the common Internet based system to the chosen pharmacy registered as a user.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the limitations of the patient-specific authorization level indicate one or more of degree of access to pharmaceutical data maintained by the pharmacy and privileges granted to the patient. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 h) determining a doctor-specific authorization level for one of the doctors, the doctor-specific authorization level including one or more limitations on prescriptions from the one of the doctors;   i) rejecting a prescription from the one of the doctors in response to the prescription violating the doctor-specific authorization level and allowing the prescription otherwise.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , where the limitations of the doctor-specific authorization level include a limit on which patients the doctor may submit prescriptions for. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the limitations of the doctor-specific authorization level is set by a patient. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the limitations of the doctor-specific authorization level indicate one or more of degree of access to pharmaceutical data maintained by the pharmacies and privileges granted to the one of the doctors. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving by the common Internet based system a confirmation from at least one of the pharmacies registered as a user, wherein said confirmation indicates at least one of the following has occurred:
 the pharmacy has received the order, 
 the pharmacy has accepted the order, 
 the pharmacy is filling the order, and 
 the pharmacy has completed filling the order; and, 
   forwarding the confirmation to at least one of:
 at least one of the patients registered as a user, and 
 at least one of the doctors registered as a user. 
   
     
     
         16 . A prescription drug fulfillment system comprising:
 an electronic computer connected to the Internet, said electronic computer comprising:   a registration module that registers one or more doctors, one or more pharmacies, and one or more patients as participants, and provides each registered participant with a unique system user identifier;   a communications module that receives prescriptions from registered doctors over the Internet, receives orders for prescriptions from patients over the Internet for whom the prescriptions were written, and forwards orders to pharmacies over the Internet to whom the orders are designated;   an authentication module that authenticates the registered doctors, the registered pharmacies, and the registered patients using registration data and unique system user identifiers; and,   an authorization module that:
 authorizes prescriptions using doctor-specific authorization levels associated with the doctors, the doctor-specific authorization level including one or more limitations on prescriptions from the doctors; and, 
 authorizes orders using patient-specific authorization levels associated with the patients, the patient-specific authorization level including one or more limitations on orders from the patients; 
 wherein the authorization module rejects prescriptions violating doctor-specific authorization levels of corresponding doctors and rejects orders violating patient-specific authorization levels of corresponding patients. 
   
     
     
         17 . The prescription drug fulfillment system of  claim 16 , wherein the limitations of the patient-specific authorization levels indicate one or more of degree of access to pharmaceutical data maintained by the pharmacies and privileges granted to the patients. 
     
     
         18 . The prescription drug fulfillment system of  claim 16 , wherein the limitations of the doctor-specific authorization levels indicate one or more of degree of access to pharmaceutical data maintained by the pharmacies and privileges granted to the doctors. 
     
     
         19 . The prescription drug fulfillment system of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the limitations of one of the doctor-specific authorization levels is set by a patient. 
     
     
         20 . The prescription drug fulfillment system of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the limitations of one of the doctor-specific authorization levels is set by a doctor.