Method and apparatus for inter-pharmacy workload balancing using resource function assignments
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
G06Q-010/00
G06Q-050/00
출원번호
UP-0766671
(2010-04-23)
등록번호
US-7831448
(2010-11-25)
발명자
/ 주소
Goodall, Charles
Jhaveri, Nimesh
Wielgos, Russell Alan
출원인 / 주소
Walgreen Co.
대리인 / 주소
Kowalik, Walgreen Co., Francis C.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
70
초록
The system distributes workload amongst a plurality of pharmacy resources that are connected by a computer network. Work orders are queued at each pharmacy resource and redistributed based on existing workload distribution, capacity of pharmacy resources, and/or product demand.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed: 1. A method of managing drug prescription orders within a network of pharmacy resources, comprising: identifying a drug type corresponding to an incoming prescription order at a first computing device of an information processing system connecting the network of pharmacy resources,
What is claimed: 1. A method of managing drug prescription orders within a network of pharmacy resources, comprising: identifying a drug type corresponding to an incoming prescription order at a first computing device of an information processing system connecting the network of pharmacy resources, the first computing device being associated with a first pharmacy resource; determining that a second pharmacy resource in the network of pharmacy resources is assigned as a designated processing center for at least a portion of prescription orders for the drug type, wherein determining that the second pharmacy resource is assigned as the designated processing center comprises determining that the second pharmacy resource is assigned as the designated processing center based on a network demand for the drug type and a local capacity of the second pharmacy resource to process the at least a portion of prescription orders for the drug type; and sending, by the first computing device via the information processing system to a second computing device associated with the second pharmacy resource, at least a portion of the incoming prescription order to the second pharmacy resource for processing, wherein processing each prescription order includes performing physical preparation of each prescription order and performing information processing of each prescription order, and wherein performing information processing of each prescription order includes authenticating each prescription order, validating any third party provider information, collecting payment information, and referencing drug information associated with the drug type. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the second pharmacy resource is assigned as the designated processing center comprises obtaining an indication from a third computing device via the information processing system. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the indication obtained from the third computing device is based on a local capacity of one or more particular pharmacy resources in the network of pharmacy resources to process the at least a portion of prescription orders for the drug type. 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising indicating, by the first computing device to another computing device via the information processing system, at least one of: a local capacity of the first pharmacy resource to process the at least a portion or another portion of prescription orders for the drug type, or a tally of prescription orders associated with the drug type at the first pharmacy resource. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a delivery pharmacy resource in the network of pharmacy resources corresponding to a desired delivery location of the incoming prescription order, and indicating the delivery pharmacy resource to the second computing device. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing at least a part of any remaining portion of the incoming prescription order at the first computing device associated with the first pharmacy resource. 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that a third pharmacy resource in the network of pharmacy resources is a different designated processing center for at least a different portion of prescription orders for the drug type; and sending, by the first computing device via the information processing system to a third computing device associated with the third pharmacy resource, at least a different portion of the incoming prescription order to the third pharmacy resource for processing. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein: the second pharmacy resource in the network of pharmacy resources includes a facility, and determining that the second pharmacy resource is assigned as the designated processing center for the at least a portion of prescription orders for the drug type is based on at least one of: an existence of equipment at the facility to process the drug type, an availability of the equipment at the facility to process the drug type, or an availability of materials at the facility to process the drug type. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein: the second pharmacy resource in the network of pharmacy resources is associated with a pharmacy employee capable of processing the at least a portion of prescription orders for the drug type, and determining that the second pharmacy resource is assigned as the designated processing center for the at least a portion of prescription orders for the drug type is based on at least one of: an availability of the pharmacy employee, an efficiency of the pharmacy employee, or a labor cost associated with the pharmacy employee. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the second pharmacy resource is assigned as the designated processing center is based on an availability of the drug type at the second pharmacy resource. 11. A system for managing drug prescription orders within a network of a plurality of pharmacy resources, the system comprising: a set of computers coupled to an information processing system connecting the network of the plurality of pharmacy resources, wherein each of at least a subset of the set of computers is associated with at least one of the plurality of pharmacy resources and is programmed with instructions for: identifying a drug type corresponding to an incoming prescription order; determining that a first pharmacy resource of the plurality of pharmacy resources is assigned as a designated processing center for at least a portion of prescription orders for the drug type, wherein the first pharmacy resource of the plurality of pharmacy resources is assigned as the designated processing center for the at least a portion of prescription orders for the drug type based on at least one of: an availability of the drug type of the first pharmacy resource, or a local capacity of the first pharmacy resource for processing the at least a portion of prescription orders for the drug type; and sending, via the information processing system to a first computer associated with the first pharmacy resource, at least a portion of the incoming prescription order to the first pharmacy resource for processing, wherein processing each prescription order includes performing physical preparation of each prescription order and performing information processing of each prescription order, and wherein performing information processing of each prescription order includes authenticating each prescription order, validating any third party provider information, collecting payment information, and referencing drug information associated with the drug type. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the at least the subset of the set of computers is programmed with further instructions for: obtaining an indication, from a second computer via the information processing system, that the first pharmacy resource in the network of the plurality of pharmacy resources is assigned as the designated processing center for the at least a portion of prescription orders for the drug type; and indicating, to the second computer, at least one of: a local capacity of a pharmacy resource corresponding to each of the at least the subset of the set of computers for processing the at least a portion or another portion of prescription orders for the drug type, or a tally of prescription orders associated with the drug type at the pharmacy resource corresponding to each of the at least the subset of the set of computers. 13. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the at least the subset of the set of computers is programmed with further instructions for: determining a delivery pharmacy resource in the network corresponding to a desired delivery location of the incoming prescription order, and indicating the delivery pharmacy resource to the first computer. 14. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the at least the subset of the set of computers is programmed with further instructions for at least one of: processing at least a first part of any remaining portion of the incoming prescription order, or determining that a second pharmacy resource in the network of the plurality of pharmacy resources is a designated processing center for at least a second portion of prescription orders, and sending, via the information processing system to a third computer associated with the second pharmacy resource, at least a second portion of the incoming prescription order to the second pharmacy resource for processing. 15. A method of distributing pharmacy prescription processing workload in a network of a plurality of pharmacy resources, comprising: associating each of the plurality of pharmacy resources with a different computer of a plurality of computers; communicatively coupling the plurality of computers via an information processing system; determining a network capacity of the plurality of pharmacy resources for a drug type based on at least one of: a local capacity of each of the plurality of pharmacy resources for processing prescription orders for the drug type, or a local tally of prescription orders for the drug type at each of the plurality of pharmacy resources; determining a network demand for the drug type, wherein the network demand for the drug type is based on a total number of prescription orders for the drug type to be filled in the network of the plurality of pharmacy resources; assigning each of a subset of the plurality of pharmacy resources as a designated processing center for processing at least a portion of prescription orders for the drug type, the assigning based on the network demand and a part of the local capacities of the plurality of pharmacy resources for processing prescription orders for the drug type, wherein the part of the local capacities corresponds to processing the at least a portion of prescription orders for the drug type; and indicating, to at least one of the plurality of computers associated with a particular pharmacy resource, at least one of the subset of the plurality of pharmacy resources that are assigned as designated processing centers, wherein: each of the designated processing centers is enabled to process the at least a portion of prescription orders for the drug type, processing entire prescription orders for the drug type includes performing physical preparation and performing information processing, and at least one of the plurality of pharmacy resources is enabled to independently process a particular entire prescription order, and performing information processing for the particular prescription order for the drug type includes authenticating the particular prescription order, validating third party provider information, collecting payment information, and referencing drug information corresponding to the drug type. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: receiving incoming prescription orders at a first computer associated with a first pharmacy resource in the network, identifying, at the first computer, a particular incoming prescription order associated with the drug type, and routing, by the first computer via the information processing system, at least a portion of the particular incoming prescription order to a first designated processing center corresponding to the drug type. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising indicating, by the first computer to another computer via the information processing system, at least one of the local capacity of the first pharmacy resource for processing prescription orders for the drug type or a tally of prescription orders associated with the drug type at the first pharmacy resource. 18. The method of claim 15, further comprising at least one of: designating a larger subset of the plurality of pharmacy resources if a current network demand for the drug type exceeds a current capacity of a current subset of the plurality of pharmacy resources for processing prescription orders for the drug type, or designating a smaller subset of the plurality of pharmacy resources if the current capacity of the current subset of the plurality of pharmacy resources for processing prescription orders for the drug type exceeds the current network demand for the drug type by a threshold. 19. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of: each of the plurality of pharmacy resources includes a pharmacy employee, and wherein determining the local capacity of each of the plurality of pharmacy resources for processing prescription orders for the drug type comprises estimating a rate of processing the drug type by the pharmacy employee; or each of the plurality of pharmacy resources includes a facility, and wherein determining the local capacity of each of the plurality of pharmacy resources for processing prescription orders for the drug type is based on at least one of an availability of equipment corresponding to processing the drug type at the facility or an availability of materials corresponding to the drug type at the facility.
연구과제 타임라인
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
이 특허에 인용된 특허 (70)
Dietrich Brenda L. (Yorktown Heights NY) Wittrock Robert J. (Ossining NY), Allocation method for generating a production schedule.
Kosinski,Diana L.; Sullivan,Mark W.; McNamara,Steven M.; Russo,Melissa, Apparatus and method for processing prescription requests using a remotely located prescription processing system.
Williams Jeffrey P. (Dry Prong LA) Welin Dana (Chandler AZ) Mathews Robert (Brentwood TN) Towle Alvin (Boyce LA) Orrick Alec (Pineville LA), Automated medical prescription fulfillment system having work stations for imaging, filling, and checking the dispensed.
Spaulding Gregory L. (Manhattan KS) Spaulding Pamela M. (Manhattan KS) Bueche Kenneth M. (Friendswood TX), Automatic dispensing system for prescriptions and the like.
Brimm John E. (Scottsdale AZ) Diaz Oscar R. (Phoenix AZ) Fein Murray A. (Phoenix AZ) Norden-Paul Ronald E. (Peoria AZ) Stern Michael M. (Needham MA) Stewart Sandra L. (Phoenix AZ), Medical information system with automatic updating of task list in response to entering orders and charting intervention.
Gerald E. Goetz ; Terry Precht ; Eric Krug ; Andrew Fanton ; Joe Keating ; Brian Coppom ; Bradley Thompson ; Brian Hepp, Medication monitoring system and apparatus.
Akers William Rex ; Paris Michael Wayne ; Strickland Teresa A. ; Jenkins Kilburn Deborah L., Method and apparatus for integrated management of pharmaceutical and healthcare services.
Byerly Baxter H. ; Uecker Robert Anthony, Method and system for automatically generating advisory information for pharmacy patients along with normally transmitted data.
Babayev Djangir A. (Boulder CO) Berger Richard M. (Boulder CO) Dean Vincil C. (Edgewater CO) Hansen Ronald L. (Louisville CO) Parrish Scott H. (Boulder CO), System and method for scheduling service providers to perform customer service requests.
Wolters ; Jr. Richard Arthur ; Schwee Susan Mae ; Isaacs James Russell,CHX ; Smith Michael Adrian ; Cooley ; Jr. Walter Hening ; Leighty Craig Ernest ; Borst George ; Mayo Paul Lawrence ; Lownes Greg, System for managing multiple projects of similar type using dynamically updated global database.
Wallace, Robert L.; Hart, Brian T.; Hart, Richard D.; Berube, Arthur A.; Liff, Harold J.; Buciuman-Coman, Liana; Dowling, James; Piantedosi, Steve, Systems and methods for dispensing medical products.
Wallace, Robert L.; Hart, Brian T.; Hart, Richard D.; Berube, Arthur A.; Liff, Harold J.; Buciuman-Coman, Liana; Dowling, James, Systems and methods for drug dispensing.
Peifer John W. ; Hopper Andrew ; Burrow Michael ; Sudduth Barry ; Panchal Samir ; Quay Andy ; Price W. Edward ; Searle John R., Telemedicine system using voice video and data encapsulation and de-encapsulation for communicating medical informatio.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.