Field of the Invention:

The present invention pertains to an instant medical prescription issuing system and a method of issuing medical prescriptions. The said invention more particularly relates to the management of medicinal prescriptions indication medication information, medication schedule and a method of creating customized medicinal prescriptions.

Background of the Invention:

Despite the prevalence of electronics such as personal computers and smart devices since at least the late '80s and numerous attempts to enable medical prescription via electronic methods, almost 99% of prescriptions today are prescribed by a physician via paper. All though it is a mandate to store all of the patient history, records and drug information in electronic retrievable format, these paper prescriptions are being transcribed by data entry operators or medical transcriptions operators into electronic devices.

The number of patients injured every year due to prescription errors account to more than 1.5million per se in USA, which indicates clearly the critical situation of Medical Industry. Some of the critical problems come into sight due to prescription are include Illegible writing which accounts to 25% of prescription-related medical mistakes lack of maintenance of past medications, lack of information about drug-drug or drug-allergy interactions and adverse drug events. This conversion of paper prescription costs medical industry billions of dollars every year while at many a time proves fatal.

As noted above, the shortcomings of the paper process in the last decade has instructed an attempt to replace pa paper prescription process with an electronic process. However, the previous electronic device that flocked in the market had many disadvantages such as the cost of the prescribing system. The cost of the electronic systems and devices that run them has created a barrier to entry and kept the prescriber from electronic prescribing.
The prescriber would have to spend money on buying the instrument, installing with multiple software, pay to maintain it, and/or pay to rent the system.

Also, these electronic devices were too complex for medical practitioners to embrace. These devices posed severe complexity that consumed more time that paper prescriptions and hence was not well appreciated among the prescribers. For example, the previous generation of electronic prescribing systems, formulary information was presented before the physician had selected a clinically appropriate drug; this approach proved ineffective the information is presented too early in the prescribing process to be useful to the physician. Thirdly, the display screens of these electronic prescription systems are inaccessible and become cluttered with icons leading them often unreadable.
In some cases, doctors tend to prescribe the most critical or obvious drug for a disease or diagnosis, but often a patient has a set of related issues to be addressed. Generally, typical prescription systems leave doctors unaware of alternative and cooperative therapies.

Some approaches towards digitizing the medical prescription failed because of lack of speed of these systems. A prescriber is unlikely to use an electronic prescription device when the prescriber is able to prescribe a medication quicker with paper script writing.
An important factor in prescribing medication is costs. The prescriber that writes the prescription may not always write a prescription for a medication that will have the lowest cost to the patient. In other words, a doctor can often write prescriptions for numerous equivalent medications, only a few of which are preferred by the patient's healthcare plan. The healthcare plan prefers and will pay a greater portion of the cost for certain prescription drugs and not provide a cost savings to other prescription drugs.

Accordingly, the foregoing demonstrates that there is a longstanding need for an electronic prescription system that avoids the costs, drawbacks and disadvantages of the paper script process while allowing a prescriber to electronically initiate prescriptions quickly with a very simple and intuitive electronic device and write prescriptions with little, if any, entry costs. In particular, there is a need for a method and device that will guide a physician in choosing the most preferred prescription drug for a patient and their associated healthcare plan. It is also appreciated among the prescribers community, if the said system can display drug effects and drug interactions that aid in choosing the prescription more effectively. Moreover, there are also needs for improved record keeping for all parties involved in the scripting process, including the prescriber, patient and fulfillment center, as well as needs for ensuring that a patient actually obtains the prescription medication, also referred herein as compliance.

With the foregoing need of an instant medical prescription issuing system, the present invention overcomes the above disadvantages of the prescription system. The said system encourages increased use of electronic devices in medical facilities and helps increase the possibilities for integrated medical record and pharmaceutical prescription systems. These systems gather information and store the data for use in cataloging patient visits, test results, billing information, allergies and other conditions, and various other medical data. The system of the present invention provides such an improved electronic prescription system and method that would be desirable to reduce medical errors, improve quality of care, reduce need of pharmacy callback and overhead costs, improve Patient safety, increase efficiency, save staffs time by decreasing requirements of pharmacy coordination, track records of patients medication history, increase the overall medication management process, view patient flow-sheet with drug and lab history and for pharmacists no longer squint to decipher Doctor's messy handwriting.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The present invention relates to an instant medicinal prescription issuing system more particularly patient management system. The said invention comprises a medical prescription issuing machine which further comprises an input device, an output device, a call management system comprising a SIM card and a messaging feature, a processor, an internal and external storage device, a multi-media support system including, multimedia FM Radio, Audio Player, Music Player, Video Player, Video Recording & Ringtones, an acoustic device, image recorder, wireless communication device, scanner and printer port. This invention also relates to the application of this prescription issuing system for the management of prescription errors and to improve patient safety. This invention also relates to the application of this prescription issuing system for the management of prescription errors and to improve patient safety.

Further, the said invention comprises a software module, more particularly an IGEN software that supports the exemplary function of the medicinal prescription issuing system.

The said input device of the instant medicinal prescription issuing system is a keyboard or keypad or the like used to input information into said system. The said output device of the system is a display device to read information from the device. The said processor is configured to determine and display, in response to the selection of one of the prescription medications

The call management system uses SIM card, wherein the prescribed medication is also transferred to the patient. The messaging feature enables the message of patient data to the patient mobile number and to the pharmacy for ease of transparency and portability

The storage device is a hard disk or the like and external storage device slot such as for the scan disk, are provided to store information relating to the prescriptions and date summary.

The sound/acoustic sensor is a microphone or speaker or ultrasonic receiver or ultrasonic transmitter or a combination thereof that is capable of sensing acoustic energy, for recording and transferring doctor's inferences to the location, where acoustic inferences are transcribed into written and digital records, ideally called the transcription unit.

The wireless communication device of the instant medicinal prescription issuing system may be equipped with a receiver and transmitter or other communication port, which can communicate over cellular wide area networks (WANs), such as conventional two way systems and devices, various cellular phone systems including analog and digital cellular, CDMA (code division multiple access) and variants thereof, Bluetooth, Infrared, GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), GPRS (General Packet Radio System), 3G and 3.5G systems such as UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication Service) systems, Internet Protocol (IP) Wireless Wide Area Networks like 802.16, 802.20, HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) systems, or Flarion, integrated digital enhanced networks and variants or evolutions thereof.

The Image recorder can be used to capture patient photographs or other pictures of x-rays and patient data to be stored in the patient data management system. To serve the purpose, the image recorder is a camera or scanner, combination of both the like.
The printer of the instant medicinal prescription issuing system is used to issue the said prescriptions and other inferences to the patient. Further, the said system can also be connected to an external printing machine via a USB port or Wi-Fi to print the data for filing.

Referring to the drawings Fig.1 shows a hand held prescription issuing machine 1 including a casing 2 which has a keyboard 3 and a display 4 visible through a window 5 in the casing. The machine embodies integrated store circuits and control circuits with hard disk 14, memory 19, SIM card 18, connectivity system (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi & WAP or the like), messaging features and battery 15 and these things are more fully described in this application. A printer 6 preferably a thermal printer for printing a thermal sensitive paper 7 is provided for printing the prescriptions.

A Fig.1 shows a prescription issuing machine 1 including a casing 2 which has a CD-RW & DVD-RW drive 16, USB ports 13, battery charging pin 11 and a data cable socket 17. An inbuilt camera 8 is located above display 4 and inbuilt acoustic device 9 are located aside display.

The casing of the prescription issuing machine has a pair of rings 20 secured to a respective bracket 21 on the lower surface of the machine (as shown in Fig. 1) and these rings connected to tag belt 10 through which the Doctor can hang it on his/her neck. The tag belt and prescription issuing machine are so positioned that the prescription issuing machine hangs at his side supported on the Doctors abdomen.

When the prescription issuing machine is inoperative it hangs from the Doctors neck and rests on Doctor's abdomen as shown in Fig. 4. However when the Doctor requires to issue a prescription he places his hand under the machine to raise it to an operative position in front of him as shown in Fig. 3 to operate the keys of the keyboard and issue the required prescription 7.

The prescription issuing machine as shown in Fig. 1 operates in a similar manner to that shown in Fig. 4 in that when it is inoperative it hangs on the Doctor's abdomen but when operative as shown in Fig. 3 is raised by the Doctor's hand to an operating position when a prescription 7 is to be issued.

Further, the IGEN of the said invention comprises modules mainly, the MENU and the PRESCRIPTION (Rx). On selecting the Menu of the said software, OP, IP, Drugs Update, Forms, Settings, My Files & Address book are displayed. On selecting escape we can directly go back to main page. On selecting the prescription, the prescriber can directly go to Rx page to write only Rx that is time saving. In other Rx pages on writing the Patient I.D automatically it will show the patient name, age & Rx. No. While in this Rx page the prescriber had to write Pat. Name, Age, I.D & Rx. No will be automatically generated. Here Rx. No will be generated according to Pat. I.D. Hence Patient I.D will vary from patient to patient. But Rx. No will remain same.

On selecting the, menu-OP, Rx, New patient & Medical Records are displayed. While selecting the New patient Patient I.D, Name & age are mandatory (Patient i.D will be automatically generated) and then the prescriber will write Name & age. After that if the prescriber wants he can fill other details like Place, Contact, Blood gp, Address & M/F. After saving this information the Patient I.D will be permanently stored in Database. Here in Options we need to provide two options, one is SAVE & second one is DELETE. On selecting Esc will move to OP page.

On selecting Rx in OP page it shows 4 modules. Module 1. Rx: On selecting Rx, first the prescriber needs to enter pat. I.D, and only other details like Name, Age/Sex, Rx. No will be automatically generated. Then the prescriber will write or select Indications. On selecting Medicine name it will show Options like Fav. Med, Generic/Brand, Dosages, Qty, Days, Save & Delete. Here the prescriber can select any Fav. Med from Fav. Med. Database or else he can browse Generic/Brand database and select any brand. Thereafter he has to select or Write Dosages, write Qty, Write Days then he can save it or Delete. After providing these inputs in the Medicine Name it will show only Brand on Display on printing it will print Brand name, Dosages, Qty & Days. Post this the prescriber can check drug interaction also. In Doctors Note the prescriber can write any special note.
The prescriber then have an option of Print (On printing data will be automatically saved), Save (only saved not printing) and Delete the Prescription. On selecting Esc It will move to Rx. OP page.

2nd module is OP Medical Records: On selecting OP Medical Records the prescriber can save Symptoms by writing or selecting symptoms, BP/SD (Writing), Pulse (Writing), RBS (Writing), Cholesterol (Writing), HDL/ LDL (Writing), BMI (Writing), Allergies to Medicines (writing or selecting), Medical History (writing or selecting) & Family History (writing or selecting). In Options - Save & Delete are available.

3rd Module is Test Report: By using this page the prescriber can directly issue lab test or Diagnosis test requisition by printing. In Diagnostic Report the prescriber can Write or Select any Diagnostic procedure, thereafter he will be an option to Add new test report by using the ADD tab. The prescriber can order any number of Test Reports. In Options Print with Rx, Print, Save & Delete are available. In case of Lab test report the prescriber can issue lab test report for blood, Urine & other Tests. In Blood test/urine test the prescriber can write or select any blood test/urine test. He can add any number of new test reports also. In options Print with Rx, Print, Save & Delete are available. In Other test the prescriber can write any test. He can add any number of new test reports also. In options Print with Rx, Print, Save & Delete are available.

4th Module is In procedures: The prescriber can write or select any procedure. Price column is an option. If the prescriber wants he can mention price also. In options add new, Delete, Print with Rx, Print & Save are available.

On selecting OP Medical Records the prescriber can view any Op patient medical records by entering Patient I.D or Name. Thereafter the prescriber have two options to view or Delete. On selecting View it will displays 3 modules. 1st is Patient details. On selecting patient details it shows ID, Name, Ph, Place, Blood, Age/sex, Add, Notes, History. Medical Allergy & Family History. Options: Save & Delete.

2nd Module is Rx. On selecting 2nd module it will show two columns - Date & Rx. No. On selecting Date automatically it will show all the details concerned with that Date. Like Symptoms, Procedures, Medicine, Notes, BP, Pulse, RBS, BMI, HDL/LDL & Cholesterol. Options: Print, Delete & Save are available. On selecting second column RX. No also it will show the same details but it will be concerned with that Rx. No. On selecting Symptoms it shows which symptoms Patient had, and on selecting Medicine it shows which medicine The prescriber had prescribed. On selecting 3rd module Diag. & Reports it shows Date wise test conducted & their reports

On selecting MENU- drugs three modules are displayed, namely drug list, A/D medicines and Favorite medications. Module 1, Drugs list is the master drugs database, on selecting drugs it list the Drugs. Here drugs are sorted by either its generic name or brand name. On selecting Esc - it displays Drugs update. On selecting 2nd Module A/D Medicines two options like add medicine & Delete medicines are available. In add medicines the prescriber adds any medicines by entering Medicine Name, Generic name, company name, price & unit (10's for strip & 1's for single unit) and delete any medicines by selecting Medicine name, generic name & company name. On selecting 3rd module Fav, Medication prescriber is allowed save their frequently using Brands by entering Medicine Brand name, Company name, Generic name, Times (Dosage), Qty & Days. Two more options such as save or Delete is available

On selecting MENU- Forms: This module includes 5 sub modules, A 1st Module Admit Req/Referrel: By using this prescriber can issue referral letter to Hospitals for patient admissions. It includes automatically generated Form No., Patient ID, symptoms, reason and notes for referrals. A 2nd Module Lab/Test Requisition: By using this prescriber issue Lab or test or Diagnostic requisition, wherein the prescriber is allowed to save or print or Delete lab requisition. A 3rd sub module is Med. Rep Notes - Here Note Ref. No is automatically generated. Thereafter, the prescriber needs to enter Representative, Name, and company, Reference (Concerned person with numbers) & Notes and Discussions. A 4th sub module is Medical Certificates by using this module the prescriber can issue medical certificates to patients. Here the Certificate No. will be automatically generated, and then the prescriber will enter pat. ID, enter symptoms or causes of disease, Notes. Save & print or delete option is available. A 5th sub module is Patient Discharge Summary: This option is kept pending until discharge
On selecting Menu - Settings, 10 sub modules are available, including Add/Delete Dosage, Add/ Delete Symptoms & Disease, delete Prescription, delete Procedure, Add/Delete Hospital, Add/Delete lab, Change the prescriber Sign & Designation of the prescriber, Security, Interaction Data management, add / delete new generic or brand. This sub module enables the user to edit the necessary option, further the Security sub0module is used to change user ID and password.

On selecting Menu- Files 6 sub-modules, including Referral Register, Lab requisition register, M.R Register, Medical Certificate register, Brand Register, Company Register are available. All options of the menu are used for efficient data management of the said system.

Claims:

1. An instant medical prescription issuing system for issuing medical prescription comprising an input device, an output device, a call management system, a processor, a wireless communication device, multimedia support system and acoustic and image recorder.

2. The call management system, according to claim1, further comprises a SIM card and a messaging feature.

3. The instant medical prescription issuing system according to claiml, comprising: a output display having a first screen configured to list prescription medications in response to a request to prescribe medication to a patient; an input that allows selection of one of the prescription medications on said display; and a processor configured to determine and display, in response to the selection of one of the prescription medications.

4. The instant medical prescription issuing system further comprises an IGEN software configured to issue medical prescriptions comprising Menu and Prescription, wherein Menu further comprises modules such as OP, IP, Drugs Update, Forms, Settings, My Files & Address book

5. A instant medical prescription issuing system according to claim 1 and claim 4, wherein the said IGEN software provides a prescription sheet comprising patient details such as Name, Address, Blood group, Age, weight, blood pressure and the like with Rx

6. The OP module of the instant medical prescription issuing system according to claim 4, further comprises 3 sub modules an Rx, a New patient and Medical Records.

7. The Drugs module of the instant medical prescription issuing system according to claim 4, is the master drugs database comprising more than 45,000 drugs with medication indications and drug and allergic interactions.

8. The method of electronically prescribing medication to a patient via the instant medical prescription issuing system provides drug-drug interaction and allergic interaction information during prescription of one or more drugs.

9. A method of electronically prescribing medication to a patient comprising the steps of: providing to a prescriber prescription medications in response to a request to prescribe medication to a patient; allowing selection of one of the prescription medications; in response to the selection of one of the prescription medications, determining in a processor whether alternative prescription medications exist based upon the patient's health plan; and if any such alternative medication exists, alerting the prescriber of the preferred status of the selected prescription medication and alternative prescription medication; allowing the prescriber to choose medication based on drug in interactions.

10. A means of electronically prescribing medication to a patient comprising the steps of: providing a means to prescribe prescription medications in response to a request to prescribe medication to a patient; a means for allowing selection of one of the prescription medications; a means to respond to the selection of one of the prescription medications, a means to determining in a processor whether alternative prescription medications having based upon the patient's health plan; and if any such alternative medication exists, a means for alerting the prescriber of the preferred status of the selected prescription medication and alternative prescription medication and a means for allowing the prescriber to choose medication based on drug in interactions.