STREAMLINING FULFILLMENT OF PRESCRIPTIONS SUBJECT TO ELEVATED REGULATION
A fulfillment system includes a platform for facilitating fulfillment of a prescription for a regulated product, such as a prescription drug, which also has a REMS, along with any applicable controlled substance scheduling requirements. The platform communicates with a computer network of a healthcare provider's office where a healthcare provider or other authorized prescriber issues a prescription for a patient. The platform also communicates with a pharmacy, such as a specialty pharmacy, for fulfillment of the prescription. The system electronically populates documents satisfying documentation requirements pertaining to a REMS, controlled substances regulations, prescriptions, other pertinent patient information, and/or other regulations or rules thereby eliminating paper and redundant documents and reducing the burden on the healthcare provider/healthcare system.
1 . A method for facilitating fulfillment of prescriptions for regulated drugs, comprising:
operating a computer network platform including a communications port for implementing electronic communications in compliance with applicable regulations concerning electronic transmission of healthcare related information, wherein the operating comprises:
first obtaining documentation information relating to a first fulfillment of a first prescription of a first patient for a first drug, said documentation information indicating document requirements concerning at least first and second parties involved in said first fulfillment;
second obtaining patient information concerning said first patient;
accessing a schema relating to said documentation requirements, said schema defining data, including defined fields of information concerning said first prescription, for use in populating documents associated with said documentation requirements;
first extracting, from said patient information, first data corresponding to a first set of said defined fields of information concerning said first prescription;
first electronically populating, using said first data, first data objects of a first document of said documents to provide a first populated document, said first populated document at least partially satisfying a first documentation requirement of said documentation requirements;
first providing said first populated document to a first party involved in said first fulfillment;
second extracting, from said patient information, second data corresponding to a second set of said defined fields of information, the same as or different than said first set of said defined fields of information, concerning said first prescription;
second electronically populating, using said second data, second data objects of a second document of said documents to provide a second populated document, said second populated document at least partially satisfying a second documentation requirement of said documentation requirements; and
second providing said second populated document to a second party involved in said first fulfillment;
wherein said first and second populated documents facilitate fulfillment of said prescription in compliance with said first and second documentation requirements.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising entering said patient information via a computer system of a healthcare provider.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein said patient information is received at said computer network platform via an electronic communication between said computer system of said healthcare provider and said computer network platform in compliance with said applicable regulations concerning electronic transmission of said healthcare related information.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein said patient information is entered on said computer system using an electronic template that prompts a user to enter information items for a plurality of said defined fields of information concerning said prescription and is operative for associating metadata concerning said defined fields of information with said information items.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein said information items and said metadata are used in said first and second extracting.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said computer network platform comprises logic, executed on a processor, for controlling transmissions in accordance with requirements under one or more of the United States Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other regulations concerning handling of healthcare related information.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one of said first and second populated documents comprises an enrollment form.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein said enrollment form comprises one of a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) enrollment form, a hub enrollment form, and a patient support services enrollment form.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one of said first and second populated electronic documents comprises a prescription form.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein said prescription form comprises a form required under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS).
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one of said first and second populated documents comprises information identifying a pharmacy for fulfillment of said prescription.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said first party comprises one of a healthcare provider and a pharmacy.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein said pharmacy comprises a certified pharmacy under a REMS.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein said second party comprises one of a REMS Administrator and a hub.
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said first party comprises a one of a payor and a prescription services entity.
16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing said patient information, receiving an indication of a change to a new pharmacy, and third providing a third populated document to said new pharmacy.
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said communications port comprises logic for controlling communications between said computer network platform and external platforms.
18 . A system for facilitating fulfillment of prescriptions for regulated drugs, comprising:
a computer network platform including a communications port for use in transmitting electronic communications in compliance with applicable regulations concerning electronic transmission of healthcare related information;
said computer network platform being operative for:
receiving patient information including data corresponding to defined fields of information concerning a prescription;
first extracting, from said patient information, first data corresponding to a first set of said defined fields of information concerning said prescription;
first electronically populating, using said first data, first data objects of a first document to provide a first populated document, said first populated document at least partially satisfying a documentation requirement pertaining to said prescription;
first providing said first populated document to a first party involved in fulfillment of said prescription;
second extracting, from said patient information, second data corresponding to a second set of said defined fields of information, the same as or different than said first set of said defined fields of information, concerning said prescription;
second electronically populating, using said second data, second data objects of a second document to provide a second populated document, said second populated document at least partially satisfying a second documentation requirement pertaining to said prescription; and
second transmitting said second populated document to a second party, the same as or different than said first party, involved in fulfillment of said prescription;
wherein said first and second populated documents enable fulfillment of said prescription in compliance with said first and second documentation requirements.
19 . The system of claim 17 , further comprising a computer system of a healthcare provider operative for entering said patient information.
20 . The system of claim 18 , wherein said patient information is received at said computer network platform via an electronic communication between said computer system of said healthcare provider and said computer network platform in compliance with said applicable regulations concerning electronic transmission of said healthcare related information.
21 . The system of claim 18 , wherein said patient information is entered on said computer system using an electronic template that prompts a user to enter information items for a plurality of said defined fields of information concerning said prescription and is operative for associating metadata concerning said defined fields of information with said information items.
22 . The system of claim 20 , wherein said information items and said metadata are used in said first and second extracting.
23 . The system of claim 17 , wherein said computer network platform comprises logic, executed on a processor, for controlling transmissions in accordance with requirements under one or more of HIPAA and other regulations concerning handling of healthcare related information.
24 . The system of claim 17 , wherein one of said first and second populated documents comprises a patient support services enrollment form.
25 . The system of claim 17 , wherein one of said first and second populated documents comprises a prescription form.
26 . The system of claim 25 , wherein said prescription form comprises a form required under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS).
27 . The system of claim 17 , wherein one of said first and second populated documents comprises information identifying a source pharmacy for fulfillment of said prescription.
28 . The system of claim 17 , wherein one of said first and second parties comprises a pharmacy.
29 . The system of claim 27 , wherein said source pharmacy comprises a certified pharmacy under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS).
30 . The system of claim 17 , wherein one of said first and second parties comprises a healthcare provider.
31 . The system of claim 17 , wherein one of said first and second parties comprises a prescription assistance program entity.
32 . The system of claim 17 , wherein said computer network platform is further operative for storing said patient information, receiving an indication of a change to a new pharmacy, and third providing a third populated document to said new pharmacy.
33 . The system of claim 17 , wherein said communications port comprises logic for controlling communications between said computer network platform and external platforms.