Medication management system and method
A system and method of facilitating a patient's care transitions both into and upon subsequent discharge from an in-patient medical facility utilizes three points of health care provider intervention. The system and method utilizes a cloud-based medication management system applying rules to determine whether the patient's medications, clinical lab results, genomic information, or other relevant considerations would, in combination, amount to an adverse health outcome. If an adverse health outcome is predicted based on an application of the pre-programmed rules, health care intervention is sought.
1. A method for providing intervention during a patient's care transition, comprising:
registering a patient in a cloud-based medication management system upon the patient's arrival at a skilled nursing facility;
inputting data corresponding to one or more of a patient's existing medications and the patient's clinical data into the cloud-based medication management system;
utilizing, via a computer processor, pre-existing rules in a cloud-based medication management system to compare the patient's existing medications to the patient's clinical data to determine whether an adverse health outcome would result from the combination of the patient's use of existing medications in light of the patient's clinical data;
utilizing, via a computer processor, pre-existing rules in a cloud-based medication management system to compare each of the patient's existing medications to each of the patient's other existing medications to determine whether an adverse health outcome would result from the combination of the patient's use of existing medications in combination with each other existing medication;
obtaining information from the patient's non-medical caretakers with respect to any additional medication the patient may have at home;
inputting data corresponding to one or more of a patient's home medications into the cloud-based medication management system;
utilizing pre-existing rules in a cloud-based medication management system to compare the patient's home medications to the patient's clinical data to determine whether an adverse health outcome would result from the combination of the patient's use of home medications in light of the patient's clinical data;
utilizing pre-existing rules in a cloud-based medication management system to compare each of the patient's home medications to each of the patient's other home medications and existing medications to determine whether an adverse health outcome would result from the combination of the patient's use of home medications in combination with each other home medication and existing medication;
modifying data corresponding to a patient's existing and home medications to reflect any necessary changes to the patient's medication regimen made by a health care provider prior to the patient's discharge from a skilled nursing facility in order to produce a final medication regimen;
utilizing pre-existing rules in a cloud-based medication management system to compare the patient's final medication regimen to the patient's clinical data to determine whether an adverse health outcome would result from the combination of the patient's use of the final medication regimen in light of the patient's clinical data;
utilizing pre-existing rules in a cloud-based medications management system to compare each of the patient's medications in the patient's final medication regimen to each of the patient's other medications in the patient's final medication regimen to determine whether an adverse health outcome would result from the combination of the patient's use of medications in the final medication regimen in combination with each other medication in the patient's final medication regimen;
notifying a health care provider by a person with a professional doctorate degree in pharmacy in the event that the pre-existing rules in the cloud-based medication management system indicate the likelihood of an adverse health outcome would result;
modifying data corresponding to a patient's existing medications, home medications or final medication regimen to reflect any necessary changes to the patient's medication regimen made by a health care provider upon medication changes made by the health care provider as a result of an identified likelihood of an adverse health outcome;
utilizing pre-existing rules in a cloud-based medication management system to compare the patient's modified medication regimen to the patient's clinical data to determine whether an adverse health outcome would result from the combination of the patient's use of the modified medication regimen in light of the patient's clinical data;
utilizing pre-existing rules in a cloud-based medication management system to compare each of the patient's medications in the patient's modified medication regimen to each of the patient's other medications in the patient's modified medication regimen to determine whether an adverse health outcome would result from the combination of the patient's use of medications in the modified medication regimen in combination with each other medication in the patient's modified medication regimen;
assembling a patient's final medication regimen by robotic automation into one or more packages; and
providing access to the cloud-based medication management system to the patient and other individuals authorized by the patient in order to permit the patient and other patient authorized individuals to review the patient's current medication regimen with any subsequent alterations.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the patient's clinical data further comprises pharmacogenomic data.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the patient's clinical data further comprises data related to medical test results.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-medical caretakers comprise at least one of family members or non-family caretakers.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein non-family caretakers comprise any non-professional healthcare provider familiar with the patient's home medications including, without limitation, a patient's acquaintances or volunteers.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein modifying data corresponding to a patient's existing and home medications to reflect any necessary changes to the patient's medication regimen is made by a health care provider within less than two days prior to the patient's discharge from a skilled nursing facility in order to produce a final medication regimen.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the packages comprise multi-dose, deep blister, adherence cards wherein each adherence card holds all of a patient's drugs scheduled to be taken at a particular dosage time in an individual well, whereby there are at least one dosage times per day and all of the dosages for a one-week period are contained on a single adherence card.