System and method for filling a prescription

1. A method of filling a medical prescription, comprising:

receiving at a central prescription handling engine prescription data corresponding to the medical prescription listing a prescribed medication, the central prescription handling engine configured to selectively route the prescription data received at the central prescription handling engine to a given pharmacy interface among a plurality of pharmacy interfaces and to selectively route scheduling data received at the given pharmacy interface for being communicated to a computing device;

transmitting the prescription data from the central prescription handling engine to the given pharmacy interface;

receiving at the given pharmacy interface the scheduling data corresponding to the prescription data;

transmitting the scheduling data from the given pharmacy interface to the central prescription handling engine;

communicating the scheduling data from the central prescription handling engine to the computing device;

communicating, from the central prescription handling engine to the computing device, available pharmacy information data based on a given criterion, wherein the central prescription handling engine is in communication with a load balancer configured to perform load balancing algorithms and the available pharmacy information data is based on at least an output of the load balancer; and

receiving at the central prescription handling engine a selection of a given pharmacy based on the available pharmacy information data, the selection provided via the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the given pharmacy interface is in communication with the central prescription handling engine via an intermediary pharmacy interface, and wherein:

transmitting the scheduling data from the given pharmacy interface to the central prescription handling engine comprises

transmitting the scheduling data from the given pharmacy interface to the intermediary pharmacy interface, and

transmitting the scheduling data from the intermediary pharmacy interface to the central prescription handling engine; and

transmitting the prescription data from the central prescription handling engine to the given pharmacy interface comprises

transmitting the prescription data from the central prescription handling engine to the intermediary pharmacy interface instead of the given pharmacy interface.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the intermediary pharmacy interface is associated with a subset of pharmacy interfaces of the plurality pharmacy interfaces that comprises the given pharmacy interface.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the prescription data comprises at least one of an image of the medical prescription and structured metadata of the medical prescription.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the receiving at the central prescription handling engine the prescription data corresponding to the medical prescription listing the prescribed medication comprises receiving the prescription data from one of the computing device and a computing device of a prescribing entity.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the prescription data comprises an image that is captured at one of the computing device and generated by the computing device of the prescribing entity.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of the prescription data is generated by the computing device of the prescribing entity.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

in response to receiving the prescription data, transmitting a notification of the medical prescription to the computing device from the central prescription handling engine.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communicating comprises transmitting the scheduling data over a network from the central prescription handling engine to the computing device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communicating comprises making available the scheduling data through at least one of a web account and a web portal accessible by a given user via the computing device.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scheduling data comprises at least one of an appointment for attending at the given pharmacy to retrieve the prescribed medication and an indication of a start time from which the prescribed medication is available for retrieval from the given pharmacy.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the appointment and the indication of the start time are determined based on at least one of an availability of the prescribed medication at the given pharmacy and a prescription filling capacity of the given pharmacy.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving user availability data at the central prescription handling engine from the computing device; and

transmitting the user availability data from the central prescription handling engine to the given pharmacy interface;

wherein the appointment and the indication are scheduled based on the user availability data.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scheduling data comprises a position of a given user in a virtual queue at the given pharmacy.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving at the given pharmacy interface an indication that the position of the given user in the virtual queue has changed;

transmitting the indication from the given pharmacy interface to the central prescription handling engine;

generating, at the central prescription handling engine, a queue position notification based on the indication; and

transmitting the queue position notification from the central prescription handling engine to the computing device to alert the given user of the change in the position of the given user in the virtual queue.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving at the given pharmacy interface an identity of the prescribed medication, the identity of the prescribed medication determined from the prescription data of the medical prescription;

transmitting, from the one of the given pharmacy interface and another pharmacy interface of the plurality of pharmacy interfaces, the identity to the central prescription handling engine;

retrieving, at the central prescription handling engine, information data related to the prescribed medication based on the identity; and

communicating the information data related to the prescribed medication from the central prescription handling engine to the computing device.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the given pharmacy interface, refill information data related to the medical prescription, the refill information data determined from the prescription data of the medical prescription;

transmitting the refill information data from the given pharmacy interface to the central prescription handling engine;

storing the refill information data and the prescription data of the medical prescription at the central prescription handling engine;

receiving at the central prescription handling engine a refill request associated with one or more of the refill information data and the prescription data of the medical prescription; and

in response to the refill request, transmitting from the central prescription handling engine to a refill pharmacy interface one or more of the refill information data and the prescription of the medical prescription.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving at the given pharmacy interface confirmation data that the prescribed medication has been retrieved from the given pharmacy;

transmitting the confirmation data from the given pharmacy interface to the central prescription handling engine;

storing the confirmation data at the central prescription handling engine;

receiving, at the given pharmacy interface, administration information data relating to the prescribed medication, the administration information data determined from the prescription data of the medical prescription;

transmitting the administration information data from the given pharmacy interface to the central prescription handling engine;

generating at the central prescription handling engine a compliance reminder based on the administration information data and the confirmation data; and

transmitting the compliance reminder from the central prescription handling engine to the computing device.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the given criterion comprises one or more of:

a physical proximity of a candidate pharmacy to a given user, the candidate pharmacy being associated with at least one of the plurality of pharmacy interfaces;

hours of operation of the candidate pharmacy;

ability of the candidate pharmacy to receive the prescription data from the central prescription handling engine;

processing capacity of a computing system of the candidate pharmacy and a workload of the computing system of the candidate pharmacy;

inventory at the candidate pharmacy of the medication listed in the medical prescription;

the language spoken by staff of the candidate pharmacy;

a preferred pharmacy operator; and

a prescription filling capacity of the candidate pharmacy.

20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving insurance policy identification information data at the central prescription handling engine, the insurance policy identification information data received from the computing device; and

transmitting the insurance policy identification information data from the central prescription handling engine to the given pharmacy interface.

21. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a prescription cost information data at the given pharmacy interface;

transmitting the prescription cost information data from the given pharmacy interface to the central prescription handling engine;

transmitting the prescription cost information data from the central prescription handling engine to a payment engine;

communicating the prescription cost information data from the central prescription handling engine to the computing device;

receiving method of payment information data at the central prescription handling engine, the method of payment information data via the computing device;

transmitting the method of payment information data from the central prescription handling engine to the payment engine;

receiving, at the central prescription handling engine, payment confirmation data from the payment engine; and

transmitting the payment confirmation data from the central prescription handling engine to the given pharmacy interface; and

communicating the payment confirmation data from the central prescription handling engine to the computing device.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scheduling data comprises an appointment for delivering the prescribed medication to a given user.

23. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

when a follow-up period of time has passed after the communicating of the scheduling data from the central prescription handling engine to the computing device without receiving the user availability data at the central prescription handling engine,

transmitting follow-up data to the computing device, the follow-up data comprising a request for follow up information data that is viewable at the computing device.