In article <[log in to unmask]>, Ahmad Risk
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>
>On 01/15/98 12:06:25,  "Mike Wells" <[log in to unmask]>
>wrote:
>> Perfectly possible.  The problem then is that the patient  MUST go to 
>> that specific pharmacy.    In 99% of cases that is not a problem of 
>> course;  but there will always be the patient who for some reason 
>> after leaving the surgery decides to go some other pharmacist, and 
>> who then strops up because he (it would usually be he, women are far 
>> too sensible) cannot do so.   In theory the newly selected pharmacist 
>> could, of course, collect the script from the one to hwom it had been 
>> sent in the first place.  But then the patient would probably have 
>> forgotten who that was.   
>
>The patient won't have to remember who the original intended recipient
>was,  the card or the e-script will do that :-)
>
>In the same way,  going to a different chemist shouldn't be a problem, 
>it's only a question of routing ;-)
>
>> I am not being facetious;  I am trying to pont out that as in all of 
>> these things, the devil is in the detail.
>
>Carry on,  this is getting more fun :-)
>
What about:

A paper prescription is generated with a key and signature. At the same
time an electronic script is sent off to a central server  with the same
key - no patient identification needed, and the script is encrypted. 

Patient arrives at pharmacy of their choice with paper prescription. The
electronic script is downloaded and used to (automatically) input
details to the pharmacists computer system. 

The prescription is dispensed and any additional information which the
pharmacist adds to the prescription is added to the e-script, which is
then transferred back to the server 

Periodically information on drugs dispensed is passed to the
pricing/payment folks, who use that information to add to their computer
system, and generate payments. 

The central store is transitory, and encrypted.

Advantages?   

There are potential savings in reduced double keying and increased
accuracy at the pharmacist and in pricing. 

There are potential benefits in reducing fraud. These could be increased
by making exemption information available (from another service), using
a unique patient identifier. The patient could hold this identification
on a swipe card (or have it tattooed on their person :-) 

There is no problem with routing, as the prescription is downloaded by
authorised request. 

Disadvantages? I'm just about to hear about them!


-- 
John L Hardy BSc CEng MBCS              http://www.hardy136.demon.co.uk/
All views expressed in this post are mine, and do not necessarily reflect the 
views of my employer


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