Patent ID: 8473315

Claim:
A computer for detecting an adverse drug event in a patient via the use of a communications network, the computer comprising: a memory storage; a network connection device communicatively coupled with the communications network; and a processing device coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative for: receiving from a computing device, via the communications network, a plurality of adverse drug reaction (ADR) descriptions corresponding to the patient and a plurality of identifiers for medications that are currently taken by the patient, wherein the plurality of ADR descriptions and the plurality of identifiers for medications have been entered into a single graphical user interface by a user; accessing a plurality of ADR records corresponding to the plurality of identifiers for medications that are currently taken by the patient, wherein each record comprises an identifier for a medication, one or more ADR descriptions for the medication and a risk profile for the medication, wherein a risk profile comprises a numerical value in a continuous range from one to one hundred; comparing the plurality of ADR descriptions corresponding to the patient with ADR descriptions in the plurality of ADR records that were accessed; identifying at least one ADR record, of the plurality of ADR records that were accessed, which includes an ADR description matching at least one of the plurality of ADR descriptions corresponding to the patient; calculating a level of risk that at least one medication of the at least one ADR record is causing the matching ADR description corresponding to the patient, wherein the level of risk is calculated based on the risk profile in the at least one ADR record, and wherein a level of risk comprises a second numerical value in a continuous range from one to one hundred; and transmitting to the user, via the network connection device communicatively coupled with the communications network, an identifier for each medication of the at least one ADR record identified and a level of risk for each medication of the at least one ADR record, and a notice indicating that each medication of the at least one ADR record may be causing the matching ADR description corresponding to the patient.