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Optimized drug supply logistical techniques

  • US 10,566,087 B1
  • Filed: 11/01/2018
  • Issued: 02/18/2020
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2018
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A computing system, comprising:

  • at least one processor; and

    a memory having contents adapted to cause the computing system to, when the contents are executed by the at least one processor, perform a method, the method comprising;

    maintaining, in the memory, a first indication represented as a first row in a database table, the first indication indicating a number of doses of a distinguished drug administered by a medical institution to outpatients that have not been used as a basis for ordering the distinguished drug at a discounted outpatient price level;

    in response to each change to one or more database tables that indicate, at least in part, a current status of a plurality of drugs administered by the medical institution, causing automatic updating of the first indication by the at least one processor;

    maintaining, in the memory, a second indication represented as a second row in a database table, the second indication indicating a number of doses of the distinguished drug administered by the medical institution to inpatients that have not been used as a basis for ordering the distinguished drug at a discounted inpatient price level;

    in response to each change to the one or more database tables that indicate, at least in part, the current status of the plurality of drugs administered by the medical institution, causing automatic updating of the second indication by the at least one processor;

    in response to determining, by the at least one processor, that a distinguished quantity of the distinguished drug should be ordered on behalf of the medical institution;

    initializing, by the at least one processor, an empty set of planned orders for the distinguished drug;

    initializing, by the at least one processor, a still-needed quantity of the distinguished drug to the distinguished quantity;

    until the still-needed quantity is no larger than zero;

    determining, by the at least one processor, whether the first indication indicates a number of doses exceeding a certain quantity in which the distinguished drug is available;

    where the first indication indicates a number of doses at least as large as a certain quantity in which the distinguished drug is available, by the at least one processor performs;

    identifying, among a plurality of suppliers, a supplier offering the certain quantity of the distinguished drug at the lowest discounted outpatient price;

    adding to the set of planned orders a planned order for the certain quantity of the distinguished drug from the identified supplier at the identified supplier'"'"'s discounted outpatient price;

    reducing the first indication by the certain quantity;

    reducing the still-needed quantity by the certain quantity;

    where (1) the first indication does not indicate a number of doses at least as large as the certain quantity and (2) the second indication indicates a number of doses at least as large as the certain quantity, by the at least one processor performs;

    identifying, among the plurality of suppliers, a supplier offering the certain quantity of the distinguished drug at the lowest discounted inpatient price;

    adding to the set of planned orders a planned order for the certain quantity of the distinguished drug from the identified supplier at the identified supplier'"'"'s discounted inpatient price;

    reducing the second indication by the certain quantity;

    reducing the still-needed quantity by the certain quantity;

    where (1) the first indication does not indicate a number of doses at least as large as the certain quantity and (2) the second indication does not indicate a number of doses at least as large as the certain quantity, the at least one processor performs;

    identifying, among the plurality of suppliers, a supplier offering the certain quantity of the distinguished drug at the lowest undiscounted price;

    adding to the set of planned orders a planned order for the certain quantity of the distinguished drug from the identified supplier at the identified supplier'"'"'s undiscounted inpatient price;

    reducing the still-needed quantity by the certain quantity; and

    causing, by the at least one processor, the each of the planned orders of the set to be submitted to the corresponding supplier.

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