METHOD, SYSTEM AND PROGRAM FOR TRACKING PHARMACEUTICAL SAMPLES

• US 20090002173A1
• Filed: 09/15/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: James R. Bergsten, Jay Rosenberg, Jorge Noa, Thaddeus B. Kubis
• Original Assignee: James R. Bergsten, Jay Rosenberg, Jorge Noa, Thaddeus B. Kubis
• Inventors: Bergsten, James R., Rosenberg, Jay, Kubis, Thaddeus B., Noa, Jorge
• Application Number:
  US12/210,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20090002173A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The invention provides a method, system and machine readable program for tracking pharmaceutical samples. A pharmaceutical sample (such as a batch of pharmaceutical products) is provided to be distributed. The pharmaceutical sample is assigned a unique radio-frequency identification tag. The pharmaceutical sample is then tracked through a chain of custody by scanning the radio-frequency identification tag at one or more points in the chain of custody. Other novel features relating to the invention are described herein.

Claims

1. A method for tracking pharmaceutical samples, comprising:

a) providing at least one pharmaceutical sample to be distributed;

b) assigning the at least one pharmaceutical sample a unique radio-frequency identification tag; and

c) tracking the at least one pharmaceutical sample through a chain of custody by scanning the radio-frequency identification tag at one or more points in the chain of custody.

2. The method of claim 1, further including receiving characteristics of a pharmaceutical campaign.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one pharmaceutical sample is distributed in the pharmaceutical campaign.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one pharmaceutical sample includes a pharmaceutical sample batch.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining the current status of the sample batch.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking step further includes collecting tracking data indicative of the at least one sample'"'"'s progress through the chain of custody.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising forwarding the tracking data to a location where the tracking data may be analyzed.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising analyzing the tracking data to facilitate evaluation of the efficacy of a pharmaceutical campaign.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising analyzing the tracking data to facilitate compliance with compliance goals.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning step includes providing a range of identifiers to uniquely identify a plurality of batches of pharmaceutical samples.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting tracking data by scanning the radio-frequency identification tag at a plurality of points in the chain of custody.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the radio-frequency identification tag is scanned at a point in the chain of custody selected from the group consisting of:

a) a point of manufacture;

b) a sales office;

c) a distribution point;

d) a caregiver location; and

e) a pharmacy.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising uploading information received from the radio-frequency identification tag to a computer network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the computer network includes at least one of (i) an ASP server, and (ii) the Internet.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the information is uploaded from a mobile computing device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the mobile computing device includes a RFID scanner.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the information is uploaded by way of a wireless link.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising directing the uploaded information to a database operatively associated with the computer network.

19. A system for tracking pharmaceutical samples, comprising:

a) at least one pharmaceutical sample to be distributed;

b) a first computer for assigning the at least one pharmaceutical sample a unique radio-frequency identification tag; and

c) a tracking system for tracking the at least one pharmaceutical sample through a chain of custody, the tracking system including at least one scanner for scanning the radio-frequency identification tag at one or more points in the chain of custody.

20. A machine readable program on a computer readable medium containing instructions for controlling a system for tracking pharmaceutical samples comprising:

a) a first computer code segment for assigning at least one pharmaceutical sample a unique radio-frequency identification tag; and

b) a second computer code segment to facilitate tracking the at least one pharmaceutical sample through a chain of custody, the second computer code segment being adapted and configured to receive tracking information indicative of the status of the pharmaceutical sample in the chain of custody.