METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MINIMIZING COSTS OF DRUG PURCHASES

• US 20090094051A1
• Filed: 10/03/2007
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardinal Health Pharmacy Services
• Original Assignee: Cardinal Health 303 Incorporated (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ard, Teresa (Beckwith), McTopy, Joel, Chase, Kathy, Burnett, Rick, McTopy, Kathy, Goetz, Alisa
• Granted Patent: US 8,352,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage

Abstract

Drug purchases are evaluated according to available offers from drug manufacturers, based on the equivalent dosage regimens for similar drugs. Equivalent doses among drugs are calculated. Purchasing amounts of equivalent doses of drugs are reviewed. The costs of the equivalent doses of the drugs are compared, taking into account contractual price adjustments, such as discounts and rebates. Subsequent purchasing amounts of the drugs are determined, using results from the comparisons. The new purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs are produced.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining equivalent doses for at least two drugs;

reviewing current relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs;

comparing costs of the equivalent doses of the drugs, wherein the comparing includes analyzing contractual price adjustments to the costs of the equivalent doses of the drugs, based on the current relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs to be purchased;

determining new relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs, based on the step of comparing; and

outputting the new relative purchasing amounts.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining new relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs comprises:

iteratively;

a) modifying the current relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs to obtain modified relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs;

b) comparing costs of the equivalent doses of the drugs, wherein the comparing includes analyzing contractual price adjustments to the costs of the equivalent doses of the drugs, based on the modified relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs;

c) comparing costs of the equivalent doses of the drugs based on the modified relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs against costs of the equivalent doses of the drugs based on the current relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs;

d) determining subsequent relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs, based on the step of comparing in step c;

e) setting the current relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs to be equal to the subsequent relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs; and

setting the new relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs to be equal to the current relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining equivalent doses includes analyzing at least one of:

drug strength, drug effectiveness, dosage frequency, and dosage period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the contractual price adjustments are made according to available contract offers, which are stored in a database.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the current relative purchasing amounts are set according to previous drug purchases of a user, the previous drug purchases being stored in a database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of comparing includes analyzing costs of generic drug equivalents.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically updating price adjustments based on new contract offers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining new relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs comprises generating optimal purchasing amounts with respect to at least one of:

lowest price, lowest market share and highest market share.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining new relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs comprises modifying at least one of:

market share and drug use.

10. A computer readable medium, which when executed causes a computer to perform the steps comprising:

determining equivalent doses for at least two drugs;

reviewing current relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs;

comparing costs of the equivalent doses of the drugs, wherein the comparing includes analyzing contractual price adjustments to the costs of the equivalent doses of the drugs, based on the current relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs;

determining new relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs, based on the step of comparing; and

outputting the new relative purchasing amounts.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the step of determining new relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs comprises:

iteratively;

a) modifying the current relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs to obtain modified relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs;

b) comparing costs of the equivalent doses of the drugs, wherein the comparing includes analyzing contractual price adjustments to the costs of the equivalent doses of the drugs, based on the modified relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs;

c) comparing costs of the equivalent doses of the drugs based on the modified relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs against costs of the equivalent doses of the drugs based on the current relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs;

d) determining subsequent relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs, based on the step of comparing in step c;

e) setting the current relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs to be equal to the subsequent relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs; and

setting the new relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs to be equal to the current relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the step of determining equivalent doses includes analyzing at least one of:

drug strength, drug effectiveness, dosage frequency, and dosage period.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the contractual price adjustments are made according to available contract offers, which are stored in a database.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the current relative purchasing amounts are set according to previous drug purchases of a user, the previous drug purchases being stored in a database.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the step of comparing includes analyzing costs of generic drug equivalents.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising automatically updating price adjustments based on new contract offers.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the step of determining new relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs comprises generating optimal purchasing amounts with respect to at least one of:

lowest price, lowest market share and highest market share.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the step of determining new relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs comprises modifying at least one of:

market share and drug use.

19. A system for evaluating costs of drugs based on equivalent doses comprising:

an input module configured to receive input to the system;

an equivalent dose calculation module configured to perform calculations according to equivalent doses for at least two drugs;

a cost comparison module configured to compare costs of equivalent doses of the drugs using the equivalent dose calculation module, wherein the comparing includes analyzing contractual price adjustments to the costs of the equivalent doses of the drugs based on current relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs;

a purchasing amount module configured to determine new purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs to be purchased, based on comparisons made by the cost comparison module; and

an output module configured to output amounts of drugs to be purchased;

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the purchasing amount module comprises:

an amount modifying module configured to modify current relative purchasing amounts of equivalent doses of drugs;

a cost evaluation module configured to evaluate costs of modified relative purchasing amounts of equivalent doses of the drugs generated by the amount modifying module, and produce purchasing scenarios, wherein;

the evaluating includes analyzing contractual price adjustments to the costs of the equivalent doses of modified purchasing amounts of the drugs;

a purchasing scenario comprises amounts of equivalent doses of the drugs and costs of the amounts of equivalent doses of the drugs;

a scenario cost comparison module configured to compare purchasing scenarios produced by the cost evaluation module;

an amount setting module configured to set the current relative purchasing amounts of equivalent doses of the drugs to amounts of equivalent doses of the drugs in a purchasing scenario compared by the scenario cost comparison module.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the equivalent dose calculation module performs calculations involving at least one of:

drug strength, drug effectiveness, dosage frequency, and dosage period.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the contractual price adjustments are made according to available contract offers, which are stored in a database.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the current relative purchasing amounts are set according to previous drug purchases of a user, the previous drug purchases being stored in a database.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the cost comparison module is further configured to compare costs of equivalent doses of generic drug equivalents.

25. The system of claim 19, further comprising automatically updating price adjustments based on new contract offers.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the purchasing amount module is further configured to determine new relative purchasing amounts of the equivalent doses of the drugs by generating optimal purchasing amounts with respect to at least one of:

lowest price, lowest market share and highest market share.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the wherein the purchasing amount module is further configured to determine new relative purchasing amounts by modifying at least one of:

market share and drug use.