Method and system for dispensing, tracking and managing pharmaceutical trial products

• US 6,055,507 A
• Filed: 08/20/1998
• Issued: 04/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trialcard Incorporated
• Original Assignee: David W. Cunningham
• Inventors: Cunningham, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US09/137,095
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/2, 705/3, 705/28, 235/375, 235/385, 283/55, 283/67, 340/825.29, 340/825.34
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A new and improved method of dispensing, tracking and managing pharmaceutical product samples by communicatively linking prescribers and pharmacies to a central computing station. The method entails utilizing product trial media that is exchanged for actual pharmaceutical product. The media is encoded with information that identifies a particular pharmaceutical trial product, such as by magnetic encoding similar to that used with credit cards. The media is distributed to participating medical doctors or prescribers who then activate the media via the central computing station. The prescriber then transfers the activated media to patients who then present the media to participating pharmacies. Before filling the pharmaceutical trial product identified by the media, the pharmacy validates the media via a link with the central computing station. Then, the pharmacy dispenses the prescribed pharmaceutical trial product. The central computing station also includes a database that records data related to the use of the media so that all pharmaceutical trial products can be accounted for.

Claims

1. A system for tracking and managing the dispensing of pharmaceutical trial products utilizing medical prescribers and pharmacies, comprising:

a) a central computing station having an associated database;

b) a first array of communication terminals located remotely from the central computing station at various medical prescriber sites with each communication terminal communicatively linked to the central computing station;

c) a second array of communication terminals located remotely from the central computing station at various pharmacy sites with each communication terminal communicatively linked to the central computing station;

d) a pharmaceutical trial product media encoded with information identifying a particular pharmaceutical trial product;

e) the pharmaceutical trial product media assuming the form of individual media slips with each individual media slip including the encoding information particularly identifying the pharmaceutical trial product; and

f) wherein the prescriber terminals and the pharmacy terminals are capable of receiving and reading the encoded information associated with the individual pharmaceutical trial product media slips and communicating that information to the central computing station where the central computing station tracks and manages the movement of the individual pharmaceutical trial media slips between prescribers, patients and pharmacies and also controls the actual dispensing of the pharmaceutical trial product identified by the individual pharmaceutical trial product media slips.

2. A system for tracking and managing the dispensing of pharmaceutical trial products utilizing medical prescribers and pharmacies, comprising:

a) a central computing station having an associated database;

b) a first array of communication terminals located remotely from the central computing station at various medical prescriber sites with each communication terminal communicatively linked to the central computing station;

c) a second array of communication terminals located remotely from the central computing station at various pharmacy sites with each communication terminal communicatively linked to the central computing station;

d) a pharmaceutical trial product media encoded with information identifying a particular pharmaceutical trial product;

e) the pharmaceutical trial product media assuming the form of individual media slips with each individual media slip including the encoding information particularly identifying the pharmaceutical trial product;

f) wherein the prescriber terminals and the pharmacy terminals are capable of receiving and reading the encoded information associated with the individual pharmaceutical trial product media slips and communicating that information to the central computing station where the central computing station tracks and manages the movement of the individual pharmaceutical trial media slips between prescribers, patients and pharmacies and also controls the actual dispensing of the pharmaceutical trial product identified by the individual pharmaceutical trial product media slips;

g) a series of system authorization media slips with each authorization media slip including specific information particularly identifying an authorized medical prescriber or pharmacy and wherein the authorization media slips are transferred to the appropriate participating medical prescribers and pharmacies; and

h) wherein the prescriber and pharmacy terminals are capable of reading the authorization media slips and communicating the encoded information thereon to the central computing station for authorization verification such that after authorization has been established, authorized prescribers or pharmacies are then permitted access to the system for purposes of prescribing or dispensing pharmaceutical trial products.