System and method for identification and notification of elevated over-the-counter medication sales with response coordination

• US 7,069,233 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2002
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bracken Foster & Associates LLC
• Original Assignee: Bracken Foster & Associates LLC
• Inventors: Chowning, Kimberly, Bracken, Todd C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOSWELL, BETH V
• Application Number:
  US10/335,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20040128184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 700/10, 700/7, 700/21, 700/16, 700/30, 600/300, 705/10, 705/1, 705/2, 705/7, 340/540, 702176- 7, 702/179, 702/180, 702187- 8, 702/19
• US Class Current: 705/7.34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/80 for detecting, monitoring or modelling epidemics or pandemics, e.g. flu

Abstract

A system and method for identification and notification of elevated over-the-counter medication sales is disclosed. Localized alerts of elevated sales of specified over-the-counter medications and graphical views of historical sales intensity by medication category are provided. Intervention instructions to manage responses to factors causing the elevation of sales are provided. The system analyzes sales volume from stores that sell the identified medications to determine if sales volume exceeds expected thresholds. Data from individual products are combined into meaningful categories for tracking, and alerts are sent to users of data anomalies and of intervention messages or tasks requiring attention. Users view a geographic area and define their own notification events and mode. User interaction includes: a graphical representation of their geographic area with indicators of all current alerts; historical sales trend charts per category; graphical time-lapse representations of sales intensity per category; and task management to coordinate action and response.

Claims

1. A method for identification of elevated sales of predetermined products indicative of at least one public health condition, comprising the steps of:

providing a categorization schedule to at least one party selling at least one of said predetermined products, said schedule incorporating product identifiers corresponding to said predetermined products, each of said product identifiers being associated with at least one of a plurality of aggregation categories related to at least one ingredient contained in said corresponding one of said predetermined products, wherein said at least one party uses said categorization schedule to generate information that associates sales of at least one of said predetermined products by said party with the contents of at least one of said plurality of aggregation categories;

receiving said aggregation category content information from said at least one party;

utilizing said aggregation category content information to populate at least one of a plurality of analytical categories indicative of a health condition;

determining an alert threshold for said at least one of said plurality of analytical categories;

detecting when said alert threshold for said at least one of said plurality of analytical categories is exceeded; and

generating, in response to said detecting, a notification that said alert threshold was exceeded.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said party is a retailer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said party is a wholesaler.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating of said notification is by e-mail.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating of said notification is by telephone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said notification is sent to at least one recipient.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said at least one recipient is a government agency.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said at least one recipient is a health care facility.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein at least a second recipient is notified in the event that said at least one recipient does not respond to said notification.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating of said notification is by displaying a message on a computer screen when a specified internet web site is accessed.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the contents of said analytical categories are presented graphically based on a selected geographic region.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the contents of said analytical categories are presented in time-lapse animation format.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said product identifiers comprise universal product codes.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said aggregation category content information is received in the form of an electronic file wherein said second party provides a data clearinghouse for categorized data from at least one.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiver of said aggregation category content information provides a data clearinghouse for said aggregation category content information, said data clearinghouse being used to provide detection of public health conditions.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the information contained in said analytical categories does not reveal the source of said information.

17. A system for identification of elevated sales of predetermined products indicative of at least one medical condition comprising:

a recipient module maintaining information about a plurality of information recipients;

a retail chain module maintaining information about a plurality of retail stores;

a categorization module maintaining categorization information about said predetermined products related to at least one ingredient contained in each of said predetermined products, said categorization module providing said categorization information to said plurality of retail stores to enable said plurality of retail stores to generate categorized data associated with the sale of predetermined products;

a breach module for receiving and evaluating said categorized data from said plurality of retail stores for detecting information indicative of at least one public health condition, and for establishing at least one alert threshold associated with said sales indicative information; and

a notification module generating and sending at least one alert to at least one of said plurality of recipients when said at least one alert threshold has been exceeded.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a geographic entitlement module for maintaining geographic information related to the service area of said plurality of retail stores.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said categorization information is further determined by at least one of the unique identifier of said predetermined product, the symptoms treated by said predetermined product, and possible causes of said symptoms.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said alert is sent to said plurality of recipients over the Internet.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein said recipient information is determined by at least one of a recipient name, recipient contact information, a preferred method of contacting said recipient, and alternate contact information if said recipient does not respond to said alert.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein said categorization module produces at least one file containing said categorization information, and said retail chain module provides said at least one file to said at least one of said plurality of retail stores.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein said plurality of retail stores receives said categorization information in at least one text file, said information further comprising an algorithm for processing the at least one text file to generate said categorized data.