Method and system for dispensing, tracking and managing pharmaceutical products

• US 7,729,927 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2004
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trialcard Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Trialcard Incorporated
• Inventors: Cunningham, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morgan; Robert W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Porter; Rachel L
• Application Number:
  US10/922,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20050033610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,112 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 3
• US Class Current: 705/2
• 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 40/63 for local 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 present invention 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 method of prescribing and dispensing prescription pharmaceutical products comprising:

a. issuing a pharmaceutical product media to one or more prescribers, wherein the pharmaceutical product media is encoded with information that identifies one or more particular prescription pharmaceutical products;

b. electronically activating the pharmaceutical product media in response to the prescriber communicatively linking the encoded media with a central computing station and communicating data relating to the media to a database associated with the central computing station;

wherein the activated pharmaceutical product media identifies one or more prescription pharmaceutical products that have been prescribed by the prescriber for a patient;

c. generating data in the database associated with the central computing station in response to a pharmacy communicatively linking the encoded media with the central computing station, wherein the data generated in the database identifies the pharmaceutical product provided to the patient; and

d. wherein when the pharmacy communicatively links the encoded media with the central computing station, the central computing station validates the encoded media to ensure the encoded media has been activated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein electronically activating the pharmaceutical product media entails a prescriber communicatively linking the pharmaceutical product media to a central computing station where the central computing station records encoded information from the pharmaceutical product media into a database associated with the central computing station.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein prior to activating, the pharmaceutical product media assumes an inactive state, and wherein upon activating the pharmaceutical product media, the database identifies that the state of the pharmaceutical product media has changed from an inactive state to an active state.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein after activating the pharmaceutical product media, a pharmacy validates the pharmaceutical product media by accessing the database and determining whether the pharmaceutical product media has assumed an active state.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the validation of the pharmaceutical product media by the pharmacy includes communicatively linking presented pharmaceutical product media with a central computing station that includes the database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pharmacy electronically validates the pharmaceutical product media prior to fulfilling the prescription identified thereby.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the validation of the pharmaceutical product media by the pharmacy includes communicatively linking the presented pharmaceutical product media with a central computing station which determines if the presented pharmaceutical product media has in fact been appropriately issued by a prescriber.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the pharmaceutical product media includes a plurality of data fields, including at least one data field for identifying at least one prescribed pharmaceutical product, and associated data fields for identifying the quantity and number of refills for the associated prescribed pharmaceutical product.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein issuing the pharmaceutical product media and activating the pharmaceutical product media are separate steps.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of issuing the product media and activating the product media are performed in the order set forth herein.

11. The method of claim 1, further including presenting the pharmaceutical product media to the pharmacy and dispensing the identified pharmaceutical product, conditioned upon the prior activation of the pharmaceutical product media.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein activating the pharmaceutical product media is conditioned upon the prior issuance of the pharmaceutical product media.

13. The method of claim 1 including issuing the pharmaceutical product media in an inactive state and wherein in activating the product media the media is converted from the inactive state to an active state.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein in the inactive state the pharmacy cannot deliver the identified pharmaceutical product to a person presenting the pharmaceutical product media;

and wherein in the active state the pharmacy may deliver the pharmaceutical product identified by the media presented.

15. The method of claim 1 including storing selected information on the pharmaceutical product media in a database.

16. The method of claim 1 including recording in the database that a particular pharmaceutical product media has been activated.

17. The method of claim 16 further including recording information in the database that indicates that the product media has been presented to a pharmacy and that the pharmacy has delivered the pharmaceutical product identified on the media presented.

18. The method of claim 1 including recording information relative to the product media in a database;

and providing communication links between a series of prescribers and the database, and between a series of pharmacies and the database.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein in activating the product media, the prescriber communicates information to the database that identifies the product media that the prescriber desires to activate.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein when the product media is presented to the pharmacy, the pharmacy communicates information to the database that identifies the product media and by communicating with the database the pharmacy determines if the product media has been activated and if activated the pharmacy communicates information relative to the product media that indicates that the particular pharmaceutical product identified by the product media has been delivered to a person.