Portable prescription payment device management platform apparautses, methods and systems

• US 8,939,356 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2013
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pourfallah, Stacy, Cervenka, Karen Louise
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, SEUNG H
• Application Number:
  US13/853,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20130226609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/487, 235/492, 235/375, 705/14.1, 705/13.37, 705/17
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3415 Cards acting autonomously as pay-media
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/346 Cards serving only as information carrier of service
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

The PORTABLE PRESCRIPTION PAYMENT DEVICE MANAGEMENT PLATFORM APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS (“PPD”) provides a portable coupon payment device includes a substrate having surface with an image rendering thereon that corresponds to a free sample. The portable coupon payment device also has memory, in contact with the substrate, having data encoded therein including (i) an identifier for the free sample, (ii) a quantity for the free sample; (iii) a sponsor company account for a selling merchant to charge the cost of the free sample for payment to a selling merchant account to reimburse the selling merchant for the free sample; (iv) an image corresponding to the free sample; and (v) an identifier for a coupon provider donating the free sample to a consumer.

Claims

1. A prescription medical supply sample dispensing transaction processor-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a prescription medical supply sample dispensing authorization request from a dispensing pharmacist,

said prescription medical supply sample dispensing authorization request including information loaded from a portable consumer device storing a graphic image of the prescription medical supply sample and information of an electronic voucher;

obtaining an account identifier associated with the electronic voucher;

sending a verification request to an issuer of the electronic voucher to verify the account associated with the electronic voucher has been loaded with sufficient funds by a sponsor to pay for the requested drug sample distribution;

sending an authorization response to the dispensing pharmacist upon receipt of the verification from the issuer; and

transacting an amount to cover the requested prescription medical supply sample dispensing from the account associated with the electronic voucher to the dispensing pharmacist.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable consumer device is associated with any of the following accounts:

an account of regulated limited use for payments to healthcare providers;

a revolving credit account;

a debit account;

a prepaid account;

a Flexible Saving Account (FSA) card account;

a Health Saving Account (HAS) card account;

a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) card account; and

a combination of the foregoing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphic image of the prescription medical supply sample is printed on a surface of the portable consumer device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the graphic image of the prescription medical supply sample comprises respective images corresponding to:

an identifier for s patient;

an identifier for a prescribing medical practitioner of the prescription medical supply sample;

an identifier for the prescription medical supply sample; and

a quantity of the prescription medical supply sample.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a memory of the portable consumer device comprises any of:

a non-volatile memory of a semiconductor device;

a magnetic encoded data region of a magnetic stripe.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable consumer device comprises any of:

a card having a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, a transponder device and a microchip; and

a magstripe card.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting data wirelessly to the portable consumer device;

transmitting data via a hardwired communication to the portable consumer device; and

magnetically encoding track data by modifying the magnetism of magnetic particles on a band of magnetic material on the portable consumer device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

charging a cost of the prescription medical supply sample to an advertising account for the payment to a dispensing pharmacist account.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the receiving;

browsing to an Internet website in communication with a web service having a database of information that includes a plurality of different free pharmaceutical samples; and

sending the request to the web service, wherein the request includes a selection of the prescription medical supply sample.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable consumer device further comprises an identifier, a quantity, and a dosage of a prescription medical supply, other than the prescription medical supply sample, being prescribed by the prescribing medical practitioner to the patient.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sponsor comprises any of:

a merchant in the transaction;

a manufacturer of the purchase;

a wholesaler of the free prescription medical supply sample; and

a distributor of the free prescription medical supply sample.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphic image includes a bar code that is scanable by a scanner at a Point of Service terminal.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the prescription medical supply sample comprises a free product sample.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable consumer device comprises:

a substrate having surface with an image rendering thereon that corresponds to a free sample.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable consumer device comprises:

information of a sponsor company account for a selling merchant to charge a cost of the f prescription medical supply sample.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

writing to data in memory of the portable consumer device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the data written comprises:

the identifier, quantity, and dosage of the prescription medical supply sample;

the identifier for a prescribing medical practitioner; and

the identifier for a patient.

18. A prescription medical supply sample dispensing transaction apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory disposed in communication with the processor and storing processor-executable instructions to;

receive a prescription medical supply sample dispensing authorization request from a dispensing pharmacist,

said prescription medical supply sample dispensing authorization request including information loaded from a portable consumer device storing a graphic image of the prescription medical supply sample and information of an electronic voucher;

obtain an account identifier associated with the electronic voucher;

send a verification request to an issuer of the electronic voucher to verify the account associated with the electronic voucher has been loaded with sufficient funds by a sponsor to pay for the requested drug sample distribution;

send an authorization response to the dispensing pharmacist upon receipt of the verification from the issuer; and

transact an amount to cover the requested prescription medical supply sample dispensing from the account associated with the electronic voucher to the dispensing pharmacist.

19. A processor-readable non-transitory medium storing processor-issuable instructions executable by a processor to:

receive a prescription medical supply sample dispensing authorization request from a dispensing pharmacist,

said prescription medical supply sample dispensing authorization request including information loaded from a portable consumer device storing a graphic image of the prescription medical supply sample and information of an electronic voucher;

obtain an account identifier associated with the electronic voucher;

send a verification request to an issuer of the electronic voucher to verify the account associated with the electronic voucher has been loaded with sufficient funds by a sponsor to pay for the requested drug sample distribution;

send an authorization response to the dispensing pharmacist upon receipt of the verification from the issuer; and

transact an amount to cover the requested prescription medical supply sample dispensing from the account associated with the electronic voucher to the dispensing pharmacist.

20. A portable consumer free sample redemption device, comprising:

a substrate having a surface with a first graphic image of a free product sample printed thereon;

a memory, in contact with the substrate, storing information including;

an identifier for the free product sample,

a quantity for the free product sample,

a sponsor company account for a selling merchant to charge a cost of the free product sample,

wherein the charge includes a payment to a selling merchant account to reimburse the selling merchant for the free product sample;

a second graphic image of the free product sample; and

an identifier for a coupon provider distributing the free product sample to a consumer.