Systems and methods for detecting counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs at the point of retail sale

• US 20050108044A1
• Filed: 11/05/2003
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Koster, Karl H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,543,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A system including capabilities for identifying, authenticating and/or tracking pharmaceutical drugs contained in a package from the point of manufacture to the point of retail sale or dispensing. One embodiment utilizes radio frequency (RFID) tags imbedded into the packaging, the RFID tags containing information identifying at least the package to the manufacturer of the package. A computer system uses an encryption algorithm to produce a machine readable indicia affixed to the packaging after the contents are sealed. Thereafter, various systems can read the RFID tag and the encrypted data at various points in the supply chain and may initiate a query to a manufacturer'"'"'s database to determine whether the packaging and encrypted data match values stored in the database. This can be used in part to verify the authenticity of the package as well as indicate other functions affecting the sale of the package or dispensing the contents.

Claims

1. A method for authenticating the contents of a package, comprising the steps of:

reading a first value associated with the package using a first input device operatively connected to a processing system;

reading a second value associated with the package;

formulating a query in the processing system including said first value and said second value;

sending the query to a manufacturing database;

receiving a response from the manufacturing database indicating whether the contents of the package are authentic;

displaying text based on a computer monitor operatively connected to the processing system, the text based in part on the received response, the text including a description of the contents of the package.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first identifier is a package identifier indicated by an RFID tag and the second identifier is indicated by an machine readable optical code, the second identifier read using a second device incorporating an optical scanner, the second device operatively connected to the processing device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second value is determined using the first input device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the contents of the package are pharmaceuticals and the response further indicates conditions pertaining the use of the pharmaceuticals.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the text displayed on the computer monitor indicates the package should not be dispensed or sold.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the text displayed on the computer monitor replicates information indicated on a label affixed to the package.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the package contains one or more from the group of pharmaceuticals, documents, credit cards, precious metals, gemstones, electronics, or medical supplies.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing system is a point of sale terminal.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the query is sent to an Internet address determined in part on a indicia associated with the package representing a national drug code.

10. A method for authentication a package, comprising the steps of:

affixing a first machine readable indicia associated with a first value to the package, the package for containing pharmaceuticals;

associating the first value with manufacturing data in a database wherein the contents of the manufacturing data are determined by a pharmaceutical manufacturer;

determining a first authentication data based in part on the first value and recording the first authentication data in the database, the first authentication data associated with the first value;

affixing a label to the package, the label including text information regarding the pharmaceuticals;

determining a second machine readable indicia representing the first authentication data value;

affixing the second machine readable indicia to the package;

receiving a query at a manufacturing database, the query indicating a second value and a second authentication data;

determining at the manufacturing database whether the second value and the second authentication data corresponds to the first value and the first authentication data stored in the database; and

communicating a response from the manufacturing database indicating whether the package is authentic.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first machine readable indicia is an RFID tag and the second machine readable indicia is an optical bar code.

12. The method of claim 10 where the first authenticating data is based in part on the first value and a private key encryption algorithm.

13. The method of claim 10 where the encryption algorithm can be identified using data stored in the database based in part on the first value and a calendar date.

14. The method of claim 10 where the database further contains data identifying an encryption algorithm used to derive the first authenticating value.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the response further indicates information affecting the sale or dispensing of the package.

16. A method for authenticating a package containing a pharmaceutical comprising the steps of:

storing the first value and a second value in a database, the database including manufacturing data associated with the pharmaceutical contained in the package, the second value determined in part based on the first value;

receiving at a data processing system operatively connected to the database a message communicated from a remote location including a third value and a fourth value, the third value corresponding to a first machine readable indicia on a package and the fourth value corresponding to a second machine readable indicia on the package;

comparing the third value in the message with the first value in the database;

comparing the fourth value in the message with the second value in the database;

determining whether the package is authenticated based on whether the third value is equal to the first value and whether the fourth value is equal to the second value; and

sending a response indicating whether the package is authenticated.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the response further contains a portion of the manufacturing data stored in the database associated with the first value.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the manufacturing data comprises at least one from the group of name of a pharmaceutical, expiration date, generic drug formulation, and lot number.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the second value is determine by the application of a private key encryption algorithm to the first value.

20. A method of manufacturing a package containing pharmaceuticals, comprising the steps of:

receiving the package wherein the package has an affixed RFID tag;

reading the RFID tag to determine a package identification value;

determining an authentication value based in part on the package identification value and a private key encryption algorithm;

generating a machine readable indicia based on the authentication value; and

affixing the machine readable indicia to the package.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein affixing the machine readable indicia comprises printing an optical bar code on a label.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein affixing the machine readable indicia comprises writing the authentication value in the RFID tag.

23. A system for authentication a pharmaceutical package, comprising:

an RFID tag reader capable of reading an RFID tag affixed to the pharmaceutical package, the RFID tag reader providing a first value;

an optical reader for reading an optical code affixed to the pharmaceutical package, the optical reader providing a second value; and

a data processing system having a display, the data processing system operatively connected to the RFID reader and the optical reader, the data processing system receiving the first value and the second value, the data processing system further capable of sending a query containing the first value and second value over a communications network to a manufacturing database, the data processing system capable of receiving a response from the manufacturing database indicating whether the pharmaceutical package is authenticated and displaying a text message on the display based in part on the response.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the data processing system is capable of providing point-of-sale processing.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the data processing system includes an interface to the Internet for conveying the query.

26. A system comprising:

a processor receiving a request from an identified source, the request conveyed using a communications network and containing a first and second numerical value, the processor retrieving a third and fourth numerical value stored in a memory and comparing the third and fourth numerical values with the first and second numerical values and generating a response indicating whether the first and second numerical values correspond to the third and fourth numerical values, the response further including manufacturing related data; and

a database operatively connected to the processor, storing the third and fourth numerical values along with pharmaceutical related manufacturing data pertaining to a pharmaceutical drug, the manufacturing data further associated with the third and fourth numerical values.

27. A system comprising:

a first device capable of reading a machine readable indicia affixed to a package containing a pharmaceutical providing a first numerical value;

a second device capable of reading a second machine readable indicia affixed to the package providing a second numerical value;

a processor operatively connected to the first and second device capable of receiving and storing the first and second numerical values, the processor capable of generating a message incorporating the first and second numerical values along with identification data associated with the processor, the processor using a communications network to transmit the message to a manufacturing database, the processor further capable of receiving a response from the manufacturing database comprising confirmation data indicating whether the first and second numerical value are associated with an authenticated package, the processor further capable of storing the confirmation data in a memory, the processor further capable of providing a visual indication of the confirmation data; and

a display operatively connected to the processor receiving the signal indicating the confirmation data and displaying a confirmation message to a user.