Pharmacy network computer system and printer

• US 8,180,653 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2006
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adheris LLC (MedAdvisor Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Inventors: Banfield, Simon, Byerly, Baxter, Schutte, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor, Gerald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAULS, JOHN A
• Application Number:
  US11/366,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20070164096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,265 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3, 705/4, 705/14, 705/21, 358/1.12, 358/1.15, 358/1.18
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/024 for printing on segmented surfaces, e.g. sticker sheets, label rolls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage

Abstract

The invention provides a network computer system and novel pharmacy printers and their methods of use wherein the local CS includes a pharmacy printer for printing pharmacy orders including prescriptions, and the pharmacy printer includes a pharmacy printer database storing drug information and association of a drug identifier with information about a corresponding drug, and additional information, and obtains and uses instructions for printing the additional information in association with printing of a prescription label from characters contained in a prescription label print file for the prescription label.

Claims

1. A network CS, comprising:

a pharmacy printer located in a pharmacy store wherein said pharmacy printer stores therein a database;

wherein said database includes a first table having first table records, each first table record having fields for CID and CHR identifier;

wherein said database includes a second table having second records, each second record having fields for CHR content and CHR identifier;

wherein said pharmacy printer is further configured to parse out of a prescription label print file for a prescription a prescription CID associated with said prescription;

wherein said pharmacy printer is further configured to retrieve from said second table prescription CHR content associated with said prescription CID;

wherein said pharmacy printer is configured to generate a prescription label print job including prescription label information specified by said prescription label print file and said prescription CHR content.

2. The network CS of claim 1 wherein at least one prescription CHR content includes an image object.

3. The network CS of claim 2 wherein said image object occupies in said printer at least one megabyte of memory.

4. The network CS of claim 2 further comprising a CHR computer remote from said local CS and said central CS, said central CS storing CHR content and CHR additional content, and structured to update said database in said pharmacy printer with updated CHR content, CHR additional content, and values in said fourth table.

5. The network CS of claim 1 wherein said database further comprises:

a third table having third table records, each third table record having fields for CHR identifier, content, and no field for CID;

a fourth table for storing criteria, said fourth table including records storing at least one of values and ranges of values for at least one of new/refill, refills remaining, pill count, gender, age, and date of birth; and

said pharmacy printer is further configured to determine additional CHR content to include in said prescription label print job based upon correspondence of values in said a fourth table and said third table.

6. The network CS of claim 1 further comprising a central CS remote from said local CS, said central CS storing a master patient records.

7. A method for using a network CS, comprising:

storing CHR content in a database in a pharmacy printer located in a pharmacy store;

wherein said database comprises

a first table having first table records, each first table record having fields for CID and CHR identifier and a second table having second records, each second record having fields for CHR content and CHR identifier;

parsing, in said pharmacy printer, out of a prescription label printer file for a prescription, a prescription CID associated with said prescription;

retrieving, in said pharmacy printer, from said database prescription CHR content associated with said prescription CID;

generating, in said pharmacy printer, a prescription label print job including prescription label information specified by said prescription label print file and said prescription CHR content.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said CHR content includes an image object.

9. The method claim 8 wherein said image object occupies in said printer at least one megabyte of memory.

10. The network CS of claim 8 further comprising:

storing on a CHR computer remote from said local CS and said central CS, CHR content and CHR additional content, and

updating, from said CHR computer, said database in said pharmacy printer with updated CHR content, CHR additional content, and criteria stored in said fourth table.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein said database further comprises:

a third table which includes third records that do not have a field for storing CID and do have a field for storing CHR content;

a fourth table for storing criteria, said fourth table including records storing at least one of values and ranges of values for at least one of new/refill, refills remaining, pill count, gender, age, and date of birth; and

said pharmacy printer is further configured to determine CHR content to include in said prescription label print job based upon correspondence of values in said said fourth table and said third table.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising storing a master patient records on a central CS remote from said local CS.

13. A network computer system, comprising:

(1) a central CS;

(2) a plurality of local CSs;

wherein said central CS and said plurality of local CSs form a network in which said plurality of local CS and said central CS can communicate with one another via network protocols;

wherein each local CS of said plurality of local CSs is associated with and proximate to a corresponding plurality of pharmacy stores, wherein each local CS of said plurality of local CSs includes a CS terminal for inputting information about pharmacy orders and a pharmacy printer for printing information relating to said pharmacy orders;

wherein each local CS of said plurality of local CSs is designed to log information about pharmacy orders including information about medicines contained in pharmacy orders;

wherein a first local CS of said plurality of local CSs includes a first pharmacy printer located in a first pharmacy store and a first pharmacy POS located in said first pharmacy store;

wherein said first pharmacy printer includes a first pharmacy printer database storing;

(1) medicine records including in each medicine record a medicine identifier in association with information about the corresponding medicine; and

(2) consumer records including in each consumer record a consumer identifier in association with CHR content to be conveyed to the consumer associated with said consumer identifier;

wherein a prescription label print file for a pharmacy order for a specified prescription includes a specified medicine identifier for a specified medicine, and a specified consumer identifier for a specified consumer;

wherein said pharmacy printer is configured to generate a prescription label print job in response to receipt by said pharmacy printer of said prescription label print file, by;

(1) searching in said first pharmacy printer database for information about said specified medicine associated with said specified medicine identifier;

(2) searching in said first pharmacy printer database for information to be conveyed to said specified consumer associated with said specified consumer identifier;

(3) associating with one another prescription label information for a prescription label for said specified prescription, said information about said specified medicine, and said information to be conveyed to said specified consumer, such that said prescription label print job specifies printing by said pharmacy printer of said prescription label, said information about said specified medicine, and said information to be conveyed to said specified consumer; and

wherein said first local CS generates a de-identified pharmacy order from said pharmacy order, encrypts said specified consumer identifier associated with said pharmacy order, and transmits the de-identified pharmacy order in association with the encrypted specified consumer identifier to said central CS.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said CHR content is stored in said first pharmacy printer database in association with said specified consumer identifier.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein an identifier of said CHR content is stored in

said first pharmacy printer database association with said consumer identifier.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein said first local CS includes code instructing said first local CS to transmit to said central CS information about pharmacy orders including associated consumer identifiers and an address associated with said first local CS.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein said central CS includes code for determining from (1) criteria it stores and (2) information about pharmacy orders associated with said specified consumer identification, said CHR content to associate with said consumer identification, and said central CS includes code for transmitting an identifier of said CHR content to said first local CS.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein said central CS includes code for transmitting to said first local CS medicine records including in each medicine record a medicine identifier in association with information about the corresponding medicine.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein said first local CS includes code for storing in said first pharmacy printer database (1) medicine records including in each medicine record a medicine identifier in association with information about the corresponding medicine and (2) CHR content.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said medicine records comprise medicine monograph data and MedGuide data.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein said CHR content includes at least one of (1) names of alternative brands of a medicine specified in prescription contained in a corresponding pharmacy order, (2) an incentive offer for a subsequent purchase of a product other than said medicine, and (3) informational messages promoting said specified medicine.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein said central CS includes code for periodically transmitting identifiers of CHR content in association with said consumer identification to said first local CS.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said central CS includes code for automatically transmitting identifiers of CHR content that it has associated with said consumer identification to said first local CS in response to transmission from said local CS to said central CS of said consumer identification, so that said CHR content is printed by said first printer either concurrently or sequentially with printing by said first pharmacy printer of said specified prescription and information about said specified medicine.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein data storage size in said first pharmacy printer database for said specified prescription, said information about said specified medicine, and said information to be conveyed to said specified consumer exceeds ten megabytes.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein said first pharmacy printer database store local rules that the printer implements in addition to the rules instructing it to what to print based upon identifications of medicines and CIDs, wherein said local rules include at least one of (1) content local rules to print additional text or graphics upon receipt of instructions to print specified CHR content and CHR additional content and the other print file information and (2) layout local rules to lay out all of the material for printing defined by the print file information and the specified CHR content and CHR additional content, depending upon all of the material for printing, the type of printer, and print specification such as paper width and margins.

26. The system of claim 13, wherein said first local CS is inside a local area network (LAN).

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said central CS is networked to each local CSs over a wide area network.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein data transmission speed in said LAN is greater than the data transmission speed in said WAN.

29. The system of claim 13 wherein said central CS stores a master set of rules based upon printer type, material for printing, and print specifications, and includes code specifying that said central CS distributes corresponding rules to printers having corresponding printer type, material for printing, or print specifications stored by said central CS.

30. The system of claim 13 wherein said system is designed to deliver to said first pharmacy printer instructions in response to a pharmacy order for printing information for the consumer placing said first pharmacy order, transmitted by both a first local CS controller CPU in the first local CS and also from said central CS.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein said first pharmacy printer includes code to prioritize print instructions received from both said first local CS controller CPU and the central CS regarding a single pharmacy order.