Method and system for dispensing, tracking and managing pharmaceutical trial products
US5832449A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 13, 1995 |
| Grant date | Nov 3, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 13, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG16H40/67
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
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 method 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.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.