Method and System for Pay-Per-Use Prescription Validation

Abstract

A business model for facilitating the deployment of prescription validation systems into pharmacies is installed in pharmacies for little or no up-front cost to the pharmacy. Instead, the pharmacy is charged on a per use basis, that is, charged every time a prescription is validated in the system. In this way, the system vendor obtains payment on a subscription-like basis. Up-front costs at the pharmacy are avoided. Moreover, risks to a pharmacy concerning maintenance and slow productivity are avoided, or shifted onto the system owner, who is able to assess those risks.

1 . A method for prescription validation, comprising:
 a pharmacy validation system for performing validations by determining whether labels for containers correspond to contents of the containers;   the validation system sending information that the validation was made to an information center; and   the information center billing the pharmacy based on a number of validations performed by the validation system.   
     
     
         2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the pharmacy validation system comprises: a label reader for reading information encoded on the label. 
     
     
         3 . A method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the pharmacy validation system further comprises at least one of a machine recognition system for determining a shape of, color of, and/or symbols on contents of the container and a spectroscopy system for determining a spectral response of the contents of the container, wherein the step of validating the prescription comprises comparing information from the machine recognition system and the spectroscopy system to information on the labels. 
     
     
         4 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the step of the validation system sending information that the validation was made comprises the validation system informing the information center when each validation is made. 
     
     
         5 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the step of the validation system sending information that the validation was made comprises the validation system periodically informing the information center information as to a number of validations made over a time period. 
     
     
         6 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the step of the information center billing the pharmacy comprises the information center periodically sending a bill based at least in part on a number of validations performed over a period by the validation system of the pharmacy. 
     
     
         7 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the step of the information center billing the pharmacy comprises the information center periodically sending a bill based in part on a number of validations performed over a period by the validation system of the pharmacy and in part based on rental or lease amount for the period. 
     
     
         8 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising an information center periodically updating an internal database of the validation system with spectroscopy information for drugs dispensed by the pharmacy. 
     
     
         9 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising the validation system confirming that information from the validations correspond to prescriptions to be filled by a pharmacy by reference to a pharmacy management system. 
     
     
         10 . A method for prescription validation, comprising:
 a pharmacy validation system for analyzing contents of prescription containers by acquiring information from the contents;   the validation system searching for a match for the contents of containers in an internal database and sending the information, including a spectroscopic response of the contents, to a drug information center if no match is found in the internal database;   drug information center notifying the pharmacy validation system of the contents.   
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the information includes a shape and color the contents. 
     
     
         13 . A method as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising drug information center sending updates for the internal database in response to the information requests when no match was found.