Marketing method for pharmaceutical products

Abstract

A healthcare professional enters signature data into a signature capture device upon receipt of a pharmaceutical product. The signature capture device receives the signature data and displays a promotional message for the pharmaceutical product while receiving the signature data.

1 . A method of communicating a promotional message information to a healthcare professional, the method comprising:
 providing a drug sample from a pharmaceutical representative to the healthcare professional and in conjunction with providing the drug sample, passing a portable signature capture device from the pharmaceutical representative to the healthcare professional, wherein the signature capture device stores promotional information data including the promotional message;   capturing signature data from the healthcare professional in the signature capture device; and   during at least a time period in which in response to the signature data is being captured by the signature capture device to acknowledge receipt of the drug sample by the healthcare professional, communicating the promotional message to the healthcare professional data related to a pharmaceutical product through the signature capture device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the signature data constitutes a legal acknowledgement required to obtain the drug sample. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the legal acknowledgement recognizes terms contained in a Drug Information Services Request, an Adverse Reaction Report, or a Drug Interaction Report. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the healthcare professional is a healthcare professional physician. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein communicating the promotional message to the healthcare professional through the signature capture device comprises displaying the promotional message on a display interface of the signature capture device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the signature capture device begins displaying the promotional message data on the display interface upon receiving the signature data. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the signature capture device begins displaying the promotional message data on the display interface following a delay after beginning receipt of receiving the signature data. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the signature capture device begins displaying the promotional message on the display interface begins before beginning receipt of the signature data and continues while receiving signature data. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the promotional message data comprises a static message or a looping message displayed on the display interface. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the signature capture device comprises a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a laptop computer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein displaying the promotional message data comprises communicating at least one of text, graphics, and video, and audio through the display interface of the signature capture device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises receiving an interactive user input from the healthcare professional via a user interface area of the signature capture device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 displaying specific information through the signature capture device in response to the interactive user input from the healthcare professional.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 receiving a request for a pharmaceutical product in the signature capture device through the interactive user input received from the healthcare professional.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the interactive user input comprises an answer to a survey question. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the interactive user input comprises an acceptance to a pharmaceutical industry event. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the interactive user input comprises a user input command to the signature capture device through at least one of a software programmable button, a physical button, a stylus, a mouse, a microphone, or a network connection. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein capturing signature data from the healthcare professional comprises:
 receiving an electronic signature or a biometric signature via a signature interface of the signature capture device.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein communicating the promotional message to the healthcare professional comprises playing an audio file through a speaker in the signature capture device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the stored promotional information data comprises a collection of promotional messages, and communicating the promotional message to the healthcare professional comprises:
 selecting the promotional message from the collection of promotional messages based at least in part on at least one of the drug sample being provided to the healthcare professional, a drug sample previously provided to the healthcare professional, practice history of the healthcare professional, and past interactions with the healthcare professional.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein selecting the promotional message from the collection of promotional messages is done manually by the pharmaceutical representative before passing the portable signature capture device to the healthcare professional. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the stored promotional information data comprises a collection of promotional messages, and communicating the promotional message to the healthcare professional comprises:
 selecting the promotional message from the collection of promotional messages based on an interactive user input received from the healthcare professional via the signature capture device.