Virtual sample cabinet system and method for prescription drug marketing

Abstract

A system is provided which provides functionality for doctors and staff to remotely electronically download a “virtual sample cabinet” software program from a central server onto their desktop computers or mobile technology devices to allow them to centrally search, review product information and insurance coverage, print or electronically send prescription drug sample vouchers and co-pay savings coupons to selected pharmacies. This eliminates the need for physician offices to manage and house physical drug samples, as well as offers a more convenient and efficient way to allocate, dispense and monitor needed drug samples and coupons for savings to their patients. Additionally, the system helps patients to enroll into further savings on refills for their on-going medications through automatically scheduled coupons that are emailed (or mailed) to the patients thereby promoting more affordable compliance to their prescribed therapies. All reporting by physician offices, affiliate groups, drug manufacturers and other participating parties can be accessed through the website administration login based on capture of redemption of each patient coupon or voucher through a network of reporting pharmacies.

1 .- 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A computer-implemented method of facilitating the promotion of prescription drugs by offering price incentives, comprising:
 collecting promotional offers by various companies set by those companies and qualification parameters for the promotional offers;   storing the promotional offers and qualification parameters in a central drug incentive database;   registering a healthcare provider to access the central drug incentive database using a software module;   providing access to the promotional offers stored in the central drug incentive database by the software module of the registered healthcare provider, wherein the software module is given access to promotional offers for a particular prescription drug being prescribed to a patient being treated by the registered health care provider and access is granted based on information for the patient and the registered health care provider;   receiving a selection of a particular promotional offer accessed by the health care provider using the software module;   receiving a selection of delivery method for providing the particular promotional offer to at least one of the pharmacy and the patient using the software module;   delivering the particular promotional offer to the pharmacy in accordance with the selected delivery method and using the software module.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising enrolling the patient with the central drug incentive database to electronically receive refill reminders or additional promotional offers the particular prescription drug. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising logging information regarding the presentation of the particular promotional offer with the central drug incentive database. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising capturing information about orders fulfilled for the particular prescription drug by the pharmacy and logging the information with the central drug incentive database. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  further comprises generating reports summarizing selection and use of promotional offers from data collected in the central incentive database. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10  wherein presenting formulary data includes at least one of an indicia as to whether the particular prescription drug is covered by an insurance plan and an indicia as to what level the particular prescription drug is reimbursed by the insurance plan. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising presenting formulary data for the particular prescription drug being prescribed to the registered healthcare provider using the software module; 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising presenting formulary data for the particular prescription drug concurrently with presenting information regarding the particular promotional offer to the registered healthcare provider. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising presenting formulary data for the particular prescription drug within the process of presenting information regarding the particular promotional offer to the registered healthcare provider. 
     
     
         19 . A computer-implemented method of facilitating the promotion of prescription drugs by offering price incentives, comprising:
 collecting promotional offers by various companies set by those companies and qualification parameters for the promotional offers;   storing the promotional offers and qualification parameters in a central drug incentive database;   registering a healthcare provider to access the central drug incentive database using a software module;   providing access to the promotional offers stored in the central drug incentive database by the software module of the registered healthcare provider, wherein the software module is given access to promotional offers for a particular prescription drug being prescribed to a patient being treated by the registered health care provider and access is granted based on information for the patient and the registered health care provider;   presenting formulary data for the particular prescription drug being prescribed to the registered healthcare provider using the software module, where the formulary data includes at least one of an indicia as to whether the particular prescription drug is covered by an insurance plan and an indicia as to what level the particular prescription drug is reimbursed by the insurance plan;   receiving a selection of a particular promotional offer accessed by the health care provider using the software module;   receiving a selection of delivery method for providing the particular promotional offer to the pharmacy using the software module;   printing the particular promotional offer by the registered healthcare provider in accordance with the selected delivery method and using the software module; and   transmitting the particular promotional offer electronically to a pharmacy in accordance with the selected delivery method, where the transmitted promotional offer includes claim information for billing a manufacturer of the particular prescription drug.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising enrolling the patient with the central drug incentive database to electronically receive refill reminders for the particular prescription drug. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising logging information regarding the selection of the particular promotional offer with the central drug incentive database. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising capturing information about orders fulfilled for the particular prescription drug by the pharmacy and logging the information with the central drug incentive database. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  further comprises generating reports summarizing selection and use of promotional offers from data collected in the central incentive database. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising presenting formulary data for the particular prescription drug concurrently with presenting information regarding the particular promotional offer to the registered healthcare provider. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  19  further comprises accessing the promotional offers using a web portal, wherein the software module resides at the web portal. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 19  further comprises accessing the promotional offers using the software module residing on a mobile computing device associated with the registered healthcare provider. 
     
     
         27 . A method of facilitating the promotion of prescription drugs by offering price incentives, the method comprising:
 a) collecting promotional offers by various companies set by those companies and qualification parameters for various drugs sold by them;   (b) electronically storing and updating said collected promotional offers and qualification parameters in a central drug incentive database and system;   (c) programming a software module to allow remote access to the central drug incentive database and system via the internet;   (d) registering a healthcare providers to permit their use of the software module and thereby to enable   (e) enabling access to said central drug incentive database and system by said software module via the internet by a using registered healthcare provider to provide information to the registered healthcare provider of available offers on particular prescription drugs being prescribed for a patient being treated by the health care provider based on information on the patient and the registered healthcare provider electronically provided to the software module by the healthcare provider;   (f) enabling electronic selection using said software module by the using healthcare provider of one or more incentives available for the drug being prescribed for the patient and condition being treated by the using healthcare provider based on an electronic check of the central drug incentive database as well as the formulary status data for the particular drug being prescribed, and alternatives to the particular drug being prescribed within a class of drug, and as reflected by the information provided by the using healthcare provider; concerning the particular healthcare provider, and the patient, and the patient condition to be treated with the prescribed drug;   (g) enabling the using healthcare provider to electronically select the method of delivery to present the selected incentive to a selected pharmacy;   (h) enabling the optional printing by the health care provider of a coupon identifying a selected incentive or alternatively the electronic transmission of a selected incentive to said selected pharmacy with required claim information for billing of the manufacturer by the selected pharmacy; and   (i) electronically generating reports summarizing the selection and use of offered incentives from data collected in said central drug incentive database by said system, thereby facilitating the processes of informing the health care provider of the availability and details of drug incentives, the selection and tracking of incentives such as prescription drug sample vouchers, co-pay coupons, and free trials as well as to efficiently enable patients to obtain the benefits of such incentives and to inform drug companies of the effectiveness of such incentives.