System and method for pharmaceutical transactions

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for facilitating transactions involving pharmaceutical products. The system can be particularly useful for independent pharmacies, allowing them to resell pharmaceuticals that would otherwise likely expire before being used. The system can be highly automated and highly customized.

1 . A system, comprising:
 (a) a server comprising a computer processor;   (b) a computer program residing on the server, wherein the computer program provides for a sale of a pharmaceutical product from a first pharmacy account of a first pharmacy to a second pharmacy account of a second pharmacy, and wherein the computer program provides for a plurality of user interfaces, including:
 i) a first user interface associated with the first pharmacy account and located at the first pharmacy; 
 ii) a second user interface associated with the second pharmacy account and located at the second pharmacy; 
   database hosted by the server and accessible by the computer program via the server, wherein the database stores:
 i) a plurality of jurisdiction-based requirements pertaining to the sale and resale of a plurality of pharmaceutical products to and from a plurality of pharmacies in a plurality of jurisdictions; and wherein the plurality of jurisdictions includes a plurality of states, a first jurisdiction associated with the first pharmacy account and the first pharmacy, and a second jurisdiction associated with the second pharmacy account and the second pharmacy; 
 ii) a validation heuristic which automatically confirms compliance of one or more of the plurality of jurisdiction-based requirements prior to the sale of the pharmaceutical product form the first pharmacy to the second pharmacy; 
 ii) a plurality of pharmacy accounts which includes the first pharmacy account and the second pharmacy account; 
 iii) the pharmaceutical product is associated with the first pharmacy account; 
   wherein said second pharmacy account is associated with a payment mechanism and a delivery address; and   wherein said first pharmacy account is automatically paid through said payment mechanism.   
     
     
         2 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pharmaceutical products include one or more partial package quantities. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the database includes one or more historical attributes associated with each individual pharmacy account of the plurality of pharmacy accounts. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein each of the individual pharmacy accounts is associated with a history-based rating based on the one or more historical attributes. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the system is configured to determine the history-based rating such that the history-based rating is less favorable toward pharmacy accounts which are infrequent or problematic. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system includes a buyer subsystem and a seller subsystem;
 wherein the buyer subsystem is configured so that a buyer can search for and purchase the pharmaceutical product among the plurality of pharmaceutical products and monitor one or more fulfillment activities related to the pharmaceutical product; and   wherein the seller subsystem is configured so that a seller can add the pharmaceutical product to the plurality of pharmaceutical products, sell the pharmaceutical product to the buyer, and perform the one or more fulfillment activities.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the buyer subsystem is able to access a search tool so that the buyer can search and find the pharmaceutical product among the plurality of pharmaceutical products using one or more search criteria. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the system includes a communication subsystem; and
 wherein the communication subsystem is configured to automatically trigger and send one or more communications to the buyer, the seller, or both at different stages of a completed transaction of the sale of the pharmaceutical product;   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the one or more communications include one or more emails, faxed correspondences, traditional letters, instant messages, text messages, audio messages, telephone calls, video conferences, video messages, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the database includes a plurality of configurable rules, and wherein the sale of the pharmaceutical product is influenced by at least one of the plurality of configurable rules. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the database includes a fulfillment heuristic which provides for automatically printing a packing checklist at the first pharmacy associated with the first pharmacy account without human intervention. 
     
     
         31 . A method for reselling a pharmaceutical product from a first pharmacy to a second pharmacy comprising:
 a) searching for the pharmaceutical product among a plurality of pharmaceutical products by a buyer associated with a second pharmacy account of the second pharmacy, wherein the plurality of pharmaceutical products are stored within a database, the database is hosted by a server which includes a computer processor, and the database is accessible by a computer program residing on the server;   b) selecting the pharmaceutical product to purchase from a seller via the computer program;   c) automatically confirming compliance with one or more of a plurality of jurisdiction-based requirements with a validation heuristic prior to a sale of the pharmaceutical product form the first pharmacy to the second pharmacy, wherein the plurality of jurisdiction-based requirements are stored within the database, accessible by the computer program, and pertain to the sale and resale of the plurality of pharmaceutical products to and from a plurality of pharmacies in a plurality of jurisdictions;   d) automatically initiating a transaction for the pharmaceutical product if the sale is compliant with the one or more of the plurality of jurisdiction-based requirements;   e) consummating the sale of the pharmaceutical product by the seller sending the pharmaceutical product to the buyer and the buyer paying the seller.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the second pharmacy is associated with a payment mechanism and a delivery address; and
 wherein consummating the sale includes automatic payment to the first pharmacy paid through the payment mechanism via the computer program.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the plurality of pharmaceutical products includes one or more partial package quantities. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the buyer is able to see a history-based rating of the seller and the first pharmacy when searching for the pharmaceutical product;
 wherein the history-based rating is based on one or more historical attributes associated with each individual pharmacy account stored within the database and accessible via the computer program; and   wherein the history-based rating is less favorable toward pharmacy accounts which are infrequent or problematic.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the buyer searches for the pharmaceutical product among the plurality of pharmaceutical products via a search tool using one or more search criteria. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein a communication to the seller is automatically triggered upon the selection of the pharmaceutical product by the buyer, a communication to the buyer is automatically triggered upon initiation of the transaction by the seller, or both. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the communication includes one or more emails, faxed correspondences, traditional letters, instant messages, text messages, audio messages, telephone calls, video conferences, video messages, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the consummating of the transaction includes executing a fulfillment heuristic which includes printing of a packing checklist at the first pharmacy. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the plurality of jurisdictions includes a plurality of states, the first pharmacy is associated with a first jurisdiction, and the second pharmacy is associated with a second jurisdiction.