Method and system for tracking medical products

A method of tracking medical products in which a marked packaged medical product is identified by a supplier of said product by a first reference stored in a first product file, the medical product being stored at a client facility for a subsequent use for a patient identified in a second patient file, the method comprising the steps of:

• (1) receiving from a third client file the first reference of the medical product previously detected automatically and stored in said third client file,
• (2) inserting the first reference of the medical product of which removal from stock has been detected automatically in the second patient file corresponding to a patient for which the medical product is used or to be used,
• (3) constructing a fourth file comprising the first reference of the medical product and partial references coming from the second patient file, said partial references being expurgated information which includes a patient identifier but protects the medical confidentiality of the patient, and
• (4) transmitting the fourth file automatically or semi-automatically to the supplier of the product.

A system for tracking medical products packaged and marked with a reference, said reference being stored in a first product file, said system for tracking at least one of the packaged medical products by a client for subsequent use thereof for a patient listed in a second patient file of said client, wherein the system comprises:

• means for automatic and remote detection of the reference of the at least one medical product when the product is shipped,
• means for storing said reference in a third client file,
• means for automatic detection of removal or entry of the at least one medical product from or into stock,
• means for insertion of the reference of the at least one medical product into the second patient file corresponding to a patient of the client in which the at least one medical product is or will be implanted,
• means for forming a fourth file comprising partial references coming from the second patient file and comprising the references of the implanted product that have been determined for tracking and expurgated data which includes a patient identifier but protects the medical confidentiality of the patient, and
• means for automatic or semi-automatic remote transmission of the fourth file to a supplier of the medical product.

A system for tracking medical products packaged and marked with a reference, said reference being stored in a first product file, said system for storing at least one of the medical products for subsequent use thereof for a patient listed in a second patient file, the system comprising:

• a bar code reader or a contactless microchip reader configured to automatically detect the at least one medical product,
• a computer configured to store references in a third client file, and to detect removal and/or entry of one or more medical products from or into stock,
• the computer configured to insert references of the at least one medical product into the second file corresponding to the patient of the client in which the medical product is or will be implanted,
• said computer configured to form a fourth file comprising the references of the implanted product and partial references coming from the second patient file and having expurgated data which includes a patient identifier but protects the medical confidentiality of the patient, and
• said computer configured to automatically or semi-automatically transmit the fourth file to a supplier of the at least one medical product.