US 8,429,034 B2Granted

Inventory control over pharmaceutical sample distributions software, systems and methodologies

AssigneePurdue Pharma L.P.

InventorsKimberly Cerbone, Balaji Chellappa, Jay Katira, Jake Stahl

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Abstract

Methods for managing the distribution of samples in support of activities of field representatives which differentiate on-hand and in-storage inventories of samples that have been previously allocated from a master inventory, for example, from the inventory of a pharmaceutical company. Field representatives are assisted in managing an inventory of samples known to a database through an interface including one or more charts or tables that distinguish an on-hand quantity from an in-storage quantity, and a mechanism to identify a quantity of a particular product in the chart or table for distribution, with the database being updated to track changes at least in the on-hand quantity information. The interface can be further configured to capture the signature of a sample recipient over that person's name, presented in a signature block as a watermark in a cursive-font to deter unauthorized sample acceptance.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method for assisting a representative of a pharmaceutical company in managing the distribution of samples of a product to a customer within a territory of the representative during a site visit to the customer, the samples having been allocated to the representative from an inventory database concerning a central inventory of the pharmaceutical company, comprising the steps of:

storing inventory information in a database of a machine in a form suitable for differentiating an on-hand quantity from an in-storage quantity;
presenting within a user interface of the machine a chart or table which distinguishes the on-hand quantity of samples from an in-storage quantity of samples of at least one product;
receiving from the representative an identification of a product included in the chart or table and a quantity of the product that is for distribution within the territory of the representative to the customer during the site visit;
updating the database to track at least changes in the on-hand quantity information concerning the product stored in response to the receiving step;
and
communicating the database update to the inventory database at a central machine which differs from the machine,
wherein the on-hand quantity includes samples with which the representative travels when meeting the customer, and the in-storage quantity includes samples that have been allocated to the representative but with which the representative does not presently travel when meeting the customer, and
wherein the updating step is performed prior to the communicating step.

5 more elements

A method for assisting a representative of a pharmaceutical company in managing the distribution of an on-hand quantity of samples of a product to a customer within a territory of the representative during a site visit to the customer, the samples having been received from a central inventory of the pharmaceutical company from an inventory allocated to the representative, comprising the steps of:

selecting the customer from a database included on a machine;
populating a sample selection table using quantity information stored in the machine for each of one or more products;
receiving a quantity selection concerning the one or more products in the populated sample selection table that is for distribution within the territory of the representative to the customer during the site visit;
updating the database on the machine so as to reduce the on-hand quantity of samples by the quantity selection concerning the one or more products populated in the sample selection table;
and
communicating the database update to the central inventory at a central machine which differs from the machine;
and
outputting an acceptance form having a signature region configured to receive the customer signature, the acceptance form identifying the representative, the selected customer, and the received quantity selection for each of the one or more products and including a watermark comprising the customer name in a cursive font within the signature region,
wherein the on-hand quantity includes samples with which the representative travels when meeting the customer, and
wherein the updating step is performed prior to the communicating step.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/925,405Filed 26 Oct 2007 · us provisional application
Priority: 27 Oct 2006
Published: US 2008/0103821 A11 May 2008
Granted: 23 Apr 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G06Q 10/087
Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management: inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling,…
G06Q 10/0877
Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders: by inventory control or reporting using inventory…
G16H 20/10
ICT specially adapted for therapies or health-improving plans, e.g. for handling prescriptions, for steering therapy or for monitoring patient…:…
G06Q
Information and communication technology [ict] specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial