US 8,543,411 B2 · Systems and methods for detecting counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs at the point of retail sale

Abstract

A system including capabilities for identifying, authenticating and/or tracking pharmaceutical drugs contained in a package from the point of manufacture to the point of retail sale or dispensing. One embodiment utilizes radio frequency (RFID) tags imbedded into the packaging, the RFID tags containing information identifying at least the package to the manufacturer of the package. A computer system uses an encryption algorithm to produce a machine readable indicia affixed to the packaging after the contents are sealed. Thereafter, various systems can read the RFID tag and the encrypted data at various points in the supply chain and may initiate a query to a manufacturer's database to determine whether the packaging and encrypted data match values stored in the database. This can be used in part to verify the authenticity of the package as well as indicate other functions affecting the sale of the package or dispensing the contents.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method for authenticating the contents of a package, comprising:

reading a first value associated with the package, from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, using a first input device operatively connected to a processing system, the first value comprises a package identifier;
reading a second value, associated with the package, from a machine-readable optical code, said second value being generated, at least based in part, on the package identifier;
formulating a query by the processing system, the query including said first value and said second value;
sending the query to a manufacturing database maintained by a manufacturer that produces the contents;
receiving a response, to the query, from the manufacturing database indicating whether the contents of the package are authentic based on determining, via a processor whether the first value matches a corresponding third value in the database and whether the second value matches a corresponding fourth value in the database;
and
displaying text based on a computer monitor operatively connected to the processing system, the text based in part on the received response, the text including a description of the contents of the package.

4 more elements

A system for authentication of one or more pharmaceuticals, comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader configured to read an RFID tag affixed to a pharmaceutical package, the RFID tag reader providing a first value comprising a package identifier;
an optical reader for reading an optical code affixed to the pharmaceutical package, the optical reader providing a second value, the second value being generated, based in part, on the package identifier;
and
a data processing system comprising a display, the data processing system operatively connected to the RFID reader and the optical reader, the data processing system receiving the first value and the second value, the data processing system further configured to send a query containing the first value and the second value over a communications network to a manufacturing database that is maintained by a manufacturer that produces the pharmaceuticals, the data processing system configured to:
receive a response, to the query, from the manufacturing database indicating whether the pharmaceutical package is authenticated based on determining, via a processor, whether the first value matches a corresponding third value in the database and whether the second value matches a corresponding fourth value in the database;
and
display a text message on the display based in part on the response.

4 more elements

A system comprising:

a first device configured to read a machine-readable indicia from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag affixed to a package containing one or more pharmaceuticals providing a first numerical value comprising a package identifier;
a second device configured to read a machine-readable optical code affixed to the package providing a second numerical value that is generated, based in part, on the package identifier;
a processor operatively connected to the first and second device configured to receive and store the first and second numerical values;
generate a query incorporating the first and second numerical values along with identification data associated with the processor;
use a communications network to transmit the query to a manufacturing database;
receive a response, to the query, from the manufacturing database comprising confirmation data indicating whether the first numerical value matches a corresponding third numerical value stored in the database and the second numerical value matches a corresponding fourth numerical value stored in the database;
store the confirmation data in a memory, the processor further configured to provide a visual indication of the confirmation data;
and
a display operatively connected to the processor receiving the signal indicating the confirmation data and displaying a confirmation message to a user.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Systems and methods for detecting counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs at the point of retail sale

Life of this patent

Systems and methods for detecting counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs at the point of retail sale

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17