AN ELECTRONIC NETWORK ARRANGEMENT ENABLING A PHYSICIAN (FOR AND/OR ON BEHALF OF A PATIENT) TO INITIATE AND ARRANGE FOR THE COST-EFFICIENT PURCHASE AND DELIVERY OF A PRESCRIBED PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCT(S) AND/OR A PHARMACEUTICAL-RELATED PRODUCT(S) FOR A PATIENT

摘要

An electronic network comprising an electronic network arrangement(the "Pharmaceutical Product(s) Procurement Service" and/or "PPPS"), whereinthesaid Pharmaceutical Product(s) Procurement Service shall enable a physicianand/or aperson(s) serving on behalf of a physician (the "Physician" and/or"PharmaceuticalProduct(s) Procurement Service User") to initiate and arrange for the cost-efficientpurchase and delivery and/or shipment of a pharmaceutical product(s) and/or apharmaceutical-related product(s) (the "Pharmaceutical Product(s)") for and/oronbehalf of a patient. And wherein the present invention shall enable aPhysician toconduct a Pharmaceutical Product(s) ordering procedure (the "PharmaceuticalProduct(s) Procurement Ordering Procedure" and/or "PPPOP") and which saidPharmaceutical Product(s) Procurement Ordering Procedure may/shall have as itsintended purpose and/or result the initiation for the purchase and arrangementfor thedelivery and/or shipment to a patient of a Pharmaceutical Product(s) orderedvia aPharmaceutical Product(s) Procurement Ordering Procedure utilizing thePharmaceutical Product(s) Procurement Service. And wherein the presentinventionmay/shall comprise a database and data processor capable of storing, accessingandprocessing Pharmaceutical Product(s) Procurement Service data (the"PharmaceuticalProduct(s) Auction/Exchange Database") and which said PharmaceuticalProduct(s)Auction/Exchange Database may/shall be further capable of performing wide areabi-directional communication with a plurality of sellers and/or retailer ofpharmaceuticalproduct(s) (the "Pharmaceutical Product(s) Retailer"), in addition to aplurality ofPhysicians. And wherein the Pharmaceutical Product(s) Auction/ExchangeDatabasemay/shall be arranged and/or organized in a manner to enable the functionalselectionof a qualified Pharmaceutical Product(s) retailer (the "PharmaceuticalProduct(s)Retailer") that offers the lowest cost to a Pharmaceutical Product(s) consumerfor aselected Pharmaceutical Product(s) ordered via a Pharmaceutical Product(s)Procurement Ordering Procedure wherein a selected Pharmaceutical Product(s)Retailer satisfies and/or complies with any requirements necessary in order tobeentitled by the Pharmaceutical Product(s) Procurement Service to fulfill aPharmaceutical Product(s) Procurement Ordering Procedure including: that aselectedPharmaceutical Product(s) Retailer serves the said patient's geographicallocality;complies with the existing rules of the Pharmaceutical Product(s) ProcurementService; complies with the rules & regulations of any governmental or non-governmental body that may have regulatory authority over the transaction; andinteractive multimedia device and/or wireless interactive device and/or voicetelephony process and/or system, etc. ("Physician Auction/Exchange InterfaceDevice"), and which Physician Auction/Exchange Interface Device may/shall beavailable to a Physician at a Physician's place of treatment for a patient(s)receivingcare and/or treatment from the said physician. And wherein a PhysicianAuction/Exchange Interface Device shall be of sufficient attributes and/orcapabilitiesto enable a Physician to execute a Pharmaceutical Product(s) ProcurementOrderingProcedure. And further wherein a Pharmaceutical Product(s) ProcurementOrderingProcedure shall comprise a process wherein a plurality of pre-qualifiedPharmaceutical Product(s) Retailers may/shall make available via an acceptableprocedure and/or method (which may include an electronic informationexchange/input procedure) to the Pharmaceutical Product(s) Auction/ExchangeDatabase including the identity of the specific Pharmaceutical Product(s)being listedfor sale along with the price at which the Pharmaceutical Retailer(s) iswilling to sellthe specific Pharmaceutical Product(s) via a Pharmaceutical Product(s)OrderingProcedure for each of a plurality of selected Pharmaceutical Product(s) (the"Pharmaceutical Product(s) Listing Procedure"). And further wherein in ordertocomplete a Pharmaceutical Product(s) Listing Procedure a PharmaceuticalRetailermay/shall be required to provide additional information for each of theplurality ofPharmaceutical Product(s) being made available for sale via the PharmaceuticalProduct(s) Procurement Service such as: the period of time during which theyarewilling to sell a selected Pharmaceutical Product(s) at a stated price; thegeographiclocality in which the Pharmaceutical Product(s) Retailer is willing to deliverand/orarrange for delivery and/or shipment of a selected Pharmaceutical Product(s).Andwherein following an initial Pharmaceutical Product(s) Listing Procedure aparticipating Pharmaceutical Product(s) Retailer(s) will be invited to updateexistinglisted Pharmaceutical Product(s) information and/or list new PharmaceuticalProduct(s) for sale via the Pharmaceutical Product(s) Procurement Service. Andwherein a Pharmaceutical Product(s) Procurement Ordering Procedure willgenerallybe initiated during a Physician-patient consultation, the Physician whiletreating apatient will be able by utilizing the Physician Auction/Exchange InterfaceDevice toprovide the information necessary to initiate a Pharmaceutical Product(s)OrderingProcedure (which information may/shall include: patient identificationinformation, apatient's delivery address, a patient's delivery time requirements, requiredprescription information, payment information, and whether or not apatient/Physician chooses to receive a price quote for a selectedPharmaceuticalProduct(s) prior to the said Pharmaceutical Product(s) Procurement OrderingProcedure being fulfilled, etc.) and which said information may be inputtedinto aPhysician Auction/Exchange Interface Device by a Physician and/or derived inwholeand or in part from a preexisting database of information maintained by thePhysicianand/or the Pharmaceutical Product(s) Procurement Service, etc. Following thecompletion of the process of providing the information necessary to initiate aPharmaceutical Product(s) Procurement Ordering Procedure by a Physician, thesaidPhysician will then conduct and/or perform a procedure resulting in the saidinformation being communicated and/or transmitted to the PharmaceuticalProduct(s)Procurement Auction/Exchange Database for the purpose of enabling thefulfillmentof the said Pharmaceutical Product(s) Procurement Ordering Procedure. Onreceivingthe communicated Pharmaceutical Product(s) Procurement Ordering Procedure thePharmaceutical Product(s) Procurement Auction/Exchange Database will processtheorder and determine the Pharmaceutical Product(s) Retailer entitled to fulfillthe saidPharmaceutical Product(s) Procurement Ordering Procedure following which thePharmaceutical Product(s) Auction/Exchange Database will then communicate afulfillment notification to both of the Pharmaceutical Product(s) Retailer(along withall information necessary in order to fulfill the said transaction) and thePhysician/patient (except in the event that a physician/patient had selectedto receive aprice quote prior to fulfillment of the Pharmaceutical Product(s) ProcurementOrdering Procedure, in which instance the best price chosen from a pluralityofparticipating Pharmaceutical Product(s) Retailers will be communicated to thePhysician/patient thereby enabling the said Physician to confer with the saidpatientand determine to either complete the transaction or abandon the saidPharmaceuticalProduct(s) Procurement Ordering Procedure unfulfilled). On the receipt of asaidPharmaceutical Product(s) Procurement Ordering Procedure fulfillmentnotificationthe selected Pharmaceutical Product(s) Retailer will complete thePharmaceuticalProduct(s) said Pharmaceutical Product(s) Procurement Ordering Procedure bydispensing and delivering and/or arranging shipment of an orderedPharmaceuticalProduct(s) to the Patient (and further if required receiving payment from apatient atthe time of delivery of a Pharmaceutical Product(s)). The present inventionshallderive revenue from a variety sources, which revenue sources may/shall includeatransaction fee placed upon Pharmaceuticals Product(s) Retailers and/orpatients thatutilize the Pharmaceuticals Product(s) Procurement Service to purchase and/orsellPharmaceutical Products(s). And further wherein a Physician may/shall receivea feeand/or system of fees for utilizing the Pharmaceutical Product(s) ProcurementServicefor and/or on behalf of his/her patients.While the present invention has been described with reference to the preferredembodiment thereof, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in theart thatvarious modifications can be made to the structure and function of individualparts ofthe system without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as awhole.