US20080172337A1 - System to Provide Specific Messages to Patients - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus and method for delivering targeted informational messages includes a computer system for creating a de-identified encrypted PID and de-identified patient transaction data in a retail store for transmission and storage. A subset of de-identified encrypted PIDs are associated with targeted informational messages by the system and transmitted to retail stores, where a targeted message is printed on behalf of the patient corresponding to the de-identified encrypted PID.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• This application, attorney docket reference PIP158BANFU-US, claims priority to provisional application 60/685,491 filed May 31, 2005, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. Field of the Invention
• The invention relates to providing specific advisory messages to patients/consumers in a store, pharmacy or other location.
• 2. Discussion of the Background
• U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,524 to Byerly et al. discloses a method and system for generating advisory messages to pharmacy patients. The teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,524 are incorporated herein by reference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONDefinitions
• We refer to a Computer System with the acronym CS.
• Certain terms used in this application are defined below. In some cases, examples are provided to clarify the definition.
• A consumer, in this application, is synonymous with a patient, or a purchaser of a drug, or one who is prescribed a drug, or one who takes a drug, or one who fills a prescription for a drug or a user of a drug; all of these terms are synonymous with each other.
• PID is an acronym for Patient Identification. PID in this application refers to any unique set of symbols that identifies a particular patient. PID is an acronym for “Patient ID.” A PID may, for example, be comprised of a sequence of numbers and letters.
• POS is an acronym for Point Of Sale. A POS is the area where a consumer engages in transactions at a retail store.
• A POS terminal, in this application, means a point of sale terminal, which is an input output device for communicating consumer transaction information between a consumer and a retail store to a CS associated with the retail store.
• A POS CS, in this application, means a CS for logging POS transaction data, including any peripheral and input and output devices connected to it, such as POS terminals, optical scanners, printers, etc.
• All databases herein may be formatted as one or more files, xml documents, relational database files, and may include tables, forms, queries, relations, reports, modules, and other objects useful in database management and programming. All computers herein may include a digital central processing unit, RAM memory, disk drives, operating system software, and conventional hardware and software to implement, for example, database management and networking.
• A product code, in this application, is a code associated with a product. For example, a product code may be a code assigned by a company, a store, or by an industry standard, to a product.
• A prescription, in this application, means an order for the preparation and administration of a medicine or drug.
• A purchase, in this application, means a transaction involving at least two parties in which forms of payment such as cash, check, charge, debit, smart card, gift card, credit slip, or credit is exchanged for one or more goods or services in a retail store.
• Purchase data, in this application, means data associated with purchases. For example, purchase data may include a product code for the product purchased, product description, product purchase list price, actual price paid, date of purchase, time of purchase, transaction ID, location of purchase, discount amount, discount type, and type of payment, and a PID.
• A retail store, in this application, refers to a store in which products are located and sold to consumers. Examples of retail stores include pharmacies, supermarkets, quick service restaurants, convenience stores, retail clothing stores, gas stations, petroleum stores, wholesalers, outlet stores, and warehouses.
• An individual transaction, in this application, means a single exchange involving at least two legal entities. A purchase is an individual transaction.
• Individual transaction data, in this application, means data associated with an individual transaction.
• Transaction data, in this application, means data associated with one or more transactions. For example, transaction data may include purchase data, time and date data, PIDs, transaction terminal IDs, store IDs for one or more transactions.
• Transaction ID, in this application, refers to a unique identification associated with an individual transaction.
• Switch, in this application, refers to a claim adjudication legal entity that accepts individual transaction data from a pharmacy, submits the data to an insurance company reformatted to the data requirements of the insurance company, receives responses thereto from the insurance company, and forwards those responses to the originating pharmacy.
• A pharmacy management CS, in this application, refers to a POS CS including a patient database and a drug database that is capable of logging transaction data for consumers in a pharmacy.
• A drug database, in this application, refers to a database including at least three of the following: patient names; prescribing history records (e.g., drug, dosage, doctor, date); patient method of payment (e.g., cash, check, credit, or health insurance company); group plan name and member ID; name and address of primary doctor and DEA number of primary doctor; association of prescription to prescribing doctor's ID and contact information; and a drug visualization system to view drug images against actual pills or capsules.
• De-identifying patient information means removing sufficient key items from the patient information such that the information cannot be used, alone or in combination with other reasonably available patient information, to identify the individual patient.
• Re-identify means to take de-identified patient information and assign it to the identity of the patient.
• The SHA-1 Standard defines the Secure Hash Algorithm, SHA-1, for computing a condensed representation of a message or a data file. When a message of any length <264 bits is input, the SHA-1 produces a 160-bit output called a message digest. SHA-1 is described in Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 180-1, Apr. 17, 1995, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The SHA-1 is designed to have the following properties: it is computationally infeasible to determine a message which corresponds to a given message digest, or to determine two different messages which produce the same message digest.
• The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) confirms standards for regulatory approved de-identification. HIPAA approved de-identification requires removal of identifiers for the patient, the patients relatives, employers, and household members. The test for HIPAA approved de-identification is that “a person with appropriate knowledge of and experience with generally accepted statistical and scientific principles and methods for rendering patient information not individually identifiable” determines that the risk is very small that the patient information could be used, alone or in combination with other reasonably available patient information, to identify a patient and documents the analysis to justify this determination.
• HIPAA approved de-identification thus may involve the deletion or alteration of some portion of patient data to protect patient privacy, while preserving the overall statistical and analytical integrity of the data. This is due to the fact that other patient information such as demographics, medical information, and healthcare facility information could be used separately or in combination to discern the identity of some patients.
• The safe harbor method for de-identification, in this application, means the method defined by HIPAA. The safe harbor method requires (1) the removal of a list of 18 enumerated patient identifiers and (2) no actual knowledge that the patient information remaining could be used, alone or in combination, to identify the patient. The patient identifiers that must be removed include direct patient identifiers, such as name, street address, social security number, as well as other patient identifiers, such as birth date, admission and discharge dates, and five-digit zip code. The safe harbor method also requires removal of geographic subdivisions smaller than a state, except for the initial three digits of a zip code if the geographic unit formed by combining all zip codes with the same initial three digits contains more than 20,000 people. The safe harbor method does not require the removal of age if less than 90, gender, ethnicity, and other demographic information.
• Objects
• It is an object of the present invention to provide to patients information that motivates the patients to comply with specified medical treatments and to educate the patient regarding the medications.
• It is an object of the present invention to enable pharmacies and other parties (e.g., pharmaceutical companies, consumer goods and grocery manufacturers) to define, develop, and deliver advertising programs targeted at specific groups of patients.
• These and other objects are provided by a novel system and method for providing targeted informational messages to individuals, comprising a pharmacy management CS configured to receive individual transaction data and an associated non-encrypted PID, to de-identify the individual transaction data to produce a de-identified individual transaction data, to encrypt said non-encrypted PID to produce an encrypted PID, and to use the encrypted and de-identified data to generate a targeted informational message and deliver that message to the person associated with the PID.
• The encryption algorithm produces the same encrypted PID whenever the same un-encrypted PID is input.
• The novel system also includes a CS configured to determine from the de-identified transaction data for the transaction associated with the encrypted PID at least one targeted informational message, store the targeted informational message in association with the encrypted PID, and transmit to the POS the targeted informational message in response to receipt of the PID at the POS.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• The invention is described in connection with the following figures, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts.
• FIG. 1 is a high level schematic diagram illustratingnovel system1;
• FIG. 2 showspharmacy management CS130 ofFIG. 1 in more detail;
• FIG. 3A showsdata structure300A fordatabase130A ofFIG. 1;
• FIG. 3B showsdata structure300B fordatabases120A and130A ofFIG. 1;
• FIG. 3C showsdata structure300C fordatabases120A and130A ofFIG. 1;
• FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing flow of data in computer equipment associated with one embodiment ofsystem1 ofFIG. 1;
• FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing flow of data in computer equipment associated with one embodiment of eithersystem120 orsystem130 ofFIG. 1;
• FIG. 6 is a flow diagram showing flow of data in computer equipment associated withelement516 ofFIG. 5;
• FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a method of the invention; and
• FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a method of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• FIG. 1 showspharmacy management CS130, pharmacymanagement CS database130A,network110,communication links104,central CS120,central CS database120A,insurance company CS140, insurancecompany CS database140A, switchCS142, and switchCS database142A.
• The communication links104 indicate a means for data transmission including wire and wireless transmission hardware, data format, and transmission protocols. Lines connecting a database to a CS indicates that the computer controls read and write access to that database.
• FIG. 2 showspharmacy management CS130 in more detail.FIG. 2 showscomputer202, terminal206,printer208, anddatabase server130A.
• FIG. 3A showsdata structure300A including PID table300A-2 and transaction data table300A-1. PID table300A-2 includes data fields associated with a PID that identify the patient, includingpostal address field350,email address field352,name field358,telephone number field356 and other data fields that can be used to identify a patient. Transaction table300A-1 includes data associated with transactions in a pharmacy includingPID field330,store ID field310,date field334,NDC field336,quantity field338, andphysician field340. Tables300A-1 and300A-4 are representative of identification data and transaction data stored inpharmacy management CS130'sdatabase130A. Data stored indata structure300B is the result of de-identifying data stored indata structure300A.
• FIG. 3B showsdata structure300B includingencrypted PID field302, and transaction data fields310,334,336,338, and other non-identifying transaction data fields.
• Data structure300B may be used, for example, as a format for sending de-identified transaction data records frompharmacy management CS130 tocentral CS120. Alternatively, the data structures and functionality described as existing incentral CS120 may reside in thesystem130 on the same computer or distributed between computers inside a local area network.
• FIG. 3C shows targetedmessage data structure300C ofcentral CS130 associating encrypted PID field320 and targetedmessage field322.Data structure300C may reside on theCSs120 and130.Data structure300C may be used as a format for transmission of data betweensystems120 and130.
• FIGS. 4-6 diagram flow of data in a specific embodiment or closely related embodiments.
• FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing the flow of data inpharmacy management CS130.FIG. 4 showsretail system404,pharmacy publication system406, and local retailer specificcontent database server430.FIG. 4 also shows generating for PID B targeted newsletter at410 which is an output ofpharmacy publication system406.FIG. 4 also shows receipt of input intoretail system404 of PID B, at402.FIG. 4 also shows transmission of clear-text (un-encrypted) patient data andencrypted patient data422 fromretail system404 topharmacy publication system406 of412.
• In exemplary embodiments of the present invention,retail system404, retailerspecific database330, andpharmacy publication system406 may be structured as sub-systems of a single CS, or, alternately, may be structured as a physically distributed CS comprising separate computers interconnected by conventional communication hardware and software.
• Retail system404 includes a digital CS and a local data server, which may be a POS CS or a pharmacy management CS. Pharmacy data may be stored locally in databases located on a data server at the corresponding pharmacy.
• Pharmacy management CS130 may be coupled to a distinct POS CS to enable the passing of pricing information between thepharmacy management CS130 and the distinct POS CS. This information may include pharmacy product identification, price, amount, and bar code identification. A corresponding bar code printed on a label of a prescription or product enables both CSs to identify product pricing for transactions at a POS of either CS.
• Pharmacy publication system406 includes a digital CS including a printer, and a local data server.Pharmacy publication system406 also includes hardware or software for implementing encryption algorithms, for example the SHA-1 algorithm.
• Local retailer specificcontent database server430 stores the encrypted PIDs and associated targeted messages, such as data indata structure300C. It may also store the unencrypted identifiable data such as indata structure300A and the encrypted de-identified individual transaction data such as indata structure300B.Pharmacy publication system406 also functions to transmit tocentral CS120 vialink104 de-identified encrypted data records corresponding to individual transactions in the corresponding pharmacy.Pharmacy publication system406 also functions to receive data records vialink104 fromcentral CS120 having encrypted PIDs and targeted messages such as in the form ofdata structure300C and to store those records indatabase430.
• In operation,retail system404 receives an unencrypted PID from patient B and transmits patient B's unencrypted PID B and patient B's individual transaction data topharmacy publication system406.
• Next,pharmacy publication system406 applies the SHA-1 algorithm to the patient B's unencrypted PID B to produce patient B's encrypted PID B and applies de-identification computer code to generate associated de-identified individual transaction data.
• Pharmacy publication system406 transmits patient B's de-identified transaction data and patient B's encrypted PID todata load system510 via local link112 ornetwork link104.
• During a transaction in the pharmacy involving a PID,pharmacy publication system406queries database430 for targeted messages corresponding to that PID.Pharmacy publication system406 may store a look-up table corresponding to each PID an associated encrypted PID, or it may determine during each transaction the encrypted PID from the received PID, and then determine whether the encrypted PID has a targeted message.
• Pharmacy publication system406 may then retrieve and print any targeted messages for that PID immediately in real time, for example, during the transaction in which the PID was received or while the patient is at the retail store or pharmacy ofsystems430,404.Pharmacy publication system406 may also, for example, print any retrieved targeted messages as an attachment to a prescription label, as anewsletter310 on a separate paper, or as an attachment to a transaction receipt.
• Any secure one-way algorithmic encryption process or encrypting hash algorithm that takes a unique unencrypted sequence of symbols (e.g., numbers or letters) as input and produces a unique encrypted sequence of symbols as output, such that the same unique encrypted output is produced for a given unique input, may be used as an alternative to the SHA-1 algorithm.
• FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing the flow of data preferably incentral CS120, or alternatively inpharmacy management CS130.FIG. 5 showsdata load system510,data warehouse514, categorization andfiltering system516,database build system520, publicationcontent database server512, and retailer specificcontent database server522.
• In exemplary embodiments,data load system510,data warehouse514, categorization andfiltering system516,database build system520, publicationcontent database server512, and retailer specificcontent database server522 may be structured as sub-systems all residing within a single computer, or, alternately, may be structured, as a physically distributed CS interconnected by conventional communication hardware and software.
• In operation,data load system510 receives as input SHA-1 encrypted PIDs linked to de-identified transaction data frompharmacy publication system406 viadata network link104 or local data link112.Data load system510 transforms de-identified patient data into a structure consistent with thedata warehouse514 requirements.Data load system510 then outputs de-identified patient data including an SHA-1 encrypted PID todata warehouse514.Data load system510 may, for example, populate tables in the data warehouse schema and then verify that the data is ready for use.Data load system510 may, for example, verify the referential integrity between tables to ensure that all records relate to appropriate records in other tables.
• In operation,data warehouse514 functions, for example, as a data repository for organizing, structuring and storing plural pharmacies' individual transaction data for query and analysis.Data warehouse514 implements a process by which large quantities of related data from many operational systems is merged into a single, standard repository to provide an integrated information view based on logical queries. For example,data warehouse514 may be a repository of 65 weeks of individual transaction data from 12,500 retail stores including therein a large number that either are pharmacies or include therein pharmacies, and store therein de-identified historical patient profiles.
• Types of logical queries may relate to “data mining,” which can be defined as a process of data selection, exploration and building models using vast data stores to uncover previously unknown patterns. Other queries may be in support of research on a particular subject. In operation,data warehouse514 serves as a tool that can provide information for use in a wide variety of therapeutic, statistical, and economic analyses and interventions to aid in making health care and business related decisions. In operation,data warehouse514 can also generate and store feedback regarding the impact of prior decisions, facilitating improvements in patient care, operational efficiency, and reducing the cost of medical care.
• In operation, categorization andfiltering system516 formulates and executes DBMS (Data Base Management System) queries on the de-identified individual transaction data residing ondata warehouse514, using for example, SQL boolean logic and filtering operations. Categorization andfiltering system516 filters the query results to produce a subset of encrypted PIDs linked to de-identified individual transaction data matching categorization and filtering criteria. If the de-identified individual transaction data for one or more transactions linked to an encrypted PID matches certain categorization and filtering criteria, then the linked encrypted PID is termed a qualified encrypted PID. Categorization andfiltering system516 outputs a certain set of qualified encrypted PIDs todatabase build system520.
• In operation, categorization andfiltering system516 may implement DBMS selection operations based upon complex criteria. These operations may be implemented as a series of simple queries using, for example, relatively simple SQL boolean logic, selection, and filtering operations. Such a series of simple queries may result, for example, in a series of intermediate tables or work tables that are progressively more refined and contain progressively smaller subsets of qualifying records. Partitioning the query tasks of categorization andfiltering system516 in this way may result in increased database access efficiency and shorter processing times. Partitioning the categorization and filtering operation into a series of simple query operations also promotes ease of programming, maintenance, modification, and testing.
• In operation,database build system520 receives as input form categorization and filtering system516 a certain set of qualified encrypted PIDs.Database build system520 queries publicationcontent database server512 for targeted messages associated with that certain categorization and filtering criteria. The retrieved targeted messages are those associated with the certain categorization and filtering criteria used to produce the certain set of qualified encrypted PIDs.Database build system520 associates the retrieved targeted messages with the set of encrypted PIDs, for example, by combining the qualified encrypted PIDs output from categorization andfiltering system516 with the certain targeted messages retrieved from publicationcontent database server512.Database build system520 outputs targeted messages linked to qualified encrypted PIDs to retailer specificcontent database server522. Preferably, the output also associates store ID or retailer ID with the encrypted PID.Database build system520 may, for example, create and populate tables of targeted messages linked to qualified encrypted PIDs on retailer specificcontent database server522.
• In operation, publicationcontent database server512 services queries fromdatabase build system520 for targeted messages.
• In operation, retailer specificcontent database server522 receives as input updates of retailer specific targeted newsletter content fromdatabase build system520. Retailer specificcontent database server522 functions to provide updated retailer specific targeted newsletter content topharmacy publication system406 viadata links104 and112 andnetwork110 using for example, File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
• In exemplary embodiments, the functions ofcentral CS120 necessary to generate advisory messages associated with encrypted PIDs may be performed by suitably configured embodiments ofpharmacy management CS130.
• FIG. 6 is a flow diagram showing the flow of data in categorization andfiltering system516.FIG. 6 showscategorization system610 andfiltering system620. In exemplary embodiments,categorization system610 andfiltering system620 may be structured as sub-systems all residing within a single computer, or, alternately, may be structured as a physically distributed CS interconnected by conventional communication hardware and software.
• FIG. 6 also showscategories612 which are outputs ofcategorization system610 and inputs tofiltering system620.FIG. 6 also shows de-identifiedpatient data output628 ofdata warehouse514 as input tofiltering system620.FIG. 6 also showsfiltering system620 outputting filteredde-identified patient data622.
• FIG. 7 shows a flowchart depicting a method foroperating system1.
• Instep704, patient PID and transaction data are received atpharmacy management CS130. For example, the patient's name may be input atretail system404 and the patient's PID then retrieved from a database.
• Instep706,pharmacy management CS130 encrypts the PID and de-identifies the individual transaction data.
• Instep708,pharmacy management CS130 transmits de-identified transaction data linked toencrypted patient PID422 tocentral CS120.
• Instep710, thecentral CS120 updates its data store of individual transaction data records associated with the encrypted PID by adding the newly received individual transaction data thereto.
• Instep712,central CS120 matches the encrypted PID with a targeted message using the encrypted PID as the search key.
• For example,central CS120 identifies a safety warning relating to a drug previously purchased by the patient having the encrypted PID, and associates that warning with the encrypted PID.
• For another example,central CS120 identifies a brand of a first drug previously purchased by the patient associated with the encrypted PID and associates with the encrypted PID marketing material for a different brand of the same drug or a brand of a different drug used for the same clinical indication as the first drug with the encrypted PID.
• For another example, thecentral CS120 identifies lack of purchase in a pattern of prior purchases of a first drug or drugs having the same clinical indication as the first drug and associates with the encrypted PID a targeted message identifying at least one brand of a drug or drugs having that clinical indication.
• Instep714,central CS120 transmits a targeted message with an encrypted PID topharmacy management CS130.
• Instep716,pharmacy management CS130 prints targetednewsletter410 in response to the receipt of the PID corresponding to the encrypted PID or in response to a transaction including that PID.
• FIG. 8 shows a method of usingsystem120.
• Instep802, categorization system andfiltering system516 links specific drugs to specific disease categories. For example, the drug Lipitor is associated with the disease category “high cholesterol patients” and the drug insulin is associated with associated with the disease category “diabetes patients.”
• Instep804, categorization system andfiltering system516 links de-identified data indata warehouse514 to specific disease categories. For example, if a de-identified data record indicates that insulin has been purchased in the past, then that de-identified data record is allocated to the category “diabetes patients.”
• Instep806, categorization system andfiltering system516 further filters the de-identified data records allocated to patient categories created instep804 to produce targeted subsets. For example,system516 creates one subset for “high cholesterol patients” and one subset for “diabetes patients,” or subsets for patients in both categories or only one of each category. For example, the operations ofstep806 may be implemented as a series of DBMS queries using, for example, SQL boolean logic, selection, and filtering operations. Such a series of simple queries may result, for example, in a series of intermediate, or work, tables, that are progressively more refined and contain progressively smaller subsets of qualifying de-identified data records.
• Instep808,database build system520 links the targeted de-identified data record subsets produced instep806 with appropriate targeted messages from publicationcontent database server512 where, for example, one targeted message for patients of both categories and one each for patients having only one of diabetes and high cholesterol. For example,database build system520 may extract the encrypted PID from a de-identified data record and link the encrypted PID to an appropriate targeted publication.
• Instep810,database build system520 updates retailer specificcontent database server522 with targeted publications data linked to encrypted PIDs, and the store IDs with which the encrypted PIDs are each associated.
• Exemplary embodiments may target for an informational communication for example the following subsets of de-identified patients (A)-(N):
• A) Patients on two or more medication that clarify the exact disease for which they are being treated that a single medication does not properly identify.
  B) Patients taking two or more medications over time indicating their disease is requiring additional treatment to maintain or control its progression.
  C) Patients taking a sequence of drugs indicating what stage of therapy within the patient's diseases patient currently is in.
  D) Patients not currently being treated for a particular condition but who are likely candidates for drug therapy due to one or more risk factors as defined by other medications within the patients drug profile.
  E) Patients who are already compliant and or persistent on their medication regimen as defined by consistent use of drug therapy over time.
  F) Patients who have already switched from one medication within a drug class to another medication within same or different drug class known to treat the same condition.
  G) Patients who are using medications for chronic treatment vs. acute treatment for a particular disease by identifying patients receiving multiple new prescriptions for the same drug over time.
  H) Patients that should be eliminated from a patient subset due to a known drug contraindication as identified by additional drug therapy creating the contraindication.
  I) Patients that should be eliminated from a patient subset due to a known drug interaction as identified by additional drug therapy creating the drug interaction.
  J) Patients that have stopped taking their current medication as identified by being late for a prescription refill and reminding them to continue their therapy.
  K) Patients that have stopped taking their current medication as identified by being late for a prescription refill and inform them of other medications used to treat the same condition that may work better for them.
  L) Patients who have previously used medications to treat seasonal conditions that could benefit from similar medication therapy upon the next seasonal event.
  M) Patients who may be taking two drugs in combination that could benefit from taking one drug containing both individual drug ingredients.
  N) Patients who may benefit from a refill reminder just prior to their prescription refill due date as identified by previous non-compliant prescription refill behavior.
• In addition, the present invention may trigger the production of informational messages based on the following exemplary selection or filtering criteria: age under 90; gender; payer identification; cash payment; NDC; pill count; number of refills; refills remaining on the prescription; new or refill prescription. BIN (Bank Identification Number); NCPDP (National Council for Prescription Drug Programs) provider ID, which is an (individual pharmacy identifier; and DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) number (encrypted).
• For example, using embodiments of the present invention, a selection or filtering program can be designed to reach a patient population undergoing a specific drug treatment protocol and which falls within desired (specified) demographic and insurance parameters.
• The present invention enables additional segmentation and targeting by using, for example, a unique pharmacy outlet identifier (pharmacy or store ID) and its geographic location as a proxy for a patient's home address.
• Using these targeted message criteria (also referred to as trigger criteria and as categorization and filtering criteria) in exemplary embodiments allows the delivery of variable and highly relevant information to a large number of different patient groups. The present invention thereby provides sophisticated patient service functionality by targeting highly relevant informational messages at specific groups of patients.
• With the present invention, it is not required that all pharmacies provide targeted messages resulting from any or all trigger criteria. Each pharmacy or store or set of stores commonly owned may select to implement criteria of their choosing, for example, by marketing category, by manufacturer, or as a regulatory required message.
• An advantage of the present invention is that the types of selection programs created reflect the drug information data available at any given moment in time.
• Systems120,130 may collect and maintain a set of logs, which may contain, for example, accounting information related to newsletter production. These logs, for example, may be used to support billing functions and may also be used in troubleshooting. The logs may be processed and loaded bydata load system510 and may reside ondata warehouse514, for example.
• The following de-identified data, for example, may be captured by the system of the present invention in logs: prescription number; NDC (National Drug Code); age under 90; gender; pill count; refill number; new or refill; and refills remaining.
• Logs may be transmitted tocentral CS120 daily, for example, overnight, and then may, for example, be maintained bycentral CS120 for a period of time (for example, 1 year) before being purged or may be maintained indefinitely.
• Log data preferably is de-identified and maintained secure from unauthorized access. Log data can be aggregated to assess effectiveness rates for the advertising programs.
• The inventors conceive of changes, for example, to the triggering, newsletter printing, and data logging processes, as needed.
• In an embodiment,pharmacy management CS130 combines a PID with a pharmacy chain ID, a store ID and optionally a transaction ID to form a combination ID. The combination ID may be associated with the PID or the encrypted PID.
• A third party's CS may hash a vendor specific value (using, for example, the SHA-1 algorithm) into PIDs used in that vendor's retail store. This encrypted data may then be maintained outside of the control of the user of thecentral system120, for additional security.
• The present invention advantageously allows HIPAA acceptable reduced logging of pharmacy data in locations where population size is below 20,000 for a 3-digit zip code and allows for the handling the age of patients 90 years old and above as 90 years old.
• Embodiments recognize that since a store location can serve as a reasonable proxy for a 5 digit zip code, that in the sparsely populated areas that fall into this category the correlation is likely higher. Logging may therefore depend on zip code and assorted population sizes of store geographic locations.Central CS120 may, for example, aggregate transaction data for all (presently 17) restricted 3 digit zip codes into a single 3 digit zone 000.
• Alternatively, for areas having small populations, PID information may not be transmitted out of the corresponding pharmacy stores and information logged in any CS may exclude PID information. In these alternatives, no informational messages are targeted based upon prior transaction history of an individual. Instead, information may be triggered in the pharmacy management CS by NDC, age, gender, or the like, although age and gender may not be logged.
• Embodiments may use time intervals between prescription filling dates as a surrogate for actual date data. This alternative provides the ability to perform the desired analytics and correlations while minimizing the risk of re-identification. The time interval may be supplied bypharmacy management CS130. Alternatively,central CS120's software may calculate the time interval before writing information to logs.
• Embodiments may advantageously use data from physician offices to provide, for example, helpful compliance dates (specifically around first fill rates).
• Embodiments may advantageously link pharmacy and physician office data to allow maximal de-identified compliance solutions.
• Embodiments may advantageously allow the addition of outside information model components in a compliant de-identified method.
• Embodiments may advantageously allow the handling large-scale, multi-source, patient-level information.
• Embodiments may advantageously aggregate de-identified patient data to develop additional service offerings.
• The PID may be credit card numbers, pharmacy or health related identification numbers, and any other identification used by a patient.
• With the present invention, there is no way for an un-authorized third party to determine a card holder's real identity even ifcentral CS120's security is compromised. However, the present invention can still target the card holder for targeted informational messages because every time the retail store sees the customer's card number that number may be associated with the customer's transaction data already stored in association with some unique encrypted PID.
• Typically, credit card transactions to pay for pharmacy purchases and corresponding pharmacy prescription order transactions are separate data transactions, in the sense that the information transmitted from the pharmacy management CS in association with the credit card identifier does not contain product or service purchase information. Moreover, in preferred embodiments, purchase of non pharmacy goods, such as purchases from a supermarket and corresponding credit card identifier or other personal identifier are stored in association with at least part of the credit card identifier or other personal identifier in one data structure, whereas purchases of pharmacy prescription products, are stored in separate data structures having no association between any identifiers in the two separate data structures. The inventors do conceive of, as a currently non-preferred embodiment, the de-identification and ID encryption process employable for bolt non pharmacy retail store POS transactions and pharmacy transactions. In such an embodiment, both non-pharmacy and pharmacy transactions for transaction inside of one retail store or in one retail store chain, may be associated with one another, and still effectively maintain pharmacy patient anonymity.
• Some embodiments shown in the figures illustrate a division of processing among separate units or machines. This is not a requirement of the invention, and the various elements could be combined into fewer machines, be distributed among various machines differently, or, in fact, be contained in a single machine with a single computer. Embodiments utilizing such redistributions can be designed by practitioners in the relevant arts.

Claims (30)

1. A system or providing targeted informational messages to individuals, comprising:

a pharmacy management computer system configured to:

(a) receive individual transactional data and an associated non-encrypted PID from a terminal for an individual transaction including a prescription;

(b) de-identify said individual transaction data to produce de-identified individual transaction data;

(c) encrypt said non-encrypted PID to produce an encrypted PID;

(d) store at least one targeted informational message in association with said encrypted PID; and

(e) in response to receipt by said pharmacy management computer system of said non-encrypted PID during a subsequent individual transaction at a certain terminal, transmit to said certain terminal said at least one targeted informational message.

2. The system ofclaim 1, wherein said pharmacy management computer system is configured to de-identify said individual transaction data by removing from said individual transaction data at least one of the following items: name, street address, social security number, birth date, admission date, discharge dates, five-digit zip code, and geographic subdivision smaller than a state of the United States.

3. The system ofclaim 1, wherein said pharmacy management computer system is configured to de-identify said individual transaction data by removing from said individual transaction data all of the following items: name, street address, social security number, birth date, admission date, discharge dates, five-digit zip code, and geographic subdivision smaller than a state.

4. The system ofclaim 1, wherein said non-encrypted PID is encrypted using a SHA-1 Secure Hash Algorithm.

5. The system ofclaim 1, further comprising a printer at said certain terminal and wherein said pharmacy management computer system is configured to instruct said printer to print said targeted informational message.

6. The system ofclaim 1, further comprising a central computer system, and wherein said pharmacy management computer system is configured to transmit said de-identified individual transaction data in association with said encrypted PID to said central computer system.

7. The system ofclaim 6, wherein said central computer system is configured to store said encrypted PID and said de-identified individual transaction data in association with records for prior transactions associated with said encrypted PID.

8. The system ofclaim 7 wherein said central computer system is configured to apply certain targeting criteria to de-identified transaction data associated with said encrypted PID.

9. The system ofclaim 8, wherein said central computer system is configured to associate with said encrypted PID a certain targeted message associated with said certain targeting criteria when said de-identified transaction data associated with said encrypted PID meets said certain targeting criteria.

10. The system ofclaim 9, wherein said central computer system is configured to transmit to pharmacy management computer system said certain targeted message in association with said encrypted PID.

11. The system ofclaim 10, wherein said pharmacy management computer system is configured to store said certain targeted message in association with either said encrypted PID or said non-encrypted PID.

12. A computer implemented method for providing targeted informational messages to individuals, comprising:

(a) receiving in a pharmacy management computer system individual transaction data and an associated non-encrypted PID from a terminal for an individual transaction including a prescription;

(b) de-identifying in said pharmacy management computer system said individual transaction data to produce de-identified individual transaction data;

(c) encrypting in said pharmacy management computer system said non-encrypted PID to produce an encrypted PID;

(d) storing at least one targeted informational message in association with said encrypted PID; and

(e) in response to receipt by said pharmacy management computer system of said non-encrypted PID during a subsequent individual transaction at a certain terminal, transmitting to said certain terminal said at least one targeted informational message.

13. The method ofclaim 12, wherein said de-identifying in said pharmacy management computer system comprises removing from said individual transaction data at least one of the following items: name, street address, social security number, birth date, admission date, discharge dates, five-digit zip code, and geographic subdivision smaller than a state.

14. The method ofclaim 12, wherein said de-identifying in said pharmacy management computer system comprises removing from said individual transaction data all of the following items: name, street address, social security number, birth date, admission date, discharge dates, five-digit zip code, and geographic subdivision smaller than a state of the United States.

15. The method ofclaim 12, wherein said encrypting in said pharmacy management computer system comprises using a SHA-1 Secure Hash Algorithm.

16. The method ofclaim 12, further comprising instructing a printer at said certain terminal to print said targeted informational message.

17. The method ofclaim 12, further comprising transmitting said de-identified individual transaction data in association with said encrypted PID to a central computer system.

18. The method ofclaim 17, further comprising storing in said central computer system said encrypted PID and said de-identified individual transaction data in association with records for prior transactions associated with said encrypted PID.

19. The method ofclaim 18, further comprising said central computer system applying certain targeting criteria to de-identified transaction data associated with said encrypted PID.

20. The method ofclaim 19 further comprising said central computer system associating with said encrypted PID a certain targeted message associated with said certain targeting criteria, when said de-identified transaction data associated with said encrypted PID meets said certain targeting criteria.

21. The method ofclaim 20, further comprising transmitting from set central computer system to pharmacy management computer system said certain targeted message in association with said encrypted PID.

22. The method ofclaim 21, further comprising storing in said pharmacy management computer system said certain targeted message in association with either said encrypted PID or said non-encrypted PID.

23. The method ofclaim 12, wherein step (e) comprises transmitting said encrypted PID and said at least one targeted informational message from said central computer system to said pharmacy management computer system and to said certain terminal during said subsequent individual transaction.

24. The system ofclaim 1, wherein said pharmacy management computer system is configured to de-identify said individual transaction data by removing from said individual transaction data at least one of the following items: name, street address, social security number, birth date, admission date, discharge dates, five-digit zip code, and geographic subdivision smaller than a state of the United States; and

wherein said individual transaction data includes at least one of store ID and quantity.

25. The system ofclaim 1, wherein said pharmacy management computer system is configured to de-identity said individual transaction data by removing from said individual transaction data at least one of admission date, discharge dates, and zip code;

wherein said individual transaction data includes at least one of store ID and quantity.

26. The method ofclaim 12, wherein said de-identifying in said pharmacy management computer system comprises removing from said individual transaction data at least one of the following items: name, street address, social security number, birth date, admission date, discharge dates, five-digit zip code and geographic subdivision smaller than a state; and

wherein said individual transaction data includes at least one of store ID and quantity.

27. The system ofclaim 12, wherein said pharmacy management computer system is configured to de-identify said individual transaction data by removing from said individual transaction data at least one of admission dates, discharge dates, and zip code,

wherein said individual transaction data includes at least one of store ID and quantity.

28. The method ofclaim 12, further comprising storing in said pharmacy management computer system said encrypted PID and said de-identified individual transaction data in association with de-identified records for prior transactions associated with said encrypted PID.

29. The method ofclaim 28, further comprising said pharmacy management computer system applying certain targeting criteria to de-identified transaction data associated with said encrypted PID.

30. The method ofclaim 29, further comprising said pharmacy management computer system associating with said encrypted PID a certain targeted message associated with said certain targeting criteria when said de-identified transaction data associated with said encrypted PID meets said certain targeting criteria.

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