Method of Delivering Goods and Services Via Media

Abstract

A method of delivering goods or services via an encoded medium to a holder includes generating data in a database associated with a central computing station in response to an assignee of the medium and a provider of goods or services separately communicatively linking the medium to a central computing station. The data generated in the database includes the identity of the assignee, the identity of the goods or services associated with the medium, and the identity of the goods or services provided by the provider. A value of the medium is established, wherein the medium assumes different values based on various conditions. After the provider of goods or services provides the goods or services to the holder, the value of the medium is updated and recorded in the database.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method implemented by one or more computing stations for promoting a pharmaceutical prescription product by facilitating the redemption of a medium towards the purchase of the pharmaceutical prescription product, comprising:
 upon a patient presenting the medium to a provider of the pharmaceutical prescription product, receiving at the one or more computing stations information that includes the patient's co-payment for the pharmaceutical prescription product;   using the one or more computing stations, determining a value to be assumed by the medium based on the patient's co-payment for the pharmaceutical prescription product, wherein said determining comprises applying one or more financial rules that are associated with a co-payment program that covers at least a portion of the patient's co-payment for the pharmaceutical prescription product;   sending data from the one or more computing stations to the provider reflecting the determined value assumed by the medium, thereby enabling the medium to be redeemed for the determined value towards the purchase of the product from the provider; and   recording information in a database indicating that the medium has been redeemed for the determined value.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said determining is performed after a status of the medium has been changed in a database from an inactive status to an active status, wherein the medium is not redeemable with the inactive status and is redeemable with the active status. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said determining also comprises determining the value of the medium based on at least one of a time and location at which the patient is redeeming the medium towards the purchase of the pharmaceutical prescription product. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said determining comprises also determining the value of the medium based on an identity of at least one of the patient and the provider. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said receiving and determining is performed by the one or more computing stations responsive to the patient presenting the medium to the provider for the purpose of purchasing the pharmaceutical prescription product in a given transaction, and wherein the value assumed by the medium is applicable towards the purchase of the pharmaceutical prescription product in that given transaction. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, using the one or more computing stations, updating the value of the medium to reflect redemption of the medium by the patient for the pharmaceutical prescription product. 
     
     
         7 . A method implemented by a computing station for promoting a pharmaceutical prescription product by facilitating the redemption of a medium for the pharmaceutical prescription product, comprising:
 upon a patient presenting the medium to a provider of the pharmaceutical prescription product, receiving at the one or more computing stations information that includes the patient's co-payment for the pharmaceutical prescription product;   obtaining one or more financial rules employable to determine the value of the medium based, in part at least, on the patient's co-payment for the pharmaceutical prescription product;   using the one or more computing stations, determining the value of the medium based on the patient's co-payment by applying the one or more financial rules, wherein the one or more financial rules are associated with a co-payment program that promotes the pharmaceutical prescription product and reduces the patient's co-payment for the pharmaceutical prescription product that is purchased by the patient; and   sending data from the one or more computing stations to the provider indicating the determined value of the medium, thereby enabling the provider to apply the determined value of the medium to the cost of the pharmaceutical prescription product being purchased by the patient.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said determining is performed after a status of the medium has been changed in a database from an inactive status to an active status, wherein the medium is not redeemable with the inactive status and is redeemable with the active status. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said determining also comprises determining the value of the medium based on at least one of a time and location at which the patient is redeeming the medium for the pharmaceutical prescription product. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said determining also comprises determining the value of the medium based on an identity of at least one of the patient and the provider. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said receiving and determining is performed by the one or more computing stations responsive to the patient presenting the medium to the provider for the purpose of purchasing the pharmaceutical prescription product in a given transaction, and wherein the value assumed by the medium is applicable towards the purchase of the product in that given transaction. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said receiving further comprises receiving an identifier of the medium that links the medium exclusively to the pharmaceutical prescription product, such that the medium specifically promotes the pharmaceutical prescription product. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , further including using the one or more computing stations, updating the value of the medium to reflect redemption of the medium by the patient for the pharmaceutical prescription product. 
     
     
         14 . A method of promoting a pharmaceutical prescription product by paying a patient's co-payment, or a portion thereof, for the pharmaceutical prescription product wherein promoting the pharmaceutical prescription product is facilitated by issuing a variable value medium to the patient that is redeemable by the patient for the pharmaceutical prescription product provided by a provider, wherein the method is implemented by one or more computing stations and comprises:
 obtaining an identifier of the medium that links the medium to the pharmaceutical prescription product;   obtaining information that includes the patient's co-payment for the pharmaceutical prescription product;   establishing a value of the medium based on the patient's co-payment by applying one or more financial rules that are associated with a co-payment program that promotes the pharmaceutical prescription product; and   sending data to the provider indicating the established value of the medium thereby enabling the provider to apply the established value of the medium to the cost of the pharmaceutical prescription product being purchased by the patient.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further including provisioning a database associated with the one or more computing stations with the one or more financial rules designed to establish the value of the medium based, in part at least, on the patient's co-payment. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , including linking the identifier with the one or more financial rules in a database associated with the one or more computing stations. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein establishing the value of the medium comprises selecting, from different values corresponding to different potential co-payments for the pharmaceutical prescription product, the value that corresponds to the patient's co-payment for the pharmaceutical prescription product. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further including using the one or more computing stations, updating the value of the medium to reflect redemption of the medium by the patient for the pharmaceutical prescription product.