Pharmacy tracking system with automatically-entered customer transaction information

Abstract

A method of conducting a transaction involving transfer of a filled prescription order from a pharmacy to a customer. The method includes detecting that the filled prescription order is available for transfer from the pharmacy to the customer. Upon detecting that the filled prescription order is available for transfer from the pharmacy to the customer, the method automatically completes at least one process for facilitating the transfer of the filled prescription order to the customer.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of conducting a transaction involving transfer of a filled prescription order from a pharmacy to a customer, the method comprising:
 detecting that a filled prescription order is available for transfer from the pharmacy to the customer; and   upon detection that the filled prescription order is available for transfer from the pharmacy to the customer, at least one of:
 automatically notifying the customer that the filled prescription order is available for transfer from the pharmacy to the customer, 
 automatically populating a form with at least one piece of customer information, the form intended for signature by the customer to signify transfer of the filled prescription order from the pharmacy to the customer, 
 automatically providing a sale price for the filled prescription order, 
 automatically providing medical information about the filled prescription order, and 
 automatically updating an inventory of filled prescription orders stored within the pharmacy. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising accessing a database to obtain stored information. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein accessing the database includes accessing the database to obtain stored customer contact information, and wherein automatically notifying the customer includes transmitting notification according to the stored customer contact information. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein accessing the database includes accessing the database to obtain stored customer information, and wherein automatically populating the form includes automatically populating the form with the stored customer information. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein accessing the database includes accessing the database to obtain stored customer insurance information, and wherein automatically providing the sale price includes providing the sale price according to the stored customer insurance information. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein accessing the database includes accessing the database to obtain the medical information stored thereon, and wherein automatically providing medical information includes generating a hard copy of the medical information. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein accessing the database includes accessing a local database that is local to the pharmacy. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein accessing the database includes communicating with a remote database within a computerized network. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein automatically updating the inventory includes subtracting the filled prescription order from the inventory of filled prescription orders stored within the pharmacy. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising automatically updating a global inventory, which records a quantity of items within the pharmacy including items associated with the filled prescription orders stored within the pharmacy, upon subtracting the filled prescription order from the inventory of filled prescription orders stored within the pharmacy. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting that the filled prescription order is available for transfer from the pharmacy to the customer includes detecting removal of the filled prescription order from a storage area. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting that the filled prescription order is available for transfer from the pharmacy to the customer includes deposit of the filled prescription order into a storage area. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving a prescription order that becomes the filled prescription order, moving the prescription order along a workflow stream by moving the prescription order by hand between a plurality of physically spaced apart locations to manually fill the prescription order, and automatically tracking the prescription order within the pharmacy as the prescription order moves along the workflow stream to become the filled prescription order. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the pharmacy includes a storage area having a plurality of compartments, and wherein automatically tracking the prescription order includes automatically tracking which of the plurality of compartments in which the filled prescription order is stored. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein automatically tracking the prescription order includes automatically tracking the prescription order with a tracking system, the tracking system including a tag that is secured for movement with the prescription order, the tracking system also including a tag reader that tracks the location of the tag to thereby track the location of the prescription order. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein tracking the prescription order includes:
 receiving the prescription order at a first location upstream of the storage area;   operably securing the tag to the prescription order upstream of the storage area, the tag having a unique identifier that is machine-readable by a first location tag reader in proximity to the tag regardless of the orientation of the tag relative to the first tag reader;   associating the unique identifier of the tag with the first and second saved identifiers in a computer system, the computer system including a computer-readable memory device;   moving the prescription order by hand to a second location within the pharmacy for manual filling upstream of the storage area, the second location having a second location tag reader in communication with the computer system;   automatically detecting the presence of the prescription order at the second location by reading the unique identifier of the tag with the second location tag reader regardless of the orientation of the tag and automatically recording in the computer system the location of the prescription order at the second location for the manual filling; and   moving the filled prescription order by hand to the storage area defined by the one of an array of compartments, each compartment having a corresponding compartment tag reader that is in communication with the computer system and is operable to read the unique identifier of the tag on the filled prescription order regardless of the orientation of the tag,   wherein associating the unique identifier of the tag with the first and second saved identifiers and automatically detecting the presence of the prescription order are performed by or under control of the computer system.   
     
     
         17 . A method of conducting a transaction involving transfer of a filled prescription order from a pharmacy to a customer, the method comprising:
 depositing a filled prescription order into a storage area for storage;   detecting removal of the filled prescription order from the storage area; and   upon detecting removal of the filled prescription order from the storage area, automatically obtaining transaction information to facilitate transaction of the filled prescription order from the pharmacy to the customer.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein automatically obtaining transaction information includes at least one of:
 automatically obtaining and populating a form with at least one piece of customer information, the form intended for signature by the customer to signify transfer of the filled prescription order from the pharmacy to the customer,   automatically obtaining a sale price for the filled prescription order, and   automatically obtaining medical information about the filled prescription order.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising, upon detecting removal of the filled prescription order from the storage area, automatically updating an inventory of filled prescription orders stored within the pharmacy. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein automatically updating the inventory includes subtracting the filled prescription order from the inventory of filled prescription orders stored within the pharmacy. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising automatically updating a global inventory, which records a quantity of items within the pharmacy including items associated with the filled prescription orders stored within the pharmacy, upon subtracting the filled prescription order from the inventory of filled prescription orders stored within the pharmacy. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising automatically notifying the customer that the filled prescription order is available for transfer from the pharmacy to the customer upon detecting that the filled prescription order is available to be transferred to the customer. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising receiving a prescription order that becomes the filled prescription order, moving the prescription order along a workflow stream by moving the prescription order by hand between a plurality of physically spaced apart locations to manually fill the prescription order, and automatically tracking the prescription order within the pharmacy as the prescription order moves along the workflow stream to become the filled prescription order. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein automatically tracking the prescription order within the pharmacy includes automatically tracking the prescription order with a tracking system, the tracking system including a tag that is secured for movement with the prescription order, the tracking system also including a tag reader that tracks the location of the tag to thereby track the location of the prescription order, and wherein automatically tracking the prescription order also includes:
 receiving the prescription order at a first location upstream of the storage area;   operably securing the tag to the prescription order upstream of the storage area, the tag having a unique identifier that is machine-readable by a first location tag reader in proximity to the tag regardless of the orientation of the tag relative to the first tag reader;   associating the unique identifier of the tag with the first and second saved identifiers in a computer system, the computer system including a computer-readable memory device;   moving the prescription order by hand to a second location within the pharmacy for manual filling upstream of the storage area, the second location having a second location tag reader in communication with the computer system;   automatically detecting the presence of the prescription order at the second location by reading the unique identifier of the tag with the second location tag reader regardless of the orientation of the tag and automatically recording in the computer system the location of the prescription order at the second location for the manual filling; and   moving the filled prescription order by hand to the storage area defined by the one of an array of compartments, each compartment having a corresponding compartment tag reader that is in communication with the computer system and is operable to read the unique identifier of the tag on the filled prescription order regardless of the orientation of the tag,   wherein associating the unique identifier of the tag with the first and second saved identifiers and automatically detecting the presence of the prescription order are performed by or under control of the computer system.   
     
     
         25 . A method of conducting a transaction involving transfer of a filled prescription order from a pharmacy to a customer, the method comprising:
 receiving a prescription order that becomes the filled prescription order;   moving the prescription order along a workflow stream by moving the prescription order by hand between a plurality of physically spaced apart locations to manually fill the prescription order;   automatically tracking the prescription order within the pharmacy as the prescription order moves along the workflow stream to become the filled prescription order;   detecting that the filled prescription order is available for transfer from the pharmacy to the customer;   upon detection that the filled prescription order is available for transfer from the pharmacy to the customer, automatically notifying the customer that the filled prescription order is available for transfer from the pharmacy to the customer;   depositing the filled prescription order into storage;   receiving a pick-up request for the filled prescription order from the customer;   detecting removal of the filled prescription order from storage; and   upon detecting removal of the filled prescription order from storage, performing each of:
 automatically obtaining and populating a form with at least one piece of customer information, the form intended for signature by the customer to signify transfer of the filled prescription order from the pharmacy to the customer, 
 automatically providing a sale price for the filled prescription order, 
 automatically providing medical information about the filled prescription order, and 
 automatically updating an inventory of filled prescription orders stored within the pharmacy.