Pharmacy network computer system and printer

Abstract

The invention provides a network computer system and novel pharmacy printers and their methods of use wherein the local CS includes a pharmacy printer for printing pharmacy orders including prescriptions, and the pharmacy printer includes a pharmacy printer database storing drug information and association of a drug identifier with information about a corresponding drug, and additional information, and obtains and uses instructions for printing the additional information in association with printing of a prescription label from characters contained in a prescription label print file for the prescription label.

1 . A network computer system, comprising:
 a printer having a database, wherein the printer is configured to:
 receive a prescription label file; 
 parse the prescription label file to identify data associated with a specified drug monograph or a specified MedGuide, wherein the specified drug monograph or the specified MedGuide are stored in the database; 
 retrieve the specified drug monograph or the specified MedGuide from the database based, at least in part, on the identified data; 
 generate a print job for a prescription label specified by the prescription label file; 
 determine to include additional information on the prescription label based, at least in part, on the prescription label file; and 
 print the prescription label having (i) the specified drug monograph or the specified MedGuide and (ii) the additional information. 
   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The network computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the printer is configured to determine to include the additional information based on patient data associated with the prescription label file. 
     
     
         4 . The network computer system of  claim 3 , wherein the patient data includes product information related to a drug that the patient has purchased, prescription information for other prescriptions the patient has received, or patient health information. 
     
     
         5 . The network computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the database comprises:
 a patient data table   storing records of values or ranges of values for at least one of new/refill, refills remaining, pill count, gender, age, and date of birth.   
     
     
         6 . The network computer system of  claim 5 , wherein the printer is further configured to implement code matching values and ranges of the records in order to determine to include the additional information. 
     
     
         7 . The network computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the additional information is different drug information or an incentive offer. 
     
     
         8 . A method, comprising:
 storing patient data in a database in a printer in communication with a drug dispensary; wherein the patient data is arranged in records of a patient data table stored in the database;   parsing a prescription label file for a prescription to identify a specified drug monograph or a specified MedGuide associated with the prescription;   retrieving from a patient record of the patient records stored in the patient data table, the patient record having the specified drug monograph or the specified MedGuide;   generating a print job for a prescription label specified by said prescription label file and the patient record;   determining to include additional information on the prescription label based, at least in part, on the prescription label file; and   printing the prescription label having (i) the specified drug monograph or the specified MedGuide and (ii) the additional information.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein at least one patient record includes an image object. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein. the patient record includes product information related to a drug that the patient has purchased, prescription information for other prescriptions the patient has received, or patient health information. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein
 the patient record includes values or ranges of values for at least one of new/refill, refills remaining, pill count, gender, age, and date of birth.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising implementing code matching values and ranges of the plurality of patient records to determine to include the additional information. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the additional information is different prescription drug information or an incentive offer. 
     
     
         14 . A method comprising:
 storing in a database drug monographs associated with national drug codes and MedGuides associated with drug classification codes, where the database is stored in a hard drive of a printer;   parsing a prescription label file data to identify a specified drug monograph and a specified MedGuide stored by the printer in the database; and   retrieving the specified drug monograph or the specified MedGuide from the database;   generating a print job for a prescription label specified by the prescription label file;   determining to include additional information on the prescription label based, at least in part, on the prescription label file; and   printing the prescription label having (i) the specified drug monograph or the specified MedGuide and (ii) the additional information.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the database further comprises a patient data table including criteria for values of at least one of new/refill, refills remaining, pill count, gender, and at least one of age and date of birth; and
 the method further comprising: determining to include patient data in the print job based, based at least in part, on at least one of new/refill, refills remaining, pill count, gender, and age/date of birth data contained in the prescription label file with corresponding criteria in the patient data table.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising providing a central computer system remote from. a local computer system of the printer. 
     
     
         17 . A system, comprising:
 a central computer system;   a plurality of local computer systems arranged in a network, wherein each local computer system is associated with an output device, and wherein each local computer system is configured to receive information about a pharmacy order and corresponding medicines;   wherein the output device includes a database configured to store:
 (1) medicine records, a medicine record having a medicine identifier associated with information about a corresponding medicine; and 
 (2) patient records, a patient record having a patient identifier associated with patient data stored in a patient data table of the database; 
   wherein the output device is configured to receive and process print instructions resulting from a pharmacy order containing a specified prescription for a specified medicine having the specified medicine identifier and the specified patient identifier for a specified patient by:
 (1) searching in the database for information about the specified medicine associated with the specified medicine identifier; and 
 (2) searching in the database for information to be conveyed to the specified patient associated with the specified patient identifier. 
   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the patient records include information related to a drug that the patient has purchased, information for other prescriptions the patient has received, or patient health information. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the patient identifier of the patient data table is associated with the medicine identifier in the database. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein a local computer system configured to execute a first code instructing the local computer system to transmit information about pharmacy orders including patient identifiers to the central computer system. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the output device is configured to receive and process print instructions resulting from a pharmacy order containing a specified prescription for a specified medicine having the specified medicine identifier and the specified patient identifier for a specified patient by further (3) outputting the specified prescription, the information about the specified medicine, and the information to be conveyed to the specified consumer.