GB2379037A

GB2379037A - The sale of pharmaceutical products under the control of a pharmacist

Info

Publication number: GB2379037A
Application number: GB0114173A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tariq Nazir Muhammad
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-06-11
Filing date: 2001-06-11
Publication date: 2003-02-26
Also published as: GB0114173D0

Abstract

A method is disclosed of enabling a pharmacist to control and supervise a proposed sale of a restricted pharmaceutical product (RPP), by a sales assistant to a customer, where the pharmacist is sited at a location remote from the sales assistant's point of sale. The method includes the steps of: the sale assistant using a computer terminal to transmit data about the proposed RPP sale over a data link to a computer terminal of the pharmacist as a request for the pharmacist's authorisation to make the sale; the pharmacist viewing and assessing the data about the sale; the pharmacist, as necessary, requesting via his computer and data link further information on which to base a decision to allow the sale; and the pharmacist making a decision on the information about the proposed product sale and either transmitting to the sales assistant's terminal authorisation for the sale to go ahead or transmitting a signal which blocks the sale and prevents the customer from being permitted to have the RPP.

Description

Method and Apparatus for the sale of Pharmaceutical Products under the control of a Pharmacist The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for enabling the sale of medicines under the control and supervision of a pharmacist and, in particular, to situations where the pharmacist exercising personal control and supervision is located remotely from the point of sale.

Pharmacies commonly sell a wide range of products. Some of these products may be sold without restriction or supervision but other products may, under UK law and the law in other countries, only be sold or dispensed under the personal control and supervision of a qualified and registered pharmacist. The latter such products may be subject to sale solely under a doctor's prescription or they may be so-called controlled medicines which may be sold without requiring such a prescription but which may only be sold subject to the personal control and supervision of a qualified registered pharmacist. Any product that is required to be sold only under the supervision and control of a pharmacist is herein referred to as a restricted pharmaceutical product (RPP) and this expression may cover not only medicines but other items sold under such supervision, possibly syringes or other transport media for example.

This essential requirement for personal control and supervision of a pharmacist can be a serious problem in the running or efficient running of a pharmacy. In a pharmacy with only one pharmacist, the illness, absence for lunch, or other temporary absence of that pharmacist may necessitate the closure of the pharmacy or, at the least, the restriction of the goods sold during the pharmacist's absence to goods not requiring pharmacist control. Customers would have to be requested to return later for collection or purchase of the controlled medicines or prescription items or otherwise they will need to go elsewhere to obtain such items. Clearly this may result in significant loss of sales and may destroy the viability of such a pharmacy. Ignoring these requirements, even temporarily, may, as one of the penalties, result in the pharmacist concerned being struck off the Register of Pharmacists. The existing shortage of qualified registered

pharmacists exacerbates the problem and can make it extremely difficult for some pharmacies to remain viable.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for enabling a pharmacist to control and supervise a proposed sale of a restricted pharmaceutical product (RPP), by a sales assistant to a customer, where the pharmacist is sited at a location remote from the sales assistant's point of sale, the method including the steps of : the sale assistant using a computer terminal to transmit data about the proposed RPP sale over a data link to a computer terminal of the pharmacist as a request for the pharmacist's authorisation to make the sale; the pharmacist viewing and assessing the data about the sale; the pharmacist, as necessary, requesting via his computer and data link further information on which to base a decision to allow the sale; and the pharmacist making a decision on the information about the proposed product sale and either transmitting to the sales assistant's terminal authorisation for the sale to go ahead or transmitting a signal which blocks the sale and prevents the customer from being permitted to have the RPP.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, apparatus is provided for enabling the control and supervision by a pharmacist of a proposed sale of an RPP by a sales assistant to a customer, where the pharmacist is at a location remote from the point of sale, the apparatus comprising : a sales assistant's computer terminal equipment; a data communication link; and

a pharmacist's terminal connected to the sales assistant's terminal by said data communication link, the arrangement being such that data about the proposed purchase can be entered into the sales assistant's terminal and be transmitted via the communication link to the pharmacist's machine to obtain authorisation for the sale, the pharmacist being able to assess the data and, if required, to obtain further information on which to base a decision to allow a sale by entering into a dialogue over the linked terminals, whereafter the pharmacist can transmit to the sales assistant's terminal either permission for the sale to proceed or a signal which blocks the sale and prevents the customer from being permitted to have the RPP.

According to a third aspect of the present invention an article of manufacture is provided, which article includes a program storage medium readable by a computer, the medium tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer or the computer in combination with other computer equipment to perform a method for enabling a pharmacist to control and supervise a proposed sale of a restricted pharmaceutical product (RPP), by a sales assistant to a customer, where the pharmacist is sited at a location remote from the sales assistant's point of sale, the method including the steps of : the sale assistant using a computer terminal to transmit data about the proposed RPP sale over a data link to a computer terminal of the pharmacist as a request for the pharmacist's authorisation to make the sale; the pharmacist viewing and assessing the data about the sale; the pharmacist, as necessary, requesting via his computer and data link further information on which to base a decision to allow the sale; and the pharmacist making a decision on the information about the proposed product sale and either transmitting to the sales assistant's terminal authorisation for the

sale to go ahead or transmitting a signal which blocks the sale and prevents the customer from being permitted to have the RPP.

For a better understanding of the invention, embodiments thereof will now, by way of example, be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. la, shows, diagrammatically, apparatus situated in a pharmacy and forming part of one embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1 b, shows diagrammatically, apparatus at a pharmacist's location and forming part of the same embodiment of the invention as is partially shown in FIG. la ; FIG. 2, shows a flow chart of the sequence of a prospective sale according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 3, shows a flow chart showing the sequence of dispensing a prescription according to an embodiment of the invention.

Shown in FIG. la, is one possible form of a set of equipments used in a pharmacy as part of apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the invention for enabling the supervision and control of an RPP by a remotely sited pharmacist. Only the equipment for one point of sale (POS) terminal is shown although clearly a pharmacy may have more than one POS and, whilst some units of the equipment would cope with more than one POS, other units would clearly require to be increased in number in correspondence with the increase in pass.

The pharmacy shop POS computer till terminal, of FIG. la, comprises a computer processor unit 1, with associated monitor 2, keyboard 3, receipt printer 4, and cash till drawer 5. The processor unit is also provided with a barcode reader 6 and the keyboard unit is provided with a trackball, or other pointing device, and a swipe card reader (neither of which are specifically shown or referenced). An input/output port of the processor unit 1 is connected to a network hub 8, to which are also connected an input/output port of a video processing unit 11 and a telephone unit 14. Telephone unit

14 and video processing unit 11 are, with a video monitor 12 and video camera 13, components of a video consulting facility which is in a video booth separated from the POS area. Output from hub 8 is fed via router 9 to a data link 10 which may be a dedicated data line, part of a wide area network, an Internet or an Intranet connection. A back up communication facility is provided by an internal modem 15 of the processor unit 1 which is connected to a public service telephone network via terminal block 17, to which an analogue telephone 16 is also connected.

FIG. lb shows equipment positioned at a duty pharmacist's location. In the illustrated example, two duty pharmacist's computer stations are shown, DPS 1 and DPS2. Each station is provided with a personal computer terminal 18, with microphones (software telephones) 19 and Webcams 20. Input/output ports of the pharmacists'terminals are connected to a network switch 25. The pharmacist location is also provided with a 1-1 private video consulting facility. Like the corresponding pharmacy facility, this is made up of a video processing unit 21, a monitor 22, video camera 23 and telephone 24, the telephone 24 and video processing unit 21 also being connected to the network switch 25 which in turn is coupled to the data link10. As shown, a file server 26 is connected to switch 25.

With the apparatus shown in FIGS. la and 1 b, a sales assistant at the shop point of sale is connected via the data link 10 to a remotely sited duty pharmacist at the pharmacist terminal location. Although only one shop point of sale is illustrated it is intended or possible for many differently located points of sale to be data linked so as to be controlled and supervised by one, two or more duty pharmacists, with the POS requests being routed to an available pharmacist or being held in a queue, as necessary. When a customer wishes to purchase a product, the POS sales assistant can enter the details of the product by using the keyboard 3 or by reading an applied barcode with the barcode scanner 6. If these details relate to an RPP they are passed to a duty pharmacist's terminal 18 via hub 8, router 9, data link 10 and network switch 25. Control of the handling of the information and the supervisory and control operation of the pharmacist is carried out under the control of a software application which may be based on the network file server 26. Alternatively, a separate application server (not shown) may be employed and this can be sited at the same location as the pharmacists

or it may be positioned at a separate computer agency location that will provide the required monitoring and operational maintenance of the application server. If this is done the network server 26 may form a back up facility. Ideally, the application server will be a Citrix Metaframe (Registered Trade Mark) application server or a server of similar type. Such a server will operate the application in response to a triggering input from the POS equipment and thereafter only screen refreshing information needs to be transferred up and down the data link 10 to the POS and pharmacists'terminals. Such an arrangement provides efficient operation of the system. A database of information related to RPPs and to customers who have previously been served, including details related to their health and past purchases is kept either on the application server or in some other readily accessible location. A copy of the database may be kept as a back up on server 26.

The operation of the apparatus and method of this illustrated embodiment will now be described with reference, additionally, to FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart dealing with a request by a customer for the purchase of an RPP.

As a first requirement, in step 201, a sales assistant must provide his or her identification. This may be done using a swipe card with a suitably equipped pharmacy POS keyboard 3 or an identifying password or code may be keyed in by the assistant.

Since it is intended that a full audit trail will be stored for each supervised transaction, the identity of all personnel involved in a transaction is required by the system.

Webcams 7 and 12 can enable the assistant to see the pharmacist and vice versa or the pharmacy webcam may be directed at the customer if this is more appropriate or required.

The next input data to be entered is information about the customer, step 202. If the customer is already registered with the pharmacy and has been provided with a personal swipe card then the customer information can be swiped in. Alternatively, with a first time customer or if a store operates without registration, any necessary customer details can be keyed into the system. As the final step 203 of the pharmacy initial input stage (although if a product is clearly a non RPP product this may be the first step) the product code is scanned by scanner 6 or keyed in on keyboard 3.

If the code identifies the product as not being restricted, sale is allowed at step 214 and the till drawer 5 opened and a receipt printed by printer 4 to complete the sale.

If, however, the product is an RPP, the application software produces a series of questions, relevant to the RPP, to be answered by the customer. The answers to these questions, including whether the product is for use by the customer or for someone else, are entered by the assistant and this information, together with that of steps 201 to 203 is passed to the pharmacist for consideration with respect to authorisation of the sale. At step 204, the pharmacist has displayed on his/her terminal the information from the pharmacy as well as any data from the database relating to the patient's previous medical history and transaction history, the product information held in the database, such as contraindications and side effects, and the results from the questions asked.

Whilst this information is being considered by the pharmacist, the assistant can continue scanning other products to be purchased, step 205, and if all transactions are completed, step 206, can deal with another customer, step 207, if the pharmacist has not yet responded. If no other customer is waiting, the assistant simply waits for the pharmacist's response. If the pharmacist requires further information then in step 209 further questioning can be initiated by him through the assistant or he can request a 1-1 video conference with the customer via the video booth equipment 11 to 14 and 21 to 24.

If the pharmacist, either before or after a video link/discussion, has sufficient information, a decision is made at step 210. At step 211, the assistant responds to the instructions from the pharmacist, for example, if the pharmacist considers that a face to face consultation is required, this is arranged, step 213. Alternatively a 1-1 video conference may be set up in step 212.

Should the pharmacist authorise the sale, step 214, then, as with a non RPP sale, the till will be unblocked and the till drawer 5 opened and a receipt printed by printer 4 to complete the sale. A full audit trail of every RPP transaction is kept with the information on which the pharmacist's decision was based. If the sale is not authorised, in step 215, the assistant explains this to the customer.

If there are problems with the network link or data link 10, a back up public telephone link can be used utilising the internal modem 15, and analogue telephoned and terminal 17. ISDN telephone back up systems can also be used as an alternative. It is likely that the 1-1 video link would not be available with the back up procedure but this is unlikely to prevent the majority of transactions from taking place since it is to be expected that most transactions will be carried out with transmission of information solely between the Pharmacy and Pharmacist computer terminal equipment.

FIG. 3 shows a flow chart for sales of RPP which are to be sold solely by a doctor's prescription. Steps in which the same operations are carried out as in the flowchart of FIG. 2 have been given the same references. These stages 201,202 and 204 are as described above, except that instead of product details being fed to the pharmacist, following step 203, the prescription is scanned and sent to the pharmacist in step 301.

In step 204, the pharmacist considers this prescription, together with the patient's information and product information but no initial questions have been asked by the assistant since a doctor has given the prescription.

The sales assistant awaits a response in step 208 whilst the pharmacist carries out clinical checking of the prescription. This checking may involve further questioning of the patient/customer, discussion with the doctor, discussion with the technician who will carry out the dispensing of the prescription and a clinical review of the patient's history. Steps 211,212 and 213 correspond to those of FIG. 2. If the decision is to allow dispensing of the prescription, this instruction is passed to the assistant and dispensing is allowed in step 304. A specific reference is given to the transaction and the prescription is dispensed by a qualified accuracy technician and checked by a further technician. Again a full audit trail is provided, with all details being recorded in a transaction history.

On the basis of the customer's identity, the sales assistant will have checked whether the patient is exempted from paying for prescriptions, following step 202. If the patient is required to pay for the prescription, the till will be unblocked and the drawer 5 opened to receive payment and a receipt printed by printer 4.

The above described apparatus and method enable close personal control and supervision of the supply and sale of RPPs by a pharmacist located at a place remote from the place at which the transaction between the customer/patient and the pharmacy or sales assistant is taking place. Additionally, using the product database, questions specifically relevant to the product concerned are presented to the assistant to ask the customer. Also, the pharmacist receives the answers to those relevant questions, as well as any relevant information from the database that concerns the specific product and its side effects, contra indications etc. The pharmacist is thus directly informed and involved in each sale or supply of an RPP and has specifically to authorise the sale or supply before it can be effected.

Utilising a centrally based duty pharmacist (s), a plurality of pharmacies, each linked as described to the pharmacist (s), can each have all the sale or supply ofRRPs personally controlled and supervised by a duty pharmacist in the absence of a pharmacy's own pharmacist.

There are many and varied possibilities for the forms of equipment that can be used in the transmission of the data and many standard security measures can be adopted to provide a secure environment for operation of the apparatus and method."Firewalls" and secure ID software tokens can be utilised, amongst other safeguards.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A method of enabling a pharmacist to control and supervise a proposed sale of a restricted pharmaceutical product (RPP), by a sales assistant to a customer, where the pharmacist is sited at a location remote from the sales assistant's point of sale, the method including the steps of : the sale assistant using a computer terminal to transmit data about the proposed RPP sale over a data link to a computer terminal of the pharmacist as a request for the pharmacist's authorisation to make the sale; the pharmacist viewing and assessing the data about the sale; the pharmacist, as necessary, requesting via his computer and data link further information on which to base a decision to allow the sale; and the pharmacist making a decision on the information about the proposed product sale and either transmitting to the sales assistant's terminal authorisation for the sale to go ahead or transmitting a signal which blocks the sale and prevents the customer from being permitted to have the RPP.
2. Apparatus for enabling the control and supervision by a pharmacist of a proposed sale of a restricted pharmaceutical product (RPP) by a sales assistant to a customer, where the pharmacist is at a location remote from the point of sale, the apparatus comprising: a sales assistant's computer terminal equipment; a data communication link; and a pharmacist's terminal connected to the sales assistant's terminal by said data communication link,

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the apparatus being arranged such that data about the proposed purchase can be entered into the sales assistant's terminal and be transmitted via the communication link to the pharmacist's machine to obtain authorisation for the sale, the pharmacist being able to assess the data and, if required, to obtain further information on which to base a decision to allow a sale by entering into a dialogue over the linked terminals, whereafter the pharmacist can transmit to the sales assistant's terminal either permission for the sale to proceed or a signal which blocks the sale and prevents the customer from being permitted to have the RPP.
3. A method according to claim lor apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a data base is provided containing details about all RPPs and which database is linked via the data link to both the assistant's terminal and the pharmacist's terminal and the arrangement is such that entry of information about a proposed sale of an RPP into the sales assistant's computer terminal is recognised and results in a question or questions relevant to the specific product appearing at the assistant's terminal to be answered by the customer, the answers to which questions are transmitted to the pharmacist to assist in the supervision and control of the proposed purchase.
4. A method or apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a request for authorisation of a sale of an RPP results in the database providing the pharmacist with information relevant to the product, such as contraindications and side effects, to assist in the pharmacist's supervision of the sale.
5. A method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein information previously provided by the customer and/or details about previous purchases or prescriptions of RPPs previously supplied to the customer are also maintained in said database and supplied to the pharmacist to assist in the pharmacist's supervision of the sale.
6. A method or apparatus according to any of claims 3 to 5, wherein, if details of a proposed sale of a product are entered into the sales assistant's terminal and it is determined by reference to the database that the product is not an RPP the sale is permitted to go ahead without reference to a pharmacist.

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7. A method or apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the sales assistant's terminal is linked to a cash till, the functioning of which is prevented if the pharmacist blocks the sale.
8. A method or apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein a video link is provided between the pharmacist and the point of sale whereby the pharmacist may see the customer and/or enter into an audio/video dialogue with the customer.
9. A method or apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the data link is a network which includes an Internet or Intranet connection.
10. A method or apparatus according to claim 10, wherein there are a plurality of sales assistants'points of sale connected over the network to said pharmacist or to a plurality of pharmacists.