Gary B Thornton

US Patent:

56285302, May 13, 1997

Filed:

Dec 12, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/571122

Inventors:

Gary B. Thornton - Raleigh NC

Assignee:

Info Tec LLC - Raleigh NC

International Classification:

B42D 1500

US Classification:

283 67

Abstract:

A method and system for collectively tracking demographics of physician (12,14) prescribed starter drug samples dispensed to a plurality of patients (18,20) from a plurality of different dispensing locations (38,40) employs a multipart product specific sample drug voucher, such as a smart card (100) or a preprinted two part voucher (102), which has a marketing information portion (30,34) and a separable prescription portion (32,36) to be completed by the prescribing physician with starter drug sample quantity and dosage information along with patient demographic information. The prescription portion (32,36) is segregated from the marketing information portion (30,34) at the pharmacy (38,40) either electronically by a card reader (112), if it had been encoded on a smart card (100) by the physician (12,14), or physically by separation along a perforation (50), if recorded on a two part voucher (102), and is electronically retreivably stored in the pharmacy computer (130) from where this tracking information is electronically transmitted to a central remote computer (134), such as at the drug manufacturer, for subsequent rapid market analysis (136).