Abstract:
In an effort to control the production of illegal drugs such as methamphetamine, new statutes have placed restrictions on the sale of common cold remedies that contain pseudoephedrine and other precursors used in the production of these illegal drugs. Many common products, such as Sudafed® cold medicine, have been removed from store shelves and are now behind the counter at most pharmacies. These legal restrictions vary from state to state, but most restrict the amount of product that can be purchased by quantity and time. These legal restrictions also require creation of a customer log that often includes the customer&#39;s name, address, government-issued photo identification number and/or signature. Clearance of these restricted product sales and creation of the customer log are time consuming tasks that result in long lines during the winter season. The present invention is an automated process to speed up the authorization process and creation of the customer logs. The process can be applied to a single store or multiple stores. The invention also includes a clearance terminal especially adapted for this process.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     Illegal production of methamphetamine and/or amphetamine relies upon certain precursors including over the counter cold remedies that contain ephedrine, phenylpropanolamine and/or pseudoephedrine (“PSE”), such as Sudafed® cold medicine. Recent legislation had imposed new restrictions on products that contain PSE and other precursors (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a “Restricted Product or Products”). Many products, such as Sudafed, that were once out on the shelves, are now behind the counter and are sold under strict rules to reduce the amount of Restricted Products that can readily be obtained by criminals.  
         [0002]     Many of these new laws require preparation of a customer log for purchases of Restricted Products. The logs contain various types of information, (sometimes hereinafter referred to as “Transaction Data”) which may include: the customer&#39;s name, address, telephone number, government-issued photo identification number such as driver&#39;s license number or military identification number, date of birth and signature, product(s) purchased, quantity/number of packs of product(s) purchased, grams of PSE or other precursors in the product(s) purchased, number of tablets/packages of product(s) purchased, date of transaction, time of transaction, name and/or identification of the pharmacy associate dealing with the customer and any other information or data that may be required by statute or otherwise. The laws vary and different states have different requirements for the data kept in the customer log.  
         [0003]     Some stores are using manual data entry and paper logs which can create delays and long lines at the pharmacy counter during the winter season. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., the assignee of the present application, is currently using a semi-automated system known as TaSCO that requires manual entry of the customer&#39;s name, address and drivers license. However, the TaSCO system needs to be streamlined to cut down on the amount of time it takes to authorize the purchase of a Restricted Product. Even the TaSCO system sometimes results in long lines and impatient customers during the winter season. Anything that reduces the amount of time necessary to authorize/deny sales and create the statutorily mandated customer log will improve the system and shorten or eliminate the long lines.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The present invention has two embodiments. One embodiment is a system designed for a single store and the other embodiment is a system for multiple stores. The system for a single store includes a clearance terminal, typically but not necessarily, located behind the pharmacy counter. (The clearance terminal may also be sometimes referred to as a local clearance terminal because it is located in the store.) The clearance terminal may be a personal computer with a CPU, an alpha-numeric data input device and an integrated government-issued photo identification card reader. The clearance terminal may also include a product scanner. The product scanner may also be able to read the data stored on the government-issued photo identification card. The alpha-numeric data input device could be a touch screen which also functions as a monitor. If the alpha-numeric data input device is a keyboard, the clearance terminal will also need a monitor. In some situations, the clearance terminal may be combined with a cash register, point of sale (“POS”) system or other check out station. Legal restrictions, which may vary from state to state, are inputted into the memory of the clearance terminal. These restrictions may include minimum age requirements and/or quantity limits.  
         [0005]     Each customer that wishes to purchase a Restricted Product that is located behind the counter approaches the clearance terminal and asks a pharmacy associate for the Restricted Product, such as Sudafed cold medicine. The pharmacy associate locates the product and then scans the customer&#39;s government-issued photo identification card through the card reader to electronically enter the customer&#39;s name, address and government-issued photo identification number. The government-issued photo identification card scan greatly speeds up the data entry process because the scan eliminates much of the cumbersome manual data entry for the required customer identification information. Other open field data not previously populated by the government-issued photo identification card scan, such as the customer&#39;s telephone number or any other information that may be required by a particular state, may then be manually inputted in the clearance terminal, if required. The bar code of the Restricted Product is scanned or the pharmacy associate keys in the product&#39;s universal product code to input product identification data. The number of packs of the Restricted Product is then inputted into the clearance terminal, if applicable. The product weight may then be calculated based on the product identification data and the product quantity. The clearance terminal then validates whether the proposed sale of the Restricted Product is compliant with the legal restrictions previously inputted into the memory of the clearance terminal. If the sale is authorized, the customer may sign their name on an electronic signature device which is preferred or they may sign a paper log. The pharmacy associate inputs their identification data into the clearance terminal. The customer then pays for the Restricted Product(s).  
         [0006]     Payment may be made at a separate cash register or the local clearance terminal may include a cash register and POS software. The clearance terminal stores relevant data in memory and creates an electronic transaction log of the entire sales transaction which may include date, time, product identification data for the Restricted Product that was purchased, the product quantity data, the customer identification data including information from the government-issued photo identification card scan and additional customer identification data that may be manually inputted, the customer&#39;s signature, the weight of the precursor in the product, the pharmacy associate&#39;s identification data, and any other related data that may be required by statute or otherwise like the date and time of the transaction. The electronic transaction log may be printed out for review by law enforcement authorities or any other legally authorized person or agency. The electronic transaction log may be made available in electronic format to be reviewed by law enforcement authorities or any other legally authorized person or agency. The electronic transaction log may be electronically transmitted to a law enforcement agency or any other legally authorized person or agency.  
         [0007]     With the addition of a central transaction log at a central data base, this process can be used to control Restricted Product sales at multiple stores, described below in more detail. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0008]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  are flow charts of the process for control of Restricted Product sales in accordance with legal restrictions and expedited creation of a customer log at a single store.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a multi-store system using a central data base.  
         [0010]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are flow charts of the process for control of Restricted Product sales at multiple stores using the central data base of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0011]      FIG. 4A  is a schematic drawing of the hardware used in a local clearance terminal using a touch screen as the primary alpha-numeric data entry device.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4B  is a schematic drawing of the hardware used in an alternative embodiment of a local clearance terminal using a keyboard as the primary alpha-numeric data entry device. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is a flow chart of the process for control of product sales in accordance with legal restrictions and expedited creation of a customer log at a single store. Legal restrictions for Restricted Products and exempt products and respective product identification data must be loaded into the memory of the local clearance terminal.  
         [0014]     Restricted Products are behind a counter, typically at a pharmacy. A customer must approach the counter and get the attention of a pharmacy associate. (The term “Pharmacy Associate” as used hereinafter is intended to be broadly construed and includes a pharmacist, a pharmacy technician, a pharmacy associate, a pharmacy intern, a cashier or any other person using the clearance terminal.) The customer then tells the Pharmacy Associate the names of one or more Restricted Products that they wish to purchase. The Pharmacy Associate then moves to the clearance terminal and so does the customer, if not already at this location. The clearance terminal may be a personal computer having a CPU, monitor, keyboard, government-issued photo identification card reader and optionally a product scanner. If the personal computer uses a touch screen for alpha-numeric data entry, the touch screen can also serve as a monitor and no keyboard is required.  
         [0015]     The Pharmacy Associate initiates the start sequence, box  10 , on the local clearance terminal to request authorization to sell a Restricted Product which may be denied if the proposed sale violates legal restrictions. In most cases, the clearance terminal will be located on the counter at the pharmacy with the customer on one side and the Restricted Products on the other side.  
         [0016]     The Pharmacy Associate asks the customer for their government-issued photo identification card which is scanned through a card reader to input the customer&#39;s name, address, government-issued photo identification number and any other relevant data into the clearance terminal memory. The data on the customer&#39;s government-issued photo identification card may be stored in various formats including: one dimensional barcode technology (1D barcode); two dimensional barcode technology (2D barcode); magnetic strips; the memory of an embedded integrated circuit on a smart card; or printed information printed on the card itself. The government-issued photo identification card scan is a time saving way to input customer identification data into the clearance terminal memory and is not currently practiced, to applicant&#39;s knowledge, in connection with the sale of Restricted Products, legal compliance and the creation of customer logs which are mandated by statute. Government-issued photo identification card readers are known to those skilled in the art. See products offered by NCR Corporation in Dayton, Ohio, www.ncr.com. Parsing software that reads government-issued photo identification cards and populates a blank form with data are also known and must be capable of reading the electronic data on the customer&#39;s government-issued photo identification card. See programs offered by Positive Access Corporation in Eden Prairie, Minn. www.positiveaccess.com. As used herein, the term “card reader” means an electronic input device that is: a) of the “swipe” variety, suitable for reading a memory on a card or card-like device; b) a scanner that is suitable for reading a barcode, such as a magnetic strip reader; c) a proximity card reader; d) a smartcard reader; or e) optical characteristic recognition (OCR) reader. Any magnetic or electronic device suitable for receiving information from the government-issued photo identification card is meant to be included in the term “card reader;” however, the term “card reader” specifically excludes manual data entry by typing on a keyboard.  
         [0017]     The local clearance terminal then decides, at box  14 , whether the customer is an existing customer of the pharmacy or is a new customer. Existing customers have a complete patient identification profile (also sometimes referred to as customer identification data) already stored in the memory of the clearance terminal or the pharmacy customer profile data base, described below. New customers do not have a pre-existing customer profile in memory. If the customer is not an existing customer, the clearance terminal displays a patient screen, box  16 , to the Pharmacy Associate that has been populated with as much customer identification data as can be read from the customer&#39;s government-issued photo identification card scan. The Pharmacy Associate asks the customer for any additional data (sometimes referred to as “open field data”) that may be necessary to fill in the new patient screen, box  18 . When the information is entered, and if the patient screen is fully populated, the data is stored in the memory of the clearance terminal.  
         [0018]     The “government-issued photo identification card” means a photo identification card issued by Federal or State government, such as driver licenses, State identification cards, U.S. Military Photo ID Cards or passports. If the government-issued photo identification card is not available to be scanned, the customer identification data must be manually entered which slows down the process and is not the preferred procedure.  
         [0019]     After the patient profile screen has been populated with all necessary customer identification data, the Pharmacy Associate scans the product bar code or keys in the universal product code (“UPC”), box  20 . In some stores, a product identification card is removed from a dispenser on the shelf and this card is given to the Pharmacy Associate who scans the product bar code or keys in the UPC from this product identification card. In either situation, this product information data of the Restricted Product that the customer wishes to purchase is stored in the memory of the clearance terminal. The Pharmacy Associate then keys in the product quantity data, box  22 , i.e. one pack, two packs, etc., to input this data into the memory of the clearance terminal.  
         [0020]     Simple systems may operate with product quantity alone, but some states require entry of the weight of the restricted substance. If necessary, the clearance terminal may calculate the weight of the restricted substance  24  based on the product identification data of the product selected by the customer and the product quantity data previously inputted into the memory. The clearance terminal then validates, box  26 , whether the proposed sale of the Restricted Product selected by the customer is compliant with the legal restrictions previously stored in memory. The clearance terminal retrieves previous transaction data for the same customer from the data base to validate whether the proposed sale is compliant with the legal restrictions. If the proposed sale is not in compliance, a message  28  appears on the monitor explaining why the proposed sale has been denied. The sale may be denied for any number of reasons, such as the customer being under age or has previously purchased a Restricted Product within a prohibited time interval at that store. If the sale has been authorized by the clearance terminal, a message, box  30 , is displayed on the monitor and the customer is notified, box  32 , that the sale has been approved. The customer then signs his name on a paper log or on an electronic signature device, box  34 . The Pharmacy Associate enters their identification data, box  36 , typically by keying in a personal ID number.  
         [0021]     The clearance terminal then stores all Transaction Data in the memory of an electronic transaction log, box  38 , including the customer identification data, the open field data, the product identification data of the product(s) selected by the customer, the product quantity data, the product weight of the restricted substance, the customer&#39;s electronic signature, the Pharmacy Associate personal identification data and other Transaction Data, such as date and time. The customer then pays for the Restricted Products at a cash register, box  40 . In an advanced system, the cash register may be integrated into the local clearance terminal. The customer can then leave the store.  
         [0022]     In many pharmacies, there is already a data base server with customer profiles stored in memory to facilitate filing of customer prescriptions. The present invention may utilize the existing pharmacy customer profile data base to facilitate sales of Restricted Products. In such an integrated system, when the local clearance terminal looks for an existing customer profile, box  14 , the system first searches the memory of the customer log at the local clearance terminal and then searches the memory of the pre-existing pharmacy customer profile data base. If the customer profile is not found in either memory, then the missing customer identification data on the patient screen is automatically populated, box  16 , with data obtained from the government-issued photo identification card scan. The system then proceeds to the box  18  and thereafter as previously described.  
         [0023]     Obviously, a customer can go to another store down the street to buy more Restricted Products, but such a repetitive process is time consuming. The present legislation is an attempt to reduce the production of “meth” as it is commonly called on the street. The second embodiment of this invention allows multiple stores to network their information and help defeat the aforementioned repetitive purchase strategy used by criminals. This multiple store network using a central data base, as described in  FIG. 2 , is also believed to be new.  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a multi-store system  50  using a central data base  52 . The first store  54  has at least one local clearance terminal as described above which will typically be located at the pharmacy counter. Two embodiments,  70  and  90 , of the local clearance terminal are also shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B  described below. The second store  56  also has at least one local clearance terminal. Store N    58  represents any number of additional stores in the multi-store system that also have at least one local clearance terminal. Each local clearance terminal communicates with the central data base  52  to create a master electronic log of all transactions in all stores. This multi-store system using a master electronic log will defeat the criminal that goes from store to store to accumulate a large supply of Restricted Products.  
         [0025]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are flow charts of the process for control of Restricted Product sales at multiple stores using the central data base  52  of  FIG. 2 . The multi-store builds on the process of flow charts  3 A and  3 B. Like steps will be identified with like numbers.  
         [0026]     After the government-issued photo identification card scan, box  12 , a local clearance terminal determines if the customer identification data from the card scan is stored in the memory of the local clearance terminal at the first store  54 . If the customer identification data is not in the local memory at the first store  54 , the local clearance terminal queries the master transaction log, box  15 , of the central data base  52  to see if the customer identification data is in the memory of the master transaction log. The local clearance terminal can be connected to the central data base via a network, a modem, or any other communicational method. If the customer identification data is in either memory, the program advances to entry of product identification data, box  20 . However, if the customer identification data is not in either memory, the new patient screen will be populated with customer identification data from the government-issued photo identification card scan, box  16 . Any other required open field data will be manually inputted, box  18 . The process then goes to box  20  for entry of product identification data.  
         [0027]     The process is the same through the steps  22 ,  24  and  26 . If the validation for customer eligibility, box  26 , at the local clearance terminal is clear, the master transaction log must also be queried, box  27 , to make sure the customer has not made a prior purchase at another store that would cause the present purchase to be denied. If both the local clearance terminal and the master transaction log at the central data base authorize a sale, the process moves to box  30  and thereafter to complete the sale. The new transaction should be updated to the central data base.  
         [0028]      FIG. 4A  is a schematic drawing of the hardware used in a local clearance terminal  70  using a touch screen  76  as the primary alpha-numeric data entry device. The local clearance terminal  70  includes a personal computer  72 , with a CPU  74 , the touch screen  76 , an electronic signature capture device  78 , with pen  80 , and a bar code scanner  82 . This embodiment of a local clearance terminal could also include a keyboard, but it would be redundant of the touch screen  76 . The term “Data Entry Module  84 ” as used in connection with the local clearance terminal  70 , includes the touch screen  76 , the electronic signature capture device  78  and the bar code scanner  82 .  
         [0029]      FIG. 4B  is a schematic drawing of the hardware used in an alternative embodiment of a local clearance terminal  90  using a keyboard  96  as the primary alpha-numeric data entry device. The local clearance terminal  90  includes a personal computer  92  with a CPU  94 , a keyboard  96 , a monitor  98 , an electronic signature capture device  100  with pen  102 , and a bar code scanner  104 . This alternative embodiment of the local clearance terminal could also include a touch screen, but it would be redundant of the keyboard  96  and the monitor  98 . The term “Data Entry Module  106 ” as used in connection with the local clearance terminal  90  includes the keyboard  96 , the electronic signature capture device  100  and the bar code scanner  104 .  
         [0030]     In large stores with high customer volume, it is desirable to have several local clearance terminals in each store to prevent long lines. One way to configure this system for a single store is to have several local clearance terminals, each with its own personal computer, that are networked to make sure that the validation steps check the memory of the transaction log in each of the individual personal computers. Yet another more economical way to configure multiple clearance terminals in a single store is to have a single personal computer hard wired to several Data Entry Modules, each of which serves as a local clearance terminal for purposes of forming lines to handle a large volume of customers.