Patent ID: 8346571

Claim:
A method for facilitating the delivery of prescription products or services, the method comprising the steps of: providing a processing unit programmed with a rules engine to carry out the steps of the method; providing a database for storage and retrieval of information by the processing unit; providing a plurality of input/output devices for communication; communicating, from a customer to the processing unit, unfilled prescription information and customer information, wherein the unfilled prescription was provided by a prescriber; communicating, from the processing unit to the customer, cost information for both the unfilled prescription and for any similar products, the cost information including a price, availability of any discount coupons, a co-pay for any third-party payer benefits, and a final cost to the customer; the customer comparing the cost information; the customer selecting a prescription, the select prescription comprising the unfilled prescription or a select similar product; communicating, from the customer to the processing unit, the select prescription comprising the prescriber modifying the unfilled prescription as needed to conform to the select prescription; communicating the modified unfilled prescription information from the processing unit to a plurality of pre-qualified prescription fulfillment providers; conducting a reverse auction in which the pre-qualified prescription fulfillment providers communicate to the processing unit interactive and iterative bids to fill the modified unfilled prescription, each fulfillment provider receiving real-time feedback communications from the processing unit regarding the status and placement of their bids in comparison to other fulfillment providers, each fulfillment provider having the option of communicating to the processing unit amended bids that include at least one of new, lower prices and ancillary services in competition with the bids of other fulfillment providers to entice the customer to select their bid; providing a results communication from the processing unit to the customer, the results communication including details of the final bid of each responding prescription fulfillment provider that made at least one bid to fill the modified unfilled prescription; and, allowing the customer to select a winning bid by sending an instruction communication to the processing unit, the communications between the customer and the processing unit and the communications between the processing unit and the fulfillment providers being accomplished using input/output devices at each of the customer, processing unit and fulfillment providers.