Prescription Pickup Notification System with Remote Payment Preauthorization
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current process of obtaining and purchasing prescription medication at retail establishments is time-consuming and inefficient, requiring customers to wait for their prescriptions to be filled and interact with cashiers, which detracts from the shopping experience and necessitates additional cashier resources.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a local device and remote server that notifies users when prescriptions are ready for pickup, allowing for payment processing through a notification and payment system, enabling preauthorization of funds for pharmaceutical medication purchases, thereby streamlining the dispensing and purchasing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a traditional cashier process is used for prescription medication purchase, then payment can be completed, but customer wait time increases and cashier resources are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs payment authorization in advance by sending a notification with payment instructions to the customer's device before they arrive at the pharmacy. The customer authorizes payment remotely, so when they pick up their prescription, the payment is already processed or ready to be processed automatically, eliminating the need to wait at the counter.
Solution Approach 2:
The customer uses their own mobile device to receive payment notifications and authorize transactions. The system leverages the customer's personal device for communication and payment authorization, reducing dependency on cashier services and enabling the customer to complete payment tasks independently.
2Productivity
If additional cashiers are hired to handle prescription payments, then payment service capacity increases, but operational cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables customers to authorize payments themselves through their mobile devices, transforming the payment process from a cashier-dependent task to a self-service operation. This reduces the need for additional cashier staff while maintaining or increasing payment processing capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification system acts as an intermediary between the pharmacy's point of sale system and the customer's payment method. It transmits payment instructions and authorization information, enabling automated payment processing without requiring direct cashier intervention for each transaction.
3Reliability
If customers wait at the retail establishment for prescription filling, then the prescription can be filled properly, but customer time and shopping experience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system notifies the customer in advance when their prescription is ready for pickup, allowing them to plan their visit accordingly. This eliminates unnecessary waiting time while ensuring the prescription has been properly filled and is ready for collection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback to the customer about the status of their prescription through notifications. When the prescription is filled and ready, the system automatically sends a notification to the customer's device, enabling them to pick it up at their convenience without prolonged waiting.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for purchasing performing operations in response to preauthorization and receiving geographic coordinates. The system includes, but is not limited to, a remote server, communicatively coupled to a third party system and a user database. The remote server is configured to query the user database to retrieve a unique identifier associated with the user and with prescription information for the user. The remote server includes a link in the unique identifier and transmits a message including the unique identifier to a local device associated with the user. The remote server receives instructions from the local device and obtains preauthorization from the third party system in response to the instructions. Furthermore, the remote server receives and tracks geographic coordinates of the local device. In response to preauthorization and tracking the geographic coordinates, initiate operations in preparation for arrival of the user.