Pharmacy network computer system and printer

1. A network computer system, comprising:

(1) a central CS;

(2) a plurality of local CSs;

wherein said central CS and said plurality of local CS s form a network in which said plurality of local CS and said central CS can communicate with one another via network protocols;

wherein each local CS of said plurality of local CSs is associated with and proximate to a corresponding plurality of pharmacy stores, wherein each local CS of said plurality of local CSs includes a CS terminal for inputting information about pharmacy orders and a pharmacy printer for printing information relating to said pharmacy orders;

wherein each local CS of said plurality of local CSs is designed to log information about pharmacy orders including information about medicines contained in pharmacy orders;

wherein a first local CS of said plurality of local CSs includes a first pharmacy printer located in a first pharmacy store and a first pharmacy POS located in said first pharmacy store;

wherein said first pharmacy printer includes a first pharmacy printer database storing:

(1) medicine records including in each medicine record a medicine identifier in association with information about the corresponding medicine; and

(2) consumer records including in each consumer record a consumer identifier in association with CHR content to be conveyed to the consumer associated with said consumer identifier;

wherein said pharmacy printer is configured to receive and process print instructions resulting from a first pharmacy order containing a specified prescription for a specified medicine having a specified medicine identifier and a specified consumer identifier for a specified consumer, by:

(1) searching in said first pharmacy printer database for information about said specified medicine associated with said specified medicine identifier;

(2) searching in said first pharmacy printer database for information to be conveyed to said specified consumer associated with said specified consumer identifier;

(3) printing in association with one another said specified prescription, said information about said specified medicine, and said information to be conveyed to said specified consumer;

wherein said first local CS generates a de-identified pharmacy order from said first pharmacy order, encrypts said consumer identification associated with said first pharmacy order, and transmits the de-identified pharmacy order in association with the encrypted consumer identification to said central CS.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said CHR content is stored in said first pharmacy printer database in association with said specified consumer identifier.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein an identifier of said CHR content is stored in said first pharmacy printer database association with said consumer identifier.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said first local CS includes code instructing said first local CS to transmit to said central CS information about pharmacy orders including associated consumer identifiers and an address associated with said first local CS.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said central CS includes code for determining from (1) criteria it stores and (2) information about pharmacy orders associated with said specified consumer identification, CHR information to associate with said consumer identification, and said central CS includes code for transmitting an identifier of said CHR information to said first local CS.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said central CS includes code for transmitting to said first local CS medicine records including in each medicine record a medicine identifier in association with information about the corresponding medicine.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said first local CS includes code for storing in said first pharmacy printer database (1) medicine records including in each medicine record a medicine identifier in association with information about the corresponding medicine and (2) CHR information and an identifier of said CHR information.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said medicine records comprise medicine monograph data and MedGuide data.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said CHR content includes at least one of (1) names of alternative brands of a medicine specified in prescription contained in a corresponding pharmacy order, (2) an incentive offer for a subsequent purchase of a product other than said medicine, and (3) informational messages promoting said specified medicine.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein said central CS includes code for periodically transmitting identifiers of CHR information in association with said consumer identification to said first local CS.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein said central CS includes code for automatically transmitting identifiers of CHR information that it has associated with said consumer identification to said first local CS in response to transmission from said local CS to said central CS of said consumer identification, so that said CHR information is printed by said first printer concurrently or sequentially with printing by said first pharmacy printer of said specified prescription and information about said specified medicine.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein data storage size in said first pharmacy printer database for said specified prescription, said information about said specified medicine, and said information to be conveyed to said specified consumer exceeds ten megabytes.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said first pharmacy printer database store local rules that the printer implements in addition to the rules instructing it to what to print based upon identifications of medicines and CIDs, wherein said local rules include at least one of (1) content local rules to print additional text or graphics upon receipt of instructions to print specified CHR content and CHR additional content and the other print file information and (2) layout local rules to lay out all of the material for printing defined by the print file information and the specified CHR content and CHR additional content, depending upon all of the material for printing, the type of printer, and print specification such as paper width and margins.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first local CS is inside a local area network (LAN).

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein said central CS is networked to each local CS s over a wide area network.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein data transmission speed in said LAN is greater than the data transmission speed in said WAN.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein said central CS stores a master set of rules based upon printer type, material for printing, and print specifications, and includes code specifying that said central CS distributes corresponding rules to printers having corresponding printer type, material for printing, or print specifications stored by said central CS.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said system is designed to deliver to said first pharmacy printer instructions in response to a pharmacy order for printing information for the consumer placing said first pharmacy order, transmitted by both a first local CS controller CPU in the first local CS and also from said central CS.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said first pharmacy printer includes code to prioritize print instructions received from both said first local CS controller CPU and the central CS regarding a single pharmacy order.

20. A method of using a network computer system, comprising:

(1) providing a central CS;

(2) providing a plurality of local CSs;

wherein said central CS and said plurality of local CS s form a network in which said plurality of local CS and said central CS can communicate with one another via network protocols;

wherein each local CS of said plurality of local CSs is associated with and proximate to a corresponding plurality of pharmacy stores, wherein each local CS of said plurality of local CSs includes a CS terminal for inputting information about pharmacy orders and a pharmacy printer for printing information relating to said pharmacy orders;

wherein a first local CS of said plurality of local CSs includes a first pharmacy printer located in a first pharmacy store and a first pharmacy POS located in said first pharmacy store;

including in said first pharmacy printer a first pharmacy printer database storing:

(1) medicine records including in each medicine record a medicine identifier in association with information about the corresponding medicine; and

(2) consumer records including in each consumer record a consumer identifier in association with CHR content to be conveyed to the consumer associated with said consumer identifier;

configuring said pharmacy printer to receive and process print instructions resulting from a first pharmacy order containing a specified prescription for a specified medicine having a specified medicine identifier and a specified consumer identifier for a specified consumer, by:

(1) searching in said first pharmacy printer database for information about said specified medicine associated with said specified medicine identifier;

(2) searching in said first pharmacy printer database for additional information to be conveyed to said specified consumer associated with said specified consumer identifier;

(3) printing in association with one another said specified prescription, said information about said specified medicine, and said additional information to be conveyed to said specified consumer;

wherein said first local CS generates a de-identified pharmacy order from said pharmacy order containing said specified prescription, encrypts said specified consumer identifier associated with said pharmacy order containing said specified prescription, and transmits the de-identified pharmacy order containing said specified prescription in association with the specified consumer identifier to said central CS.