Medication management

• US 10,304,563 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2018
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TouchStream Corp.
• Original Assignee: TouchStream Corp.
• Inventors: Benzel, Joel, Gretzinger, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Gort, Elaine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hein, Devin C
• Application Number:
  US16/156,503
• Time in Patent Office: 230 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

Medication management is facilitated at least by accessing at least a portion of data, the data may identify medication sets to be taken by a user according to a schedule including time periods. Each of the plurality of medication sets may be associated in the data with identification codes and at least one of the time periods. A medication message may be output identifying a particular medication set of the medication sets to be taken at a particular time period of the time periods. An input identification code may be received, and it may be determined whether the input identification code corresponds to the particular medication set. A warning message may be output in response to it being determined that the input identification code does not correspond to the particular medication set.

Claims

1. A medication management system comprising:

a first medication container assembly including a first plurality of individual medication containers, the first plurality of individual medication containers configured to retain a first plurality of medication sets, the first medication container assembly associated with a first patient, the first plurality of individual medication containers respectively including a first plurality of computer-readable identification codes, each individual medication container of the first plurality of individual medication containers including a respective computer-readable identification code of the first plurality of computer-readable identification codes that is different than every other computer-readable identification code of the first plurality of computer-readable identification codes, each individual medication container of the first plurality of individual medication containers configured to retain a respective medication set of the first plurality of medication sets, and each medication set of at least one medication set of the first plurality of medication sets includes a respective group of different types of medications;

a second medication container assembly including a second plurality of individual medication containers, the second plurality of individual medication containers configured to retain a second plurality of medication sets, the second medication container assembly associated with a second patient, the second plurality of individual medication containers of the second medication container assembly respectively including a second plurality of computer-readable identification codes, each individual medication container of the second plurality of individual medication containers including a respective computer-readable identification code of the second plurality of computer-readable identification codes that is different than every other computer-readable identification code of the second plurality of computer-readable identification codes, the second plurality of computer-readable identification codes mutually exclusive with the first plurality of computer-readable identification codes of the first medication container assembly, and each individual medication container of the second plurality of individual medication containers configured to retain a respective medication set of the second plurality of medication sets; and

a computer system physically distinct from the first medication container assembly and the second medication container assembly and comprising an input-output device system, a processor-accessible memory device system storing a program, and a data processing device system communicatively connected to the processor-accessible memory device system and the input-output device system,

wherein the data processing device system is configured by the program at least to;

receive a first input identification code via the input-output device system;

determine that the first input identification code is improper based at least on a comparison of the first input identification code with an expected identification code, the expected identification code selected from at least the first plurality of computer-readable identification codes from the first plurality of individual medication containers of the first medication container assembly; and

cause the input-output device system to output a warning in response to it being determined that the first input identification code is improper.

2. The medication management system of claim 1, wherein the data processing device system is configured by the program at least to store, in the processor-accessible memory device system, the first plurality of computer-readable identification codes respectively in association with a first plurality of medication taking events and respectively in association with the first plurality of medication sets.

3. The medication management system of claim 2,

wherein each medication taking event of the first plurality of medication taking events is different than every other medication taking event of the first plurality of medication taking events, and

wherein the first plurality of medication taking events respectively are associated with the first plurality of medication sets, which are respectively associated with the first plurality of individual medication containers.

4. The medication management system of claim 3, wherein the data processing device system is configured by the program at least to store, in the processor-accessible memory device system, the second plurality of computer-readable identification codes respectively in association with a second plurality of medication taking events and respectively in association with the second plurality of medication sets.

5. The medication management system of claim 4,

wherein each medication taking event of the second plurality of medication taking events is different than every other medication taking event of the second plurality of medication taking events, and

wherein the second plurality of medication taking events respectively are associated with the second plurality of medication sets, which are respectively associated with the second plurality of individual medication containers.

6. The medication management system of claim 2, wherein the data processing device system is configured by the program at least to store, in the processor-accessible memory device system, the second plurality of computer-readable identification codes respectively in association with a second plurality of medication taking events and respectively in association with the second plurality of medication sets.

7. The medication management system of claim 2, wherein the data processing device system is configured by the program at least to associate, in the processor-accessible memory device system, the respective group of different types of medications in the processor-accessible memory device system with a single respective computer-readable identification code associated with a respective individual medication container configured to retain the respective group of different types of medications, the single respective computer-readable identification code being from the first plurality of computer-readable identification codes, and the respective individual medication container being from the first plurality of individual medication containers.

8. The medication management system of claim 2, wherein each individual medication container of the first plurality of individual medication containers is associated with a time window within a 24-hour period, each time window associated in the processor-accessible memory device system with a respective medication taking event of the first plurality of medication taking events, as well as a start time and an end time.

9. The medication management system of claim 2, wherein the data processing device system is configured by the program at least to store, in the processor-accessible memory device system, a first medication taking event of the first plurality of medication taking events in association with a first dosage of a first medication, and to store, in the processor-accessible memory device system, a second medication taking event of the first plurality of medication taking events in association with a second dosage of the first medication.

10. The medication management system of claim 1, wherein the data processing device system is configured by the program at least to store, in the processor-accessible memory device system and in a state in which at least two medication sets of the first plurality of medication sets include an identical medication, different computer-readable identification codes of the first plurality of computer-readable identification codes in association with the at least two medication sets of the first plurality of medication sets, respectively.

11. The medication management system of claim 1, wherein the data processing device system is configured by the program at least to:

receive, via the input-output device system, computer-readable identification credentials associated with an identification badge and a caregiver; and

store, in response to receiving the computer-readable identification credentials, information in the processor-accessible memory device system confirming medical attention provided on a particular day and time by the caregiver.

12. The medication management system of claim 1, wherein the data processing device system is configured by the program at least to transmit, in response to it being determined that the first input identification code is improper, a message to a remote caregiver computer system indicating that a medication taking event has failed.

13. The medication management system of claim 1, wherein the data processing device system is configured by the program at least to:

receive, via the input-output device system, a second input identification code;

determine that the second input identification code corresponds to an on-demand medication; and

receive input confirmation, via the input-output device system and in response to it being determined that the second input identification code corresponds to the on-demand medication, the input confirmation indicating that the on-demand medication has been taken.

14. The medication management system of claim 13, wherein the data processing device system is configured by the program at least to store, in the processor-accessible memory device system, an indication of the on-demand medication, a present dosage taken of the on-demand medication, and a time at which the present dosage of the on-demand medication was taken, in response to receiving the input confirmation.

15. The medication management system of claim 1, wherein the data processing device system is configured by the program at least to:

receive, via the input-output device system, a second input identification code;

determine that the second input identification code corresponds to an on-demand medication;

determine that a maximum dosage of the on-demand medication within a time period would be exceeded; and

cause the input-output device system to output a warning message in response to it being determined that the maximum dosage of the on-demand medication within the time period would be exceeded.

16. The medication management system of claim 1,

wherein the processor-accessible memory device system associates a first medication container of the first plurality of individual medication containers with a first time window of a first type on a first day of a week, and associates a second medication container of the first plurality of individual medication containers with a second time window of the first type on a second day of the week, the second day of the week different than the first day of the week,

wherein the processor-accessible memory device system associates the first time window of the first type on the first day of the week with a first period of time within a 24-hour period, and

wherein the processor-accessible memory device system associates the second time window of the first type on the second day of the week with a second period of time within a 24-hour period, the second period of time different than the first period of time.

17. The medication management system of claim 16, wherein the first type is a morning time window type or an evening time window type.