METHOD, SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING PATIENT ACCESS TO MEDICAMENTS

• US 20130226339A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MedicaSafe, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MedicaSafe, Inc.
• Inventors: Ervin, Matthew J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,235,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/240
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/03 for pills or tablets containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0409 with timers
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0436 resulting from removing a drug from, or opening, a container
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

Systems and methods for detecting a likely misuse of a medicament by a user. The system includes a computer communicatively coupled with a dispensing device. The computer receives a usage pattern of a medicament by the user as indicated by the dispensing device and a result of a test correlating with an actual consumption of the medicament by the user. Based on the usage pattern, the computer computes an estimated result of a test corresponding to the at least one predetermined test. Based on a comparison between the estimated result and the test result, a determination is made as to whether the user has likely misused the medicament.

Claims

1. A method of detecting use of a medicament by a user, comprising:

receiving, by a master system, a usage pattern of a medicament by the user;

receiving, by the master system, a result of at least one predetermined test performed on the user or a test sample extracted from the user, the test result correlating with an actual consumption of the medicament by the user;

computing, by the master system, an estimated result of a test corresponding to the at least one predetermined test based on the usage pattern; and

comparing the estimated result and the test result.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage pattern includes one or more dispensing events of a dispensing device containing the medicament.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the usage pattern includes information regarding one or both of the time of a dispensing event and the amount of the medicament being dispensed at a dispensing event.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the dispensing device is capable of generating the usage pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein computing the predicted result is further based on patient characteristics.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the medicament includes an opioid.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting the user to submit to the at least one predetermined test at a randomly selected time.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing the at least one predetermined test by a portable medical monitor.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the user has likely misused the medicament based on comparing the estimated result and the test result.

10. A method of detecting a likely misuse of a medicament by a user, comprising:

receiving, by a master system, a usage pattern of a medicament by the user;

receiving, by the master system, a result of at least one predetermined test performed on the user or a test sample extracted from the user, the test result correlating with an actual consumption of the medicament by the user;

computing, by the master system, an estimated result of a test corresponding to the at least one predetermined test based on the usage pattern; and

determining whether the user has likely misused the medication based on comparing the estimated result and the test result.

11. A system for detecting use of a medicament by a user, comprising:

a computer communicatively coupled with a dispensing device, the computer configured to;

receive a usage pattern of a medicament by the user and a result of a test correlating with an actual consumption of the medicament by the user,

based on the usage pattern, compute an estimated result of a test corresponding to the at least one predetermined test; and

comparing the estimated result and the test result.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a dispensing device capable of dispensing the medicament contained therein and generating the usage pattern of the medicament by the user.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the dispensing device is capable of automatically sending the generated usage pattern to the computer.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer is further configured to:

determine whether the user has likely misused the medicament based on comparing the estimated result and the test result.

15. A system for detecting a likely misuse of a medicament by a user, comprising:

a computer communicatively coupled with a dispensing device, the computer configured to;

receive a usage pattern of a medicament by the user and a result of a test correlating with an actual consumption of the medicament by the user,

based on the usage pattern, compute an estimated result of a test corresponding to the at least one predetermined test; and

determine whether the user has likely misused the medicament based comparing the estimated result and the test result.