System and method to reduce uncertainty in procuring over-the-counter medication

• US 7,017,748 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2003
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pharmaceutical Design, LLC
• Original Assignee: Allan M. Weinstein
• Inventors: Weinstein, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gehman, Bryon P.
• Application Number:
  US10/382,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20040140241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 206/534, 206/459.5, 206/232, 283/70, 283/81, 215/365, 705/2
• US Class Current: 206/534
• 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: G09F 3/02 Forms or constructions layered products B32B
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/10 by an adhesive layer
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A system to reduce error in procurement of over-the-counter drugs that has a prescription drug dispensing container that contains a prescription drug, an over-the-counter drug dispensing container that contains an over-the-counter drug, and indicia displayed on the prescription drug dispensing container and the over-the-counter drug dispensing container to link the prescription drug and the over-the-counter drug and thereby guide the procurement of the over-the-counter drug.

Claims

1. A medication dispensing system that allows a purchaser to identify on an over-the-counter shelf an over-the-counter drug intended by a caregiver to be procured with a prescription drug prescribed by the caregiver, said system comprising:

a prescription drug dispensing container that contains a prescription drug;

a separate over-the-counter drug dispensing container that contains an over-the-counter drug, said separate over-the-counter drug dispensing container being configured for displaying on said over-the-counter shelf and for procuring by the purchaser; and

linking indicia displayed on said prescription drug dispensing container and said over-the-counter drug dispensing container wherein said linking indicia facilitates identification by the purchaser of said caregiver intended over-the-counter drug on said over-the-counter shelf to be procured with said prescription drug prescribed by the caregiver.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said linking indicia is a name, a symbol, a graphic feature or a structural feature and combinations thereof.

3. An over-the-counter drug selection and guidance system that allows a purchaser to identify on an over-the-counter shelf an over-the-counter drug intended by a caregiver to be separately procured by the purchaser with a prescription drug prescribed by the caregiver, said system comprising:

a prescription drug prepackaged by a manufacturer in a prescription drug dispensing container having guiding indica on at least one surface of said prescription drug dispensing container; and

an over-the-counter drug separately prepackaged by a manufacturer in an over-the-counter drug dispensing container having a confirming indicia on at least one surface of said over-the-counter dispensing container wherein said confirming indicia links said over-the-counter drug to said guiding indicia of said prescription drug as said over-the-counter drug intended by the caregiver to be procured with said prescription drug, said separate over-the-counter drug dispensing container being configured for displaying on said over-the-counter shelf.

4. The selection and guidance system of claim 3 wherein said guiding indicia and said confirming indicia are a name, a symbol, a graphic feature or a structural feature and combinations thereof.

5. A method to guide the selection of an over-the-counter medication as an over-the-counter drug intended by a caregiver to be procured with a prescription drug prescribed by the caregiver, said method comprising:

manufacturing a prescription drug in a prepackaged prescription drug dispensing container, said prescription drug container having guiding indicia thereon;

manufacturing an over-the-counter drug in a separate prepackaged dispensing container, said container having a confirming indicia thereon wherein said confirming indicia links said over-the-counter drug to said guiding indicia on said prescription drug as said over-the-counter drug intended by the caregiver to be procured with said prescription drug, said separate over-the-counter drug dispensing container being configured for displaying on said over-the-counter shelf.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising using a name, a symbol, a graphic feature or a structural feature and combinations thereof as said guiding and confirming indicia.

7. A method to reduce error in the procurement of an over-the-counter drug by a patient when said over-the-counter drug is advised for use together with a prescription drug, said method comprising:

prescribing a prescription drug in a prepackaged prescription drug dispensing container that has a linking indicia disposed thereon;

recommending an over-the-counter drug in a package having indicia disposed thereon that links said indicia to said linking indicia of said prescription drug and identifies said over-the-counter drug as said over-the-counter drug advised for use together with said prescription drug; and

instructing the patient to use said linking indicia to select said over-the-counter drug from said over-the-counter shelf as a caregiver-intended treatment component to said prescription drug.

8. A pharmaceutical dispensing method that allows a purchaser to identify on an over-the-counter shelf an over-the-counter drug intended by a caregiver to be procured with a prescription drug prescribed by the caregiver, said method comprising:

stocking a prescription drug for sale in a prescription drug packaging that contains guiding indicia;

stocking on said over-the-counter shelf said over-the-counter drug for sale in packaging configured for displaying on said over-the-counter shelf, said over-the-counter drug packaging containing confirmatory indicia wherein said confirmatory indicia links said confirmatory indicia to said guiding indicia on said prescription drug and identifies to the purchaser said over-the-counter drug as said over-the-counter drug intended by said caregiver to be separately procured by the purchaser; and

dispensing said prescription drug to the purchaser having a prescription for said prescription drug.

9. A medication dispensing system that allows a purchaser to identify an over-the-counter drug intended by a caregiver to be procured with a prescription drug prescribed by the caregiver, said system comprising:

a prescription drug dispensing means that contains a prescription drug;

separate over-the-counter drug dispensing means that contains an over-the-counter drug, said separate over-the-counter drug dispensing means being configured for displaying on an over-the-counter shelf; and

linking means on said prescription drug dispensing means and said over-the-counter drug dispensing means wherein said linking means facilitates identification by the purchaser of the caregiver intended over-the-counter drug to be procured with said prescription drug prescribed by said caregiver.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said linking means is a name, a symbol, a graphic feature or a structural feature and combinations thereof.