Serially connected packets with end indicator

• US 7,946,421 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Inventors: Palazzolo, Christina M., Kowalik, Francis C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ackun, Jr.; Jacob K
• Application Number:
  US11/741,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20080264966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• Field of Search: 206/534, 206/534.1, 206/528, 206/459.5, 206/529, 206/532, 206/536, 206/538
• 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: A61J 7/04 Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine, e.g. programmed dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/725 Incised or pre-scored openings or windows provided in the side wall of containers

Abstract

A strip containing a prescription of individual dosages of medicine includes a plurality of packets connected in a series. The plurality of packets includes at least one filled packet that includes a plurality of medications. The strip has a first end, a second end, and an ending group. The ending group includes a subset of the plurality of packets and is adjacent the second end. An indicator is associated with the ending group, wherein the indicator can inform a user that the ending group is adjacent the second end of the strip.

Claims

1. A dispensing assembly for dispensing a medication, the dispensing assembly comprising:

a container with an opening;

a strip of serially connected packets, the strip having a first end and a second end, a portion of the strip disposed in the container, the strip containing at least one prescription of individual dosages of medicine, wherein the first end extends through the opening and out of the container, and the second end is disposed in the container and below the opening, such that the second end of the strip is not visible from outside the container;

the strip including a plurality of filled packets, each of the plurality of filled packets including at least one of the individual dosages of the medicine;

the strip including an ending group, the ending group being closer to the second end of the strip than to the first end of the strip, the ending group comprising a subset of the plurality of filled packets, the subset of the plurality of filled packets comprising at least two of the plurality of filled packets; and

an indicator associated with the ending group of the strip, wherein the indicator indicates that the at least one prescription contained in the strip needs to be refilled, and wherein the indicator comprises an alternating set of packets, wherein the ending group further comprises an empty packet with no dosages of the medicine, the empty packet being positioned next to a first one of the subset of the plurality of filled packets and closer to the second end of the strip than the first one of the subset of the plurality of filled packets, wherein the alternating set of packets comprises the first one of the subset of the plurality of filled packets, the empty packet, and a second one of the subset of the plurality of filled packets, the second one of the subset of the plurality of filled packets being positioned next to the empty packet and closer to the second end of the strip than the empty packet.

2. The dispensing assembly of claim 1, wherein the strip includes an empty set of packets at the second end with no dosages of the medicine, wherein the empty set of packets raises the plurality of filled packets toward the opening.

3. The dispensing assembly of claim 1, wherein a warning message is printed on the empty packet of the alternating set of packets, and wherein the warning message further indicates that the at least one prescription contained in the strip needs to be refilled.

4. The dispensing assembly of claim 3, wherein the warning message indicates a number of days until the at least one prescription contained in the strip will run out.