Interactive medication container labeling

• US 8,391,104 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2009
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Southwest Technology Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Carlos De La Huerga
• Inventors: de la Huerga, Carlos
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska, Vit W
• Application Number:
  US12/463,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20090294521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 368/10, 235/375, 235/385, 235/462.08, 283/81, 283/83, 221/2, 221/3, 221/15, 705/2, 206/459.5
• US Class Current: 368/10
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/035 Blister-type containers blisters in general B65D75/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/1437 Locking means requiring key or combination to open the container
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/10 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/20 Colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/30 Printed labels
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/70 Audible labels, e.g. for pre-recorded info or messages
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0084 for multiple medicaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0418 with electronic history memory
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0436 resulting from removing a drug from, or opening, a container
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0445 for preventing drug dispensing during a predetermined time period
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0454 for dispensing of multiple drugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07762 the adhering arrangement making the record carrier wearable, e.g. having the form of a ring, watch, glove or bracelet record carriers for insertion in the human body for medical purposes A61B90/00; record carriers adapted for attachment to animals A01K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

This invention relates to the dispensing, creation, and selecting of memory devices that are used with interactive medication containers, dispensers, reminders, or consoles that hold or otherwise organize one or more medication vials or containers. The memory device is attached or adhered to a medication container or vial and has information corresponding to medication and prescription information. The memory device can be prepared when a standard medication label is printed by a pharmacist and can be part of the standard printed label. In other instances the memory device is separate from the medication label. When separate, the memory device has a printed section that identifies the dosing schedule or medication name that corresponds to the reminder schedule the memory device is associated with. The pharmacist or the customer/patient can match the text printed on the memory device with the text of the medical container label to ensure the memory device is only attached to the correct medication container.

Claims

1. A method of labeling a medication container, the method comprising the steps of:

a. providing medication in a container wherein the container includes a label that includes a first indicator wherein the first indicator includes at least one of first patient information and first prescription dosing information for a specific patient;

b. providing a memory device having a second indicator including at least one of second patient information and second prescription dosing information wherein the memory device includes a machine readable component that provides information related to the second prescription dosing information;

c. comparing the first indicator and the second indicator to ensure that at least one of the first and second patient information correspond and the first and second prescription dosing information correspond; and

d. attaching the memory device to the container when at least one of the first and second patient information correspond and the first and second prescription dosing information correspond.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second indicators includes text representing both common specific medication information and prescription dosing information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second indicators are text representing at least a dosing regimen identifier.

4. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

a. using a medication reminder system to obtain information related to the second prescription dosing information from the memory device; and

b. using the information related to the second prescription dosing information obtained by the reminder system to establish a dosing schedule where the schedule is used to provide consumption alerts when the medication is to be consumed where the alert is based on the automated sensing of a consumption event by a sensor of the medication reminder system.

5. The method of claim 4 further including the step of using the dosing schedule to provide alerts when a medication is being consumed prematurely before a next scheduled consumption alert.

6. The method of claim 1 where in the step of providing a memory device includes providing a device where the machine readable component includes at least one of an electronic memory readable by contact, an electronic memory readable by a wireless reader, and at least one bar code.

7. The method of claim 1 where the step of providing the medication in a container includes a pharmacist providing the medication, the first and second prescription dosing information, the first indicator, the second indicator and the information related to the second prescription dosing information.

8. The method of claim 1 where the step of providing the memory device includes the pharmacist preparing the memory device.

9. The method of claim 1 where the step of providing the memory device includes the pharmacist selecting the memory device from a stock of prepared memory devices.

10. The method of claim 1 where the step of providing the memory device further includes a customer preparing the memory device using personal preferences at a pharmacy.

11. The method of claim 1 where the step of providing the memory device includes a customer selecting the memory device from a stock of prepared memory devices.

12. The method of claim 1 where the step of attaching the memory device to the container includes attaching the memory device so the first indicator remains visible.

13. The method of claim 1 where the step of attaching the memory device includes attaching the memory device so a medication reminder system can obtain read the information related to the second prescription dosing information from the machine readable component, so the first indicator remains visible, and so normal operation of the container is preserved.

14. The method of claim 1 where the step of attaching the memory device includes attaching the memory device to the bottom of the container.

15. The method of claim 1 where the step of providing the memory device includes providing a memory device with a first mechanical feature so that when the memory device is attached to the container the memory device can operate with a second mechanical feature on the medication reminder system.

16. The method of claim 10 where the step of providing the memory device includes the step of using a computer to read a machine readable indicator on the container, using the machine readable indicator to obtain stored medication information from a database and using the stored medication information to prepare the memory device.

17. The method of claim 1 where the step of providing a memory device includes allowing an employee at a retail location to prepare the memory device.

18. The method of claim 1 where the step of providing a memory device includes allowing the selection of the memory device from a stock of prepared labels at the retail location.

19. The method of claim 1 where the step of providing a memory device includes the step of allowing the patient to prepare the memory device by specifying at least one patient preference at a the retail location.

20. The method of claim 19 where the step of allowing the patient to prepare the memory device includes the step of allowing a generic machine readable memory component on the container to be read by a computer and allowing the computer to use the information from the generic machine readable memory component to obtain stored usage information from a database and allowing the stored usage information to be used to prepare the memory device.

21. The method of claim 1 where the step of providing a memory device includes the steps of allowing a serial number linked to prescribed dosing regimen stored in a database to be used as the information related to the second prescription dosing information and allowing a medication reminder system to obtain the serial number and communicate with the database to obtain a prescribed dosing regimen for the medication.

22. The method of claim 1 where the step of providing a memory device includes the step of allowing a patient selected preference to be recorded in a database so the patient selected preference is included in the second prescription dosing information provided by the machine readable component.

23. The method of claim 12 wherein at least one of the label and the memory device includes a main body portion including one of a flag segment and a transparent segment.

24. The method of claim 1 further includes the step of using the container and attached memory device with an automated medication reminder system.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the step of dispensing medication is performed by a pharmacist at a pharmacy and removing and attaching the memory device to the container is performed by the patient.

26. A method of labeling a medication container, the method comprising the steps of:

a. dispensing medication for a patient into a container;

b. preparing a sheet with a releasable label and a releasable memory device for the medication container where the memory device includes a machine readable memory component;

c. printing text on both the label and the memory device where the text on the label includes a first text portion including at least patient information and first information related to a dosing regimen prescribed for the patient and the text on the memory device includes a second text portion with second information related to the dosing regimen prescribed for the patient;

d. recording to the machine readable component information related to the dosing regimen and information related to at least one patient preference related to the dosing regimen prescribed by the patient

e. removing the label and attaching the label to the container; and

f. removing the memory device and attaching the memory device to the container so the machine readable component is in a position so a sensor of a medication reminder system can obtain the information related to the dosing regimen information and the information related to the patient preference prescribed by the patient from the machine readable component when the sensor is proximate the machine readable component.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein, prior to the step of attaching the memory device to the container, the method further includes the steps of comparing the first text portion and second text portion and determining that the first and second text portions match.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the first and second text portions represent patient information and at least one of a medication identifier and a prescribed dosing regimen.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the first and second text portions related to patient prescribed dosing regimen are text representing a dosing regimen identifier.

30. The method of claim 26 where the steps of attaching the first label and attaching the memory device to the container includes the step of positioning the label and memory device so that the first and second indicators are visible.

31. The method of claim 26 further including the steps of, the medication reminder system obtaining the information related to the dosing regimen from the machine readable component, providing at least a subset of the information related to the dosing regimen that is obtained to a remote database and receiving from the remote database dosing information so the medication reminder system can provide alerts indicating when to consume the medication.

32. The method of claim 26 where the step of removing the memory device and attaching the memory device to the container further includes the step of attaching the memory device to the container so that the memory device is in a position and the position is selected from at least one first position and at least one second position wherein, when the container is used with the medication reminder system, the information recorded by the machine readable memory component can be obtained from the machine readable device by the sensor when the machine readable device is in the at least one first position and the medication information is not obtainable by the sensor when the machine readable device is in the at least one second position.

33. The method of claim 26 where the memory device is a first memory device, the container is a first container, the sensor is a first sensor and the step of removing the first memory device and attaching the first memory device to the container including the step of attaching the first memory device to the first container in a designated position, the method further including the steps of dispensing a second medication for a patient into a second container and attaching a second memory device to the second container where the second memory device includes a second machine readable memory component that stores second information related to the dosing regimen for the second medication for the patient, the method further including the steps of positioning the first container relative to the first sensor so the first sensor can only obtain information from the first machine, readable memory component and positioning the second container relative to a second sensor of the reminder system so that the second sensor can only obtain information from the second machine readable memory component.

34. The method of claim 26 where the step of recording to the machine readable component includes the steps of allowing a serial number linked to the prescribed dosing regimen stored in a database to be used as the information related to the dosing regimen and allowing the medication reminder system to obtain the serial number and communicate with the database to obtain the prescribed dosing regimen for the medication.

35. The method of claim 26 where the step of recording to the machine readable component includes the step of allowing a patient selected preference to be recoded in a database so the patient selected preference is included in the dosing regimen that the information of the machine readable component relates to.

36. The method of claim 31 where the steps of positioning the memory device includes allowing at least one of the label and the memory device to have a main body with one of a flag segment and a transparent segment.

37. The method of claim 26 further includes the step of allowing the medication reminder system to be used by a customer of the pharmacy.

38. The method of claim 26 where the step of dispensing medication is performed by a pharmacist at the pharmacy and the steps of removing and attaching the memory device to the container are performed by the patient.