Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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nA CONTAINER SYSTEM POR DISPENSING PHARNACEUTICAL
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PRESCRIPTIONS TO VISUALLY OR MEDICALLY INPAIRED USERS"
Summary of the Invention
A major problem in the dispensation of prescription
drugs is that a high portion of such drugs are consumed by
patients who tend to be either visually or medically
impaired or both. It is well-known even outside of the
medical profession that for maximum effectiveness, in fact
sometimes crucial to effectiveness, prescription drugs
must be taken as directed; that is, at a specific dosage
rate such as one per day, one ~ith each meal, one with
each meal and at bed time, one every four hours, etc. In
addition, users of prescription drugs sre frequently
required to take more than one prescription; and normally
the dosage rates for the different prescriptions vary.
For the mentally and visually astute, follo~ing directions
on prescription bottles is not difficult, but for a large
nwmber of prescription medicine users it is a serious
problem.
The present invention is directed towards a ~gstem
allowing a pharmacist to dispense drugs in containers in a
manner to apprise the visually and/or medically imp~ired
of the ditference between drugs and the difference between
the dosage requirements. In àddition, the system of this
invention provide~ a convenient manner ~or the pharmacist
to record the type of container in ~hich particular
prescriptlon drugs are provided to users so as to assist
the user in proper use of prescription drugs.
The system employ~ a plurality of cont~iners for use
in dispensing prescription pharmaceuticals. The
containers may be of the plastic iojection molded
cylindrical type, each with a bottom and a cylindrical
sidewall and an open top closed by a lid. Each container
has thereon at least one visual and tactile indicia in the
form of a raised symbol. The raised symbol is of a type
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wherein the shape is easily determined by feel and/or
sight. The symbol may be a circle, a square, horizontal
bar, c vertical bar, etc.
The raised symbol is repeated in spaced apart
arrangement on the container a number of times, which
number is indicative of the prescribed dossge rate.
In the preferred arrangement, each container has, as
supplied by the manufacturer, a removable gummed label
indicating the shape of the s~nbol and the number of
symbols on the container.
The containers are preferably supplied to a
pharmacist as a system consisting of a series of sets of
container~. Each set of containers includes a selected
symbol and each container in the set has thereon a
different number of such selected symbol~. ~or inætance,
a typical set would include four containers each having a
symbol in the form of a raised circle thereon. The ~irst
contsiner has one raised circle; the second container, two
spaced apart raised circles; the third container, three
spaced apart raised circles; and the fourth container,
four spaced apart raised circles. The raised symbols are
configured so that they are Yisually easily discernable
and are preferably brightly colored so a~ to contrast with
the background color of the container. Tbe symbols are of
a size and height to be tactilely easily discernible so
that a user can feel of the container and easily recognize
two features. The first feature that the user recognizes
is the shape of the s~mbol such as, a square, a circle, a
vertical bar, a horizontal bar, etc. This imparts to the
user information as to the type of prescription drug
contained in the container. Next, the user can readily
see and/or feel the number of such symbols. This {mparts
to the user the dosage rate for the particular
prescription drug contained therein. As an example, if
the drug is to be taken one per day, then one such s~mbol
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will be employed. If the dosage rate is one in the
morning and one at bed time, two of such symbol~ will be
employed. If the dosage rate is one before each meal,
three of such symbols will be employed. If the dosage
rate is one at each meal and one at bed time, four of such
symbols will be employed.
Thus, the user can easily see and/or feel indicia
differentiating one drug from another and also the dosage
rate. For instance, suppose a user is taking prescription
A and prescription B -- prescription A whlch must be taken
one per day and prescription B must be taken four times
per day. The pharmacist will always dispense prescription
~A" in a container having a certain symbol, such as a
circle, and prescription "B" in a container having a
different symbol, such QS a square. More specifically,
the pharmacist will alway3, for this user, place
prescription A in a container having one circle thereon
and prescription B in a container having four squares
thereon. The user then learns to correlate each symbol
with each speci~lc medication and is reminded Or the
different dosage rates by the number of symbol~ on the
containers.
The individual containers are preferably supplied to
the pharmacist in sets, there being one set for each
symbol, and the number Or containers in each set being
from 1 to "nn, ~n" bein~ the maximurn prescription rate for
the specific system. ~or instance, if the system is
designed to employ a do~age rate reminder o~ from one to
four then each set will contain four containers. A
typical complete set for use by a pharmacist would
contain, as an example, a dispensing tray complete with
color tabs distinct to each color symbol and sixteen
containers for dispensing prescription pharmaceuticals.
When a user purchases a pharmaceutical, the pharmacist
selects a symbol to correlate with the particular
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prescription drug, such as a circle. The pharmacist then
selects the container having the number of circle~
indicative of the prescription rate. The pharmacist can
than explain to the user that the circle indicates a
certain drug. For instance, if a user is provided with a
blood thinner medication, the pharmacist can explain to
the user that a container with A Ci rcle means that the
prescription is the blood thinner. Ii the same user is
also under a prescription for a anti-depressant drug the
~harmacist can explain to the user that the anti-
depressant drug employs a different symbol, such as a
horizontal bar. Each time the pharmacist refllls the
prescription for this user, a container employing the
symbol correlating with the drug i3 selected; and the
container which indicates the prescription rate is
selected.
To assist the pharmacist in correlating the use Or
the container system, each container is preferably
supplied by the manu-acturer with a removable gummed label
thereon indicating the shape of the symbol and the number
thereo~. The pharmacist can then remo~e the gummed label
from the container before it is handed to the user; and
the gumned label can be attached directly to the record
kept by the pharmacist. In this way, the pharmacist can
always dispense each drug used by a customer with the same
symbol; and can utilize containers having the appropriate
symbol and the number of symbols thereon corresponding to
the dosage rate.
Others have suggested the importance o~ indicating
prescriptions and dosage requirements on the exterior Or
containers and for reference to suggestions by others as
to how this problem may be solved, reference may be had to
the following United States patents found in a prior art
search: 2,066,183; 2,456,155; 2,587,147; 2,713,845;
a,817,451; 3,446,179; 3,537,422; 3,648,647; 4,208,983.
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Of the patents found in the search No. 4,208,983 to
Buckley et al. issued June 24, 1980 for "Container F~r
Symbolically Indicating Pharmaceutical Prescription" is
perhaps the closest known prior art. This patent covers
the concept of containers having indicia on the exterior
thereof which is tactilely discernible, however, the
concept revealed in the patent is rather complex and
requires the pharmacist to cut away projections extending
from the exterior of the container. The system of thi~
patent is, therefore, rather unhandy to utilize and is
susceptible to error and mistake. The present invention
represents an improvement over the previously known
methods of attempting to aid the user of pharmaceutical
prescriptions by providing a simple, inexpensive and
expedient system for dispensing prescription
pharmaceuticals in 8 way to provide the maximum
information to the user in the least complicated manner.
A better understanding of the invention will be had
by reference to the following description and claims,
taken in conjunction with the attached drawings.
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Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is an external isometric view of a container
for dispensing prescriptlon pharmaceuticals employing the
principles of this invention.
Figure 2 is a rear view of the container of Figure 1
without the lid showing the employment of a removable
gumned tag thereon.
Figures 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D show fragmentary portions
of the exterior of the cylindrical wall of containers
showing the emplo~nent of a raised square symbol as a
visual and tactile indicia with 1, a~ 3, and 4 such
symbols being utilized.
~ igures 4A - 4D show the employment of 1, 2, 3, and 4
circles as raised symbols.
~ igures 5A, 5B, 5C and SD illustrate the employment
of 1, 2, 3, and 4 vertical bars as raised symbols.
~ igures 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D show the employment of 1,
a, 3, and 4 horizontal bars as raised symbols.
~ igure 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken
along the line 7-7 of ~igure 4A, showing the raised symbol
~on the exterior surface of the container.
¦~igure 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the
¦wall of 8 container as taken along the line 8-8 of ~igure
3B showing a squsre as used as the raised symbol.
~ igure 9 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken
along the line 9-9 of ~igure 5A, showing the use of a
single vertical bar as a raised symbol.
Figure 10 is a fra~nentary cross-sectional view o~
the wall of a container showing the use of three
horizontal bars as the raised symbols.
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Descri~tion of the Preferred Embodiment
Referring to Figure 1, a container employing the
principles of thls invention is generally indicated by the
numeral 10. The container is in the usual shape of a
prescription container as typically formed of plastic.
The container is an open top type having a bottom 12 and a
cylindrical sidewall 14. The container is closed by a
cover or lid 16. Figure 2 shows the container 10 without
the lid revealing the opened top 18. The container having
elements 12-18 is preferable of the typical type commonly
employed for dispensing prescription pharmaceuticals.
Thi~ invention provides means of modifying the container
so as to impart visual and tactile in~ormation to the user
to reduce the likelihood that a user who is visually
and/or medically impaired misuses the prescription sold to
him in the container 10.
For this purpose, the container 10 has on the
external thereof, and preferably on the external surface
14A of the sidewall an integral, raised, visual and
tactilely discernible indicia or symbol generally
indicsted by the numeral 20. Pigure 1 shows three raised
symbols ao each in the ~orm of a square. A pharmacist
would dispense medicine in a container 10 o~ ~igure 1 to a
user. The symbol 20, which is in the form of a raised
square, is indicative to the user of a particular
prescription drug. In ehis situation, the symbol, a
raised square, would indicate to the user a drug for a
specific purpose which may be, as an example, a blood
thinner. By this system, the user will be instructed that
any container 10 having a raised square symbol thereon
contains his prescribed drug thinner medication, and,
therefore, both visuallg and tactilely the user will learn
to readily identify his drug thinner medicine.
The number of raised symbols is indicative of the
dosage rate. ~igure 1 shows three such raised squares
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which indicate a dosage rate correlatable with the number
3; such as three times per day or, with each meal, or
before each mesl, or the like.
The symbols utilized may vary. ~igures 3A - 3D are
fragmentary external views of portions of the external
sidewall surface 14A of a container showing the use o~ one
symbol in Figure 3A, two symbols in Figure 3B, three
symbols in ~igure 3C and four symbols in Yigure 3D. The
s~nbols are spaced apart from each other and are of a
size, height, and spacing so as to enable the user to
easily identify the shape and number, either by sight or
feel. To further aid the visually impaired, each of the
raised symbols 20 may be colored with a color contrasting
with that of the background color of the container. The
colors may be very bright and fluorescent.
Various symbols may be employed. ~or instances,
~igures 4A - 4D show the use of 1, 2, 3, and 4 circles
aa. Each of the circles may be formed ~ith a hole or
nonraised area 22A therein to augment the identification
by feel ot the symbol. Further types of symbols may be
such as vertical bars 24, as shown in ~igures SA, SB, SC
and 5D or horizontal bars 26 shown in ~igures 6A, 6B, 6C
and 6D.
The drawings thus illustrate four different s~nbols
which may be employed, and it is easily seen that a larger
number may be used if necessary. It is believed, however,
that in the employment o~ the system of this invention,
normally sets of containers employing four different
s~nbols will suffice for the reason that most user~ of
prescription medicines do not take more than four
different kinds of medicines at a time. In addition, the
nurnber of indicators of dosage rates is shown to be 1-4.
It can be seen tbat the number may be from 1 to "n", with
"n" being the highest dosage rate; however, it is believed
that in the typical situation in which pharmaceuticals are
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dispensed that the proper dosage rate can be indicated to
the user by 1 to 4 separate symbols.
Figure a shows the rearward side of the container 10
and shows, on the external cylinder surface 14A thereof, a
removable gummed tag 28. The tag 28 has a shape or
information thereon indicating the symbol which is
integrally formed on the container to which it is attached
and the number of such symbols. ~or instance, the tag can
be square when used with square symbols 20 or round when
used with round symbols 22. When used with the vertical
bars 24 or horizontal bars 26, the syrnbol can be square
with the bars formed thereon either vertically or
horizontally and with the number of bars corresponding
with the nwnber embossed on the container. The number of
symbols can be printed on tag 28, such as the numeral "3
shown thereon indicating that container 10 has 3 square~
embossed on the cylindrical sidewall.
The containers of the present invention are
preferably sold in sets to pharmacists. A typical
complete system would include four sets, with each set
containing four containers, for a total of sixteen
containers. The pharmaci~t then selects one of the
sixteen containers to dispense a particular drug to a user
and assigns a symbol for that drug to that user. The
phsrmacist explains to the user that th~t symbol will
always indicate to him a particular drug and will explain
to the user that the number of the symbols indicate the
dosage rate. He then pulls the tag 28 from the container
before handing it to the user and places the tag on his
record which the pharmacist keeps to indicate the sale o~
the prescription to the user. In addition, as is the
usual practice, the pharmacist will attach a label to the
container identifying the patient's name, the drug and the
dosage rate. Tag 28 is placed so that it must be removed
to provide space for the pharmacist's usual typed label.
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In this way, each time a user comes to the pharmacist to
replace his prescription, the pharmacist will always
provide the same drug to the user in a container having
the same symbol, and if the dosage rate is the ssme, the
same nwmber of symbols on the container. However, if the
dosage rate has been changed by the prescribing physician,
a container is selected with the same symbol but with a
different number symbols.
There are many thousands of different prescriptions
on the market today, but it is not necessary to have a
different symbol for each prescription being marketed. It
is onl~y necessary to have a limited number of symbols to
correspond with the number of prescriptions any one user
normally consume~ at any one time.
The invention has been illustrated and described in
which the raised symbols are integrally formed on the
container exterior sidewall surface 14A. This is the
preferred embodiment of the invention. The raised symbols
could, instead, be placed on lid 16; however, this
arrangement is not preferred since the user may
inadvertently switch a lid from one container to another
(having a different prescription therein). The user is
much less likely to change prescriptions from one
container to another, therefore, placing the tactile and
visual indicia on the container sidewall is much
preferred.
The invention has also been illustrated and described
in which the raised symbols are integrally ~or~ed on the
container. Another means of practicing the invention
includes affixing the ~mbols to the container, either
sidewall or lid, but preferably sidewall, by use of
adhesively applied symbols. Raised and preferably also
brightly colored symbols may be made of plastic, or thin
metal, with adhesive backing. The adhesive is preferably
of the type which, when once applied, makes the symbol
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very difficult to remove, as contrasted with the easily
removed tag 28 previously described.
The claims and the specification describe the
invention presented and the terms that are employed in the
claims draw their meaning from the use of such terms in
the specification. The same terms employed in the prior
art may be broader in meaning than specifically employed
herein. Whenever there is a question between the broader
definition of such terms used in the prior art and the
more specific use of the terms herein, the more specific
meaning is meant.
While the invention has been described with a certain
degree of particularity it is manifest that many changes
may be made in the details of construction and the
arrangement of components without departing from the
spirit and scope of this disclosure. It is understood
that the invention is not limited to the embodiments set
forth herein for purposes of exemplification, but is to be
limited only be the scope of the attached claim or claims,
including the full range of equivalency to which each
element thereof is entitled.
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