Method And Rack With Medication-Related Information
According to the preferred embodiment, a rack (10) is provided to stock medication containers (16). The medication rack (10) has a base (12) and a perpendicular partition (14) that splits the base (12) by the middle. On both sides of the base (12), a plurality of cavities (15) that match the bottom portion of medication containers (16) are provided for pegging the containers (16) into a position. A paper chart (30) is further provided, including imprinted indicia and medication-related information (31). The chart (30) folds in half and drapes over the partition (14), covering both sides of the partition (14). A clear cover (18), made of a material such as clear plastic, is positioned over the chart (30). The cover (18) matches the contour of the partition (14), and snaps into the base (12) of the rack (10). The indicia and medication-related information (31) of the chart (30) is visible through the clear cover (18) so that indicia and medication-related information (17) of the container (16) can be matched and confirmed with the indicia and medication-related information (31) of the chart (30) when the containers (16) are placed into the cavities (15), in order to help to facilitate a user's ability to confirm what medications to take and what medications not to take out of the medications which are accessible to the user.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection regarding the facsimile reproduction, by anyone, of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONThis application is related to co-pending application APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FACILITATING MEDICATION-RELATED INFORMATION, filed on the same date as the present application, and naming Maria Lourdes Rivero as inventor, the application incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the health care field, specifically to a medication rack and method for the purpose of facilitating a user's ability to confirm what medications to take and what medications not to take out of the medications which are accessible to the user.
2. Description of Prior Art
Often times, users of medications struggle with the issue of understanding how to take them properly. The elderly and those with low literacy represent two groups that can have problems assimilating what medications to take. For example, when a physician changes a particular user's old prescription medication, the physician will generally instruct the user to discontinue the old medication, and will give the user a prescription for a new medication. Accordingly, the user will have the new prescription filled at a pharmacy, and subsequently carry the new prescription medication to his/her place of residence. A problem may arise when there remains a medication container with a portion of the old prescription medication in the user's residence, along with containers of other medications that the user may be taking, and then the user becomes confused trying to identify which medication to discontinue and which medications to continue to take. In some cases, for example, the user may in err end-up consuming both the new prescription medication as well as the old prescription medication. Or the user may discontinue the wrong medication. All accessible medications, including discontinued medications as well as those medications that may have been prescribed for other residents of the user's household, represent a possible source of confusion for certain users.
Any consequential errors can cause serious health consequences for users. Accordingly, various inventions have been developed to attempt to address the issue of proper medication consumption.
It is well known that conventional pill boxes are available in various shapes and forms, through many drug stores. Additionally, modified pill boxes can provide an incremental degree of benefit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,371 to Malpass shows a pill box with an inner cover and fill cavity for each type of medication, and time of day. In preparing the device for use, a pharmacist or other person will open the inner cover and fill each cavity with an example of the appropriate dosage of medication corresponding to the time of day during which the medication should be taken. Thus, at the start of each day, the patient or other person will pull the appropriate dose of daily medication out of conventional medication containers, and place it in corresponding cavities to match the example within the inner cover of Malpass' pill box. Although Malpass' invention reduces the possibility of error in the case of certain consistent medications, errors are still possible because, depending on the manufacturer, the same medication may come in different shapes, colors, and sizes, particularly when dealing with generic prescription medications.
In general, there are significant disadvantages associated with currently available pill box art. The user of a currently available pill box may be incapable of properly navigating the medication labels in order to match the information on the labels with the information on the pill box. Thus, the user may be unable to stock the pill box. In those cases, a pharmacist or other person must undertake the laborious, and therefore relatively inefficient, process of stocking the medications into the numerous compartments that most pillboxes have in common. Confusion and errors during the process of filling conventional pill boxes can lead to potentially serious consequences for patients. Importantly, it is well known that when patients are confused about medications or when patients experience side effects due to errors related to their medication intake, they are less likely to be compliant.
Conventional medication charts, which list the user's medications as well as medication instructions, help to clarify what medications to take and what medications not to take, but are too abstract for certain users, such as the elderly and those with low literacy. Moreover, a medication chart does nothing to organize the various medication containers that a user may be employing.
Electronic apparatuses of various structures and functions have been developed to address the issue of proper medication consumption. However, these apparatuses are relatively costly and necessitate maintenance.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGESAccordingly, the objects and advantages of the current invention are:
-
- (a) to provide a medication rack and method that will help to facilitate a user's ability to assimilate what medications to take and what medications not to take out of the medications which are accessible to him/her, and
- (b) to provide a medication rack and method that will help to facilitate a user's ability to discontinue a medication when directed to do so, and
- (c) to provide a medication rack and method that includes indicia and medication-related information according to co-pending application APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FACILITATING MEDICATION-RELATED INFORMATION, and
- (d) to provide a medication rack and method which can be effectively and efficiently dispensed, especially at any point wherein medications are dispensed to users.
Further objects and advantages will become apparent upon further study of the balance of this application.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to the preferred embodiment, a rack is provided to stock medication containers. The medication rack has a base and a perpendicular partition that splits the base by the middle. On both sides of the base, a plurality of cavities that match the bottom portion of the medication containers are provided for pegging the containers into a position. A paper chart is further provided, including imprinted indicia and medication-related information pertaining to the medications that a particular user consumes. The chart folds in half and drapes over the partition, covering both sides of the partition. A clear cover, made out of a material such as clear plastic, is subsequently positioned over the chart. The cover matches the contour of the partition, and snaps into the base of the rack. The indicia and medication-related information of the chart is visible through the clear cover so that indicia and medication-related information of the container can be matched with the indicia and medication-related information of the rack, when the containers are pegged into position within the cavities, therefore, helping to facilitate a user's ability to confirm what medications should be consumed.
According to the preferred embodiment,
Referring again to
Referring again to
Referring again to
Referring again to rack 40, as illustrated on
Referring again to
Referring again to
Referring again to
Referring again to
Referring again to
The operation of the preferred embodiment, as depicted in
Referring again to
Referring again to
Referring again to
As depicted in
Referring again to
Referring again to
Referring to
The pharmacist or other person will imprint conventional medication information onto label 49, and attach label 49 onto containers 16. Containers 16 will then be stocked into rack 52 by the pharmacist or other person. The pharmacist or other person will then distribute rack 52, preferably fully stocked with the medications that the user consumes, to the user.
The ability of the user of rack 52 to assimilate what medications to take and what medications not to take out of the medications that are accessible to the user will be facilitated, in a similar manner as with rack 10.
As depicted in
The pharmacist or other person will imprint conventional medication information onto label 49, and attach label 49 onto containers 16.
The ability of the user of rack 64 to assimilate what medications to take and what medications not to take out of the medications that are accessible to the user will be facilitated. However, whereas the more efficient rack 10 is intended to store only those medications that the user needs to consume, rack 64 excludes structure for container 16 storage. Therefore, the user will need to realign containers 16 with rack 64 every time rack 64 is moved, and also take care that medications which are not intended for the user do not get mixed-up with the user's medications.
CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE OF INVENTIONThus, the reader will note that the medication rack and method of the present invention will enhance the user's ability to assimilate what medications to take and what medications not to take out of the medications that are accessible to the user. And because the racks of the present invention are preferably simple in structure and are preferably constructed of injection molded plastic, the cost involved in production is relatively low, especially when a chart of the present invention is produced using a conventional printer and paper. Additionally, the size and manner of production of the medication racks of the present invention make them efficient and effective for distribution at any point wherein medications are distributed to users, such as a pharmacy.
While the above description contains much specificity, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as exemplifications of one preferred embodiment and various alternative embodiments thereof. Many other variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, within the scope of the present invention, racks are included wherein the indicia and/or medication-related information of the present invention can be attached to the racks by employing any permanently attached or removably attached medium. More specifically, indicia and/or medication-related information included in the present invention can attach to racks included in the present invention by imprinting on a sheet-like material, such as paper, which is then glued-on to the rack, in the form of one of the charts of the current invention, or mechanically attached to the rack, in a manner similar to cover 18. Another medium involves the indicia and/or medication-related information of the present invention being removably attached to a rack of the present invention by employing adhesive-backed vinyl letters, or the indicia and/or medication-related information of the present invention can be silk-screened onto the rack of the present invention, or hand-written with a marker.
Within the scope of the present invention, racks are included encompassing any structure, provided that the racks: include structure for sustaining at least two medication containers 16; include structure for sustaining indicia and/or medication-related information of the present invention in any medium; include structure for sustaining the indicia and/or medication-related information of the present invention so that the at least two medication containers 16 can be aligned with the corresponding indicia and/or medication-related information of the present invention when the medication containers 16 are placed into the rack of the present invention; and/or include structure for sustaining the at least two medication containers 16 so that the at least two containers 16 can align with the corresponding indicia and/or medication-related information of the present invention.
Within the scope of the present invention, alignment is accomplished in any possible manner. Accordingly, racks are included within the scope of the present invention, which are structured so that the at least two medication containers 16 can be aligned with the corresponding medication-related information of the rack of the present invention when the medication containers 16 are placed into the rack of the present invention, or the medication-related information of the present invention is produced so that the at least two medication containers 16 can be aligned with the corresponding medication-related information of the rack of the present invention when the medication containers 16 are placed into the rack of the present invention, or a coordinated combination thereof.
Within the scope of the present invention, charts, indicia and/or medication-related information are included encompassing any medium, any information/graphic/indicia/identification format, and conveying to a user of medications only those medications which the user must consume.
Within the scope of the present invention, medication containers of the present invention are included wherein the medication-related information of the present invention includes any type of information/graphic/indicia/identification format which will identify the medication contained within the medication container.
Within the scope of the present invention, charts are included which are made of standard size paper; however, they can be made of any other sheet-like material, and of any size.
Within the scope of the present invention, racks are included wherein the member, or members, for sustaining the medium of the medication-related information of the rack of the present invention can be permanently attached to the racks of the present invention, for example, molded into the rack. Or the member can be removable.
Although the racks of the present invention are structured to sustain at least two medication containers, charts are included within the scope of the present invention wherein the indicia and/or medication-related information of the present invention can be comprised of indicia and/or medication-related information of the present invention for only one medication, or only one container. For example, one possible such situation involves a decision made by a physician or other person that a new chart reflecting a temporary medication change should be produced, in relation to a user who is consuming only two medications. Temporary medication changes can occur in situations wherein a user may temporarily discontinue taking one medication, for example, when one of two medications is temporarily discontinued due to an impending medical procedure.
The production step of the racks of the present invention comprising the production of the indicia and/or medication-related information of the present invention is preferably done at any point wherein medications are dispensed to medication users, such as at a neighborhood pharmacy, or delivered from, or in third party association with, a mail order pharmacy. However, the production of the indicia and/or medication-related information of the present invention can take place in another setting.
Any medication container of any structure, and for any type of medication, for example, including ointments and nasal sprays, is within the scope of the current invention.
Any combination of any of the members of the present invention, including the racks, charts, medication-related information, and the indicia is within the scope of the present invention.
Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiments noted, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
Claims
1. A rack for at least two medication containers, wherein the improvement includes: whereby a user of said medications will be able to align said medication containers with said corresponding custom-made medication-related information on said rack, thereby referring to said custom-made medication-related information attached to said rack for help in facilitating his/her ability to confirm what medications to take and what medications not to take out of the medications which are accessible to said user.
- (a) said rack sized and shaped for sustaining custom-made medication-related information so that said at least two medication containers can align with corresponding said custom-made medication-related information, and
- (b) means for attaching said custom-made medication-related information for said rack to said rack so that said medication containers can align with corresponding said custom-made medication-related information when said medication containers are situated close to said rack,
2. The rack of claim 1 wherein said custom-made medication-related information for said rack is comprised of the indicia and medication-related information according to co-pending patent application APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FACILITATING MEDICATION-RELATED INFORMATION.
3. The rack of claim 1 wherein said means to attach said custom-made medication-related information to said rack is comprised of a chart made of a sheet-like material.
4. The rack of claim 3 wherein said chart is comprised of a standard size sheet.
5. The rack of claim 1 wherein said rack includes a base with a partition which substantially splits said base by the middle and into two sides, said base including structure for accommodating at least two containers on both sides of said base, said partition substantially sized to accommodate a chart made of a sheet-like material which is draped over said partition, said chart sandwiched by a clear plastic cover which is substantially shaped in the form of said partition, said cover made of a clear sheet-like material.
6. The rack of claim 1 wherein said rack includes structure for sustaining said at least two medication containers.
7. The rack of claim 6 wherein said rack is structured for sustaining said at least two medication containers so that said at least two medication containers will automatically align with said corresponding custom-made medication-related information when said containers are placed into said rack.
8. A method for helping a user of medications to confirm what medications should be taken and what medications should not be taken out of the medications that are accessible to said user, wherein the improvement includes: whereby a user of said medications will be able to align said medication containers with said corresponding custom-made medication-related information on said rack, thereby referring to said custom-made medication-related information attached to said rack for help in facilitating his/her ability to confirm what medications to take and what medications not to take out of the medications which are accessible to said user.
- (a) producing custom-made medication-related information for a rack, said custom-made medication-related information spaced and positioned so that at least two medication containers can be aligned with corresponding said custom-made medication-related information, when said custom-made medication-related information is attached to said rack and when said medication containers are situated about said rack, and
- (b) attaching said custom-made medication-related information for said rack to said
- (c) rack, said rack sized and configured for sustaining said custom-made medication-related information, and also configured so that said at least two medication containers can align with said corresponding custom-made medication-related information of said rack,
9. The method of claim 8 wherein said custom-made medication-related information for said at least one container, and said medication-related information for said rack are comprised of the indicia and medication-related information according to co-pending patent application APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FACILITATING MEDICATION-RELATED INFORMATION.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein said custom-made medication-related information attaches to said rack by means of a chart, said chart comprised of a sheet-like material.
11. The rack of claim 10 wherein said chart is comprised of a standard size sheet.
12. The method of claim 8 wherein said rack includes a base with a partition which substantially splits said base by the middle and into two sides, said base including structure for accommodating at least two containers on both sides of said base, said partition substantially sized to accommodate a chart made of a sheet-like material which is draped over said partition, said chart sandwiched by a clear plastic cover which is substantially shaped in the form of said partition, said cover made of a clear sheet-like material.
13. The method of claim 8 wherein said rack includes structure for sustaining said at least two medication containers.
14. The method of claim 8 wherein said rack is sized and shaped for sustaining said at least two medication containers so that said at least two medication containers will automatically align with coordinated said
- corresponding custom-made medication-related information when said containers are placed into said rack.
15. A medications chart made of a sheet-like material, wherein the improvement includes: whereby a user of said medications will be able to situate said medication containers close to said chart's corresponding custom-made medication-related information, thereby referring to said custom-made medication-related information on said chart for help in facilitating his/her ability to confirm what medications to take and what medications not to take out of the medications which are accessible to said user.
- (a) said chart including custom-made medication-related information, said custom-made medication-related information based on the medications that a user takes, and
- (b) said medication-related information spaced and positioned so that at least two medication containers can align with corresponding said custom-made medication-related information when said medication containers are situated close to said chart,
16. The chart of claim 15 wherein said chart is comprised of a standard size sheet.
17. The chart of claim 15 wherein said medication-related information for said chart is comprised of the indicia and medication-related information according to co-pending patent application APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FACILITATING MEDICATION-RELATED INFORMATION.
18. The chart of claim 15 wherein said chart folds substantially in half and drapes over a partition, said partition substantially sized to accommodate said chart, said partition splits a base by the middle and into two sides, said two sides including structure for accommodating at least two containers on each of said two sides of said base, said chart sandwiched by a clear plastic cover which is substantially shaped in the form of said partition, said cover made of a clear sheet-like material.
19. The chart of claim 15 wherein said chart is attached to a rack, said rack including structure for sustaining said at least two medication containers.
20. The chart of claim 19 wherein said medication-related information is coordinated with said structure for sustaining said at least two containers so that said at least two containers and said corresponding medication-related information will align when said containers are placed into said rack.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 22, 2006
Publication Date: Dec 27, 2007
Inventor: Maria Lourdes Rivero (Miami, FL)
Application Number: 11/425,965
International Classification: B65D 83/04 (20060101); B65D 85/42 (20060101);