Pharmaceutical Container

Abstract

A pharmaceutical container including a bottle having a bottom wall and side walls. A ridge proximate to the bottom wall projects from an interior surface of at least one of the side walls, to facilitate nested stacking of a plurality of bottles. One or more of the side walls includes a cover locking receptacle proximate to the top end of the side wall. The pharmaceutical container also includes a cover including a sliding lid contained in a cover housing. The cover housing has a top wall, which includes an opening, and cover side walls. A bottle locking lug projects from the exterior surface of at least one of the cover side walls. This bottle locking lug is adapted to engage the cover locking receptacle of the bottle.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/249,492, filed Oct. 7, 2009, and incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to containers for pharmaceuticals, and is particularly concerned with a sliding lid container of the type including a bottle with a cover mounted thereon, wherein the cover includes a lid for slidable movement between open and closed positions with respect to the bottle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various systems have been developed to automatically fill large quantities of prescription bottles for use primarily in mail order pharmacies. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,762 to Charhut describes an automated prescription bottle filling system. The system automatically fills, labels, caps, and sorts prescription bottles in accordance with prescription orders stored in a database.

There is a strong need for a system that allows nested bottles to be loaded onto a conveyor system for filling. The system of the present invention provides this and other advantages.

All too frequently, errors are made by pharmacists or their assistants in filling prescriptions. Some of these errors are caught by the patient who notices the difference in the medication compared to medication previously obtained for the same prescription. However, under certain circumstances, the patient may not notice the error. For example, the erroneous medication, e.g., a pill, and the correct pill may be similar in appearance, or the error may occur the first time that the prescription is being filled. In other instances, the patient may simply fail to notice the mistake because differences in the size and/or color of the pills are difficult to detect, particularly if the patient has less than perfect vision.

Errors in the filling of prescriptions can arise from a variety of circumstances. In many instances, the error can be attributed to the inattention of the pharmacist, particularly during times when there is a need to fill a large number of prescriptions. Also, the error can be occasioned by the lack of experience of the pharmacist with the particular prescription, or the general lack of experience of the pharmacist's assistant. Other errors can be caused by the similarity of unrelated pills in color and/or shape. Errors can also arise from name similarities, e.g., Feldene/Seldane, Lodine/Codeine, etc.

Errors by pharmacists will continue to occur. Those errors that are not caught by the patient at least deprive the patient of the benefit of the prescribed medication. At worst, the errors can result in death or serious injury.

In order to reduce the number of accidental poisonings resulting from young children having access to unsafe medicines, drugs and other potentially dangerous substances, considerable effort has been made toward developing child-proof safety packaging. To fulfill the criteria of a child-proof safety package, a container and cap or cover must be constructed in such a manner that the type of manipulation required to open the container to gain access to its contents is one that a young child is not capable of performing. The safety packages are often of the type wherein a cap must be pushed axially toward the container against a biasing force, and then rotated with respect to the container in order to remove the cap from the container.

Due to the large number of prescription drugs, elimination of pills with similar colors, shapes and/or names is mathematically impossible. In fact, the extent of the problem will increase over time as new drugs become available. Human error will also continue. Therefore, there is a pressing and increasing need for a means to detect erroneously filled prescriptions.

With conventional prescription containers, the contents of the container are difficult to see since the bottle, while usually transparent, is of a bronze or other color to protect the contents from deterioration caused by light. Additionally, the contents are at least partially hidden by the opaque container cap and the label covering most of the bottle side wall. Thus, the patient, as well as the pharmacist, is prevented from seeing the container contents.

Ready identification of the container contents is further restricted by the size of the pills and the fact that any identification on the pills, such as the drug name, is in a small font, and may be impressed into the pill during manufacture so that the name is the same color as the pill. If the pharmacist could easily see the pills in containers that have been filled by others, such as his or her assistants, and if the patient could easily see the contents at the time of purchase, many of the errors could be caught before the pills are ingested.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of this invention is to provide a sliding lid pharmaceutical container of the type wherein a container has a cover mounted thereon, wherein the cover includes a lid for slidable movement between open and closed positions with respect to the container.

A more specific object is to provide a sliding lid pharmaceutical container wherein a sliding is mounted in a cover housing for slidable movement between open and closed positions, and wherein resilient locking means is provided on the cover housing and sliding lid. The resilient locking means may comprise resilient locking members engaging detent structures of the sliding lid.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of multiple stackable bottles, yielding space savings which are particularly useful within automated dispensing equipment.

In carrying out the foregoing, and other objects, an embodiment of a pharmaceutical container according to the present invention includes a bottle and cover, the bottle having a bottom wall and side walls. Each side wall has a top end and a bottom end, and the bottom end of each side wall is connected to the bottom wall. One or more of the side walls includes a cover locking receptacle proximate to the top end of the side wall. A ridge proximate to the bottom wall projects from an interior surface of at least one of the side walls. The cover has a sliding lid contained in a cover housing. The cover housing has a top wall, which includes an opening, and four cover side walls. A bottle locking lug projects from the exterior surface of at least one of the cover side walls. This bottle locking lug is adapted to engage the cover locking receptacle of the bottle.

Lid retainers and lid locking lugs project from interior surfaces of cover side walls of the cover housing. The lid retainers engage the sliding lid such that the sliding lid is slidably mounted in the cover housing. The sliding lid is adapted to slide between an open position and a closed position.

The sliding lid includes four side edges. The side edges include grooves adapted to engage the lid locking lugs of the cover housing. The grooves of the sliding lid and the lid locking lugs of the cover housing may constitute locking means, providing resistance when moving the sliding lid from an open position to a closed position, and from a closed position to an open position.

In some embodiments, resilient biasing means are engaged between the sliding lid and the cover housing so that the sliding lid can slide from its closed position upon axial movement of the sliding lid with respect to the cover housing against the biasing means. In one embodiment, the resilient biasing means includes a lug and detent structure defined on portions of the cover housing and sliding lid.

The present invention is also directed to an array of pharmaceutical containers, including a plurality of bottles which are stacked, or nested. When a first bottle is nested inside a second bottle in accordance with the present invention, the bottom wall of the first bottle contacts a top edge of a ridge projecting from an interior surface of at least one of the side walls of the second bottle. This ridge is proximate to the bottom wall. In this way, a first bottle is prevented from being nested so tightly into a second bottle that it becomes difficult to remove from the second bottle.

The present invention is also directed to improved bottles for prescription drugs, and in particular to improved prescription drug bottles incorporating means to aid the pharmacist and the patient in noting when an error has been made in the filling of the prescription.

The present invention is particularly directed to prescription containers of the kind used to hold prescription medicines sold in solid form, e.g., pills, tablets, caplets, suppositories, or capsules. These medications in solid form will be referred to herein, for convenience and brevity, as “pills.” Generally, these containers are comprised of a bottle into which the pills are placed through an opening, a cap or cover attachable over the opening and a label that is affixed to the bottle. It will be understood, however, that the concepts forming the basis of the present invention can also be applied to medications in non-solid forms, such as liquids, ointments, or gels, etc., and to other receptacle configurations.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the bottle is generally of a tapered rectangular shape, having a continuous side wall with continuous upper and lower edges, and a bottom wall or base extending across the lower edge of the side wall. The bottom wall is sized to be received within an opening of an adjacent bottle, allowing a plurality of bottles to be presented in nested stack form. The bottle is structured adjacent the top end, or upper edge, of the side wall to receive a correspondingly structured cover used to close the bottle opening formed by the top ends of the side walls. The side wall may be structured on its outer surface, its inner surface, or both, depending upon the particular cover design. Additionally, the side wall may include locking receptacles or locking projections on its interior surface adjacent the top end, forming part of a locking mechanism. Usually, the side walls and bottom are integrally molded from a plastic.

The cover is normally molded from plastic material and is designed to be secured over the bottle opening. The cover may be pressed onto the top of the bottle. The exterior of the cover may include locking lug(s) to join with locking receptacle(s) on the corresponding bottle.

When a prescription is to be filled, the pharmacist, or his or her assistant, selects a large container of pills corresponding to the medication to be prescribed, transfers the designated number of pills from the large container to a bottle, and caps the bottle with its matching cover. An instruction sheet may also be included on or in the bottle. The pharmacist or assistant then types information about the prescription onto a label, and attaches the label to the side wall of the bottle.

Labels are normally pre-printed with standard information common to all prescriptions filled at the particular pharmacy, including the name, address and telephone number of the pharmacy. Information unique to the prescription, such as the patient's name, doctor's name, the name of the prescribed medicine, instructions for use, number of refills, etc., are then typed onto the label at the time the prescription is filled.

The present invention is directed to modifications of conventional pharmaceutical containers and the related procedures for their preparation that may be used alone or in combination to significantly increase the likelihood that the pharmacist or the patient will detect an error in filling the prescription in question.

In accordance with the present invention, a completed label, in addition to the name of the drug and other general and specific information of the type normally found on a prescription label, may also include an image of the pill present in the labeled container. The patient, before taking a pill, only needs to compare the actual pill with the pill image on the label to determine if the pills match. If so, the patient can be confident that the name of the pill on the label is the same as the pill in the container.

Therefore, in this aspect of the invention, the complete container will be comprised of a bottle containing the given medication, a cover to close the bottle, and a label attached to the bottle, the label having printed thereon the name of the given medication and an image corresponding to the medication.

In accordance with the present invention, the bottle and/or cover can be molded with a number of recyclable and biodegradable resins including polypropylene, polystyrene or polyethylene. These resins can also be incorporated with a UV resin additive to offer light shielding protection for the pill contents. The initial base resin can be clear or tinted.

In one embodiment, the lid may be connected to the bottle via a living hinge. In another embodiment, the lid may be separate from the bottle. The lid components can be molded in a range of colors for consumer selection to denote respective family member usage. The lid may include a child-resistant “push down and slide open feature”.

A pharmaceutical container in accordance with the present invention may be offered in multiple standard sizes for alternate pill sizes and dosages.

A bottle in accordance with the present invention offers easy carton stacking, unlike traditional vials and caps which are shipped to pharmacies separated in large bulk bags. Therefore, the bottle design may allow drug stores to realize considerable shipping, storage and handling savings. The separate covers may be shipped in a separate portion of a master carton, which may be designed to offer a dispenser style magazine retention option for easy pharmacist storage and access.

Moreover, a tapered rectangular bottle in accordance with the present invention offers considerably more easy-to-read flat surface area for larger print labels, which provides a safety benefit to patients.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a pharmaceutical container in accordance with the present invention, including a bottle and cover;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a pharmaceutical container in accordance with the present invention, including a bottle and cover;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a bottle in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4a is a side view of bottles in accordance with the present invention in a nested stack, FIG. 4b is a bottom view of a bottle in accordance with the present invention, FIG. 4c is a cross-sectional view of the bottle of FIG. 4b taken through section A-A, and FIG. 4d is a detailed view of region B of FIG. 4c;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the bottles shown in FIG. 4a in a nested stack;

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of a cover housing in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of the cover housing of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a sliding lid in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a bottom perspective view of a cover in an open position in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of the cover of FIG. 9 in a closed position;

FIG. 11 is a bottom perspective view of the cover of FIG. 9 in a closed position; and

FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view of a portion of the cover of FIG. 9 in a closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of a pharmaceutical container of the present invention. The pharmaceutical container shown in FIG. 1 includes a tapered rectangular bottle 10 and a cover 20. The cover 20 includes a sliding cover 30 which is slidably mounted in the cover housing 31 for movement between open and closed positions with respect to the bottle 10. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the lid 20 is connected to the bottle 10 via a living hinge 40.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of another embodiment of a pharmaceutical container of the present invention. The tapered rectangular bottle 10 includes a bottom wall 12 and side walls 14. Two of the side walls 14 include a cover locking receptacle 16 proximate to the open end of bottle 10. As described hereinafter, the cover locking receptacle 16 engages a locking lug of cover 20. A label 18 is provided on side wall 14. Multiple labels 18 may be provided on a single bottle 10. The label 18 may extend across cover 20 to assist in securing cover 20 to bottle 10. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the label 18 includes two end portions and an intermediate bridge portion. The end portions, which are sized in relation to the side walls of the bottle, are affixed to side walls 14. The end portions are connected together via the intermediate bridge portion of the label, which extends across, and is affixed to, the cover 20.

The bottle 10 of FIG. 2 also includes ridges 17, projecting from the interior surface of side walls 14. The ridges 17 are proximate to the bottom wall 12. The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 includes four ridges 17, with two ridges 17 projecting from one side wall 14, and two ridges 17 projecting from the opposite side wall 14. These ridges 17 facilitate the separation of nested bottles 10, as discussed below. In other embodiments, any number of the side walls, from one side wall to four side walls, may include one or more ridges 17.

FIG. 3 is a detailed portion of the bottle 10 showing the cover locking receptacle 16. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, each side wall 14 includes a cover locking receptacle 16. However, in some embodiments, not all of the side walls 14 include a cover locking receptacle 16. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, only two of the side walls 14 include a cover locking receptacle 16.

FIG. 4 provides various views of bottle 10. FIG. 4b is a bottom view of bottle 10. FIG. 4a shows a side view of a plurality of bottles 10, wherein the bottles are stacked in a nested configuration. When the bottles 10 are nested, such that a first bottle is received within a second bottle, the bottom wall 12 of the first bottle contacts a top edge of the ridges 17 of the second bottle. The ridges therefore provide a limit on how far a first bottle may be nested into a second bottle, thereby preventing the nested bottles from becoming stuck together.

FIG. 4c is cross-sectional view of the bottle 10 of FIG. 4b, showing the ridges 17 projecting from the interior surface of a side wall 14. FIG. 4d is a more detailed view of region B of FIG. 4c. FIG. 4d shows the cover locking receptacle 16, which engages a locking lug of cover 20 to secure the cover 20 to the bottle 10.

FIG. 5 is a perspective illustration of a plurality of bottles 10 shown in a nested stack. As shown, the bottom walls 12 and portions of side walls 14 are sized to be received within an opening of an adjacent bottle 10. In this manner, a compacted plurality of bottles 10 can be provided to an automated filling system.

FIG. 6 is a top perspective illustration of cover housing 31 showing a top wall 21, a recess 22 in the top wall, an opening 23, cover side walls 24, and a bottle locking lug 25. The bottle locking lug 25 is adapted to engage cover locking receptacle 16 of bottle 10, which is shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4d, and 5. Bottle locking lug 25 engages cover locking receptacle 16 to secure cover 20 to bottle 10.

FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective illustration of cover housing 31, showing lid retainers 26 projecting from interior surfaces of cover side walls 24. Lid retainers 26 are adapted to capture the sliding lid 30, as shown in FIG. 9. The inner dimensions of cover 20 and retainers 26 are adapted to allow sliding lid 30 to slide relative to cover 20. Also shown are lid locking lugs 27, which project from interior surfaces of cover side walls 24. The lid locking lugs 27 are adapted to engage grooves 38, or detent structures, of sliding lid 30. While FIG. 7 shows four lid retainers 26 and two lid locking lugs 27, various numbers and configurations of lid retainers and lid locking lugs may be used in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective illustration of the sliding lid 30. Sliding lid 30 includes a top wall 32, a bottom wall 34, and side edges 36. A plurality of detent structures in the form of grooves 38 in the side edges 36 are also shown. The detent structures 38 are adapted to engage lid locking lugs 27 of the cover housing 31, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11. A recess 39 is defined upon the top wall 32 of the cover 30. The recess 39 may be adapted to engage a user's thumb, to facilitate the opening of cover 20.

FIGS. 9-12 are perspective illustrations of the cover 20, including cover housing 31 and sliding lid 30. FIG. 9 is a bottom perspective view of a cover in an open position; FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of a cover in a closed position; FIG. 11 is a bottom perspective view of a cover in a closed position; and FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view of a portion of a cover in a closed position.

As shown in FIGS. 9-12, the cover housing 31 has a top wall 21 and side walls 24 depending from the side edges of the top wall. Sliding lid locking elements in the form of lid locking lugs 27 project inwardly from the inner surfaces of the side walls 24. Lid locking lugs 27 may be integrally formed on the cover housing 31.

The sliding lid locking elements constitute locking means having locked positions, in which the sliding lid 30 is locked against movement from its closed or opened positions.

For assisting in the axial movement of the sliding lid 30 with respect to the cover housing 31, a recess 39 is formed on the upper surface of the top wall 32 which may be engaged by the thumb of the operator to assist in moving the cover to disengage the lid locking lug 27 from the groove 38.

Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.

Claims

1. A pharmaceutical container comprising:

a tapered rectangular bottle comprising a bottom wall and side walls including a first side wall and a second side wall, each of the side walls having a top end and a bottom end, wherein the bottom end is connected to the bottom wall, said bottle including a first cover locking receptacle proximate to the top end of the first side wall, and a second cover locking receptacle proximate to the top end of the second side wall, wherein a ridge proximate to the bottom wall projects from an interior surface of at least one of the side walls; and

a cover having a sliding lid contained in a cover housing, said cover housing having a top wall and four cover side walls including a first cover side wall and a second cover side wall, said top wall including an opening, wherein a first bottle locking lug projects from an exterior surface of the first cover side wall, said first bottle locking lug adapted to engage the first cover locking receptacle of the bottle, and wherein a second bottle locking lug projects from an exterior surface of a second cover side wall, said second bottle locking lug adapted to engage the second cover locking receptacle,

wherein a first lid retainer and a second lid retainer, and a first locking lug and a second lid locking lug, project from interior surfaces of two cover side walls of the four cover side walls, said first and second lid retainers engaging the sliding lid such that the sliding lid is slidably mounted in the cover housing,

wherein the sliding lid is adapted to slide between an open position and a closed position, and

wherein the sliding lid includes four side edges including a first side edge and a second side edge, said first side edge including a first groove adapted to engage the first lid locking lug, and said second side edge including a second groove adapted to engage the second lid locking lug.

2. The pharmaceutical container of claim 1, wherein the sliding lid includes a third groove adapted to engage the first lid locking lug, and a fourth groove adapted to engage the second lid locking lug.

3. The pharmaceutical container of claim 1, wherein a third lid retainer and a fourth lid retainer project from interior surfaces of the two cover side walls of the four cover side walls, said third and fourth lid retainers engaging the sliding lid such that the sliding lid is slidably mounted in the cover housing.

4. The pharmaceutical container of claim 1, wherein the sliding lid covers the opening of the top wall of the cover housing when the sliding lid is in the closed position.

5. The pharmaceutical container of claim 1, wherein a plurality of ridges proximate to the bottom wall project from the interior surface of at least one of the side walls of the bottle.

6. The pharmaceutical container of claim 1, wherein a label having two end portions and an intermediate bridge portion is affixed to the bottle, such that each of the two end portions is affixed to one of the side walls, and the intermediate bridge portion is affixed to the top wall of the cover housing.

7. The pharmaceutical container of claim 1, said side walls of the bottle including a third side wall and a fourth side wall, wherein said bottle includes a third cover locking receptacle proximate to the top end of the third side wall, and a fourth cover locking receptacle proximate to the top end of the fourth side wall.

8. The pharmaceutical container of claim 7, said four cover side walls including a third cover side wall and a fourth cover side wall, wherein a third bottle locking lug projects from an exterior surface of the third cover side wall, said third bottle locking lug adapted to engage the third cover locking receptacle of the bottle, and wherein a fourth bottle locking lug projects from an exterior surface of the fourth cover side wall, said fourth bottle locking lug adapted to engage the fourth cover locking receptacle of the bottle.

9. The pharmaceutical container of claim 1, wherein the sliding lid comprises a recess adapted to engage the thumb of a user.

10. The pharmaceutical container of claim 1, further comprising a living hinge connecting the cover to the bottle.

11. An array of pharmaceutical containers comprising:

a plurality of tapered rectangular bottles, each bottle comprising a bottom wall and side walls including a first side wall and a second side wall, each of the side walls having a top end and a bottom end, wherein the bottom end is connected to the bottom wall, said bottle including a first cover locking receptacle proximate to the top end of the first side wall, and a second cover locking receptacle proximate to the top end of the second side wall, wherein a ridge proximate to the bottom wall projects from an interior surface of at least one of the side walls; and

a plurality of covers, each cover having a sliding lid contained in a cover housing, said cover housing having a top wall and four cover side walls including a first cover side wall and a second cover side wall, said top wall including an opening, wherein a first bottle locking lug projects from an exterior surface of the first cover side wall, said first bottle locking lug adapted to engage the first cover locking receptacle of the bottle, and wherein a second bottle locking lug projects from an exterior surface of a second cover side wall, said second bottle locking lug adapted to engage the second cover locking receptacle,

wherein a first lid retainer and a second lid retainer, and a first locking lug and a second lid locking lug, project from interior surfaces of two cover side walls of the four cover side walls, said first and second lid retainers engaging the sliding lid such that the sliding lid is slidably mounted in the cover housing,

wherein the sliding lid is adapted to slide between an open position and a closed position, and

wherein the sliding lid includes four side edges including a first side edge and a second side edge, said first side edge including a first groove adapted to engage the first lid locking lug, and said second side edge including a second groove adapted to engage the second lid locking lug; and

wherein the plurality of bottles are nested, such that the bottom wall of a first bottle of the plurality of bottles contacts a top edge of the ridge proximate to the bottom wall of a second bottle of the plurality of bottles.

12. The array of claim 11, wherein the sliding lid of each cover of the plurality of covers includes a third groove adapted to engage the first lid locking lug, and a fourth groove adapted to engage the second lid locking lug.

13. The array of claim 11, wherein a third lid retainer and a fourth lid retainer project from interior surfaces of the two cover side walls of the four cover side walls, said third and fourth lid retainers engaging the sliding lid such that the sliding lid is slidably mounted in the cover housing of each cover of the plurality of covers.

14. The array of claim 11, wherein, for each cover of the plurality of covers, the sliding lid covers the opening of the top wall of the cover housing when the sliding lid is in the closed position.

15. The array of claim 11, wherein a plurality of ridges proximate to the bottom wall project from the interior surface of at least one of the side walls of each bottle of the plurality of bottles.

16. The array of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of labels, each label having two end portions and an intermediate bridge portion, wherein each label is adapted to be affixed to a bottle of the plurality of bottles, such that each of the two end portions is affixed to one of the side walls, and the intermediate bridge portion is affixed to the top wall of the cover housing.

17. The array of claim 16, said side walls of each bottle of the plurality of bottles including a third side wall and a fourth side wall, wherein the bottle includes a third cover locking receptacle proximate to the top end of the third side wall, and a fourth cover locking receptacle proximate to the top end of the fourth side wall.

18. The array of claim 17, said four cover side walls of each bottle of the plurality of bottles including a third cover side wall and a fourth cover side wall, wherein a third bottle locking lug projects from an exterior surface of the third cover side wall, said third bottle locking lug adapted to engage the third cover locking receptacle of the bottle, and wherein a fourth bottle locking lug projects from an exterior surface of the fourth cover side wall, said fourth bottle locking lug adapted to engage the fourth cover locking receptacle of the bottle.

19. The array of claim 11, wherein the sliding lid of each cover of the plurality of covers comprises a recess adapted to engage the thumb of a user.

20. The array of claim 11, wherein each pharmaceutical container includes a living hinge, said living hinge connecting a cover of the plurality of covers to a bottle of the plurality of bottles.