AU2004100612A4 - Dual-Purpose Label - Google Patents

Description

1 DUAL PURPOSE LABEL THIS INVENTION relates to a label divisible into two parts to enable it to perform different functions respectively. The label is particularly useful in a situation where specific information is required in two places at the same time and a failure to achieve this may cause problems.

A situation where information has to be recorded in two places at the same time occurs in the treatment of patients in a hostel and who have to receive different medications.

The medications are administered by a registered nurse. The individual medications may be changed from time-to-time by a doctor. Such changes have to be noted on the patient's medication chart and also on the pharmacy order form to ensure that a medication which is no longer required, is no longer administered to the patient and no longer supplied on a continuous basis by a pharmacy. A common source of error in such a situation is that change in medication is noted on the patient's medication chart, but the change to the pharmacy order form is overlooked.

An object of this invention is to provide a dual purpose label for lessening this problem.

In accordance with the present invention a label having an adhesive backing which is normally covered by a peel-off cover sheet, is formed with at least one rectangular area which is to be written on and a separate rectangular section of the label which remains on the peel-off sheet when the remainder of the label is removed, said section and said area having a column of printed prompts alongside them to denote the type of 2 information which is to be written in parallel lines in the area and the space occupied by said section, one of said prompts being positioned alongside said section.

Preferably, said section of the label is separated from the remainder of the label by a peripheral cut so that it stays on the peel-off sheet when the rest of the label is removed from it.

The label of the invention is particularly, although not exclusively, useful in a hostel where medication is to be administered by a registered nurse to individual patients. The medication is prescribed by a doctor and each patient has a medication chart which identifies the patient, the quantity and nature of the medication to be administered, and the signature of a doctor authorising any change in the medication. If a particular medication is to be changed, it is highly desirable to advise a pharmacy supplying the medication that the change is to take place so that the supply of the superseded medication is discontinued. This may be achieved by placing the label without the section, on the pharmacy order form. The action of removing the label from the peel-off sheet is to leave the label section in place on the peel-off sheet, so that the label is left with a rectangular opening preferably, although not essentially, positioned between the two flanking areas on which information in response to the prompts can be written.

When the label is transferred to the pharmacy order form, the absence of written information in the window previously occupied by the section, is immediately apparent and it can be immediately filled in. The rectangular section of the label can then be detached from the peel-off sheet and transferred to an appropriate position on the patient's medication chart to show that the medication has been changed.

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:- FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an unused label mounted on a backing-sheet; FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the label of figure 1; FIGURE 3 is a medication chart providing information relating to the medication required by a particular patient; and FIGURE 4 is a pharmacy order sheet used to advise a pharmacy that a supply of a particular medication is to be discontinued.

Figures 1 and 2 show a paper label 1 having an adhesive backing 2 covered by a peeloff sheet 3. The label 1 is formed with two rectangular parallel areas 4 and 5 having between them a section 6 of the label which is separated'. from the remainder of the label by a peripheral die-cut parting line 7 which completely severs the section 6 from the remainder of the label but does not penetrate the backing-strip 3.

Printed down one side of the label is a column 8 of prompts indicating the information which is to be written in the areas at the positions of the prompts. Thus, reading these prompts from top to bottom, the three prompts associated with the area 4 respectively 4 indicate the nature and quantity of medication to be administered, the name of the patient, and the signature of the doctor who is authorising a change to the medication.

However, opposite the section 6 appears a further prompt "Date" which cannot be acted upon as long as the label 1 and section 6 are both on the peel-off sheet 3. The final prompt is the word "Note" which is positioned opposite the second area 5. The separable section 6 of the label also carries the word "CEASED" printed on it with the letters arranged vertically as indicated in figure 2.

Figure 3 shows a patient's medication chart. The medications to be taken by the patient are individually listed in a series of boxes alongside each of which is a space on which the label section 6 can be affixed as shown in one case.

Figure 4 shows a pharmacy order sheet which requires to be updated with information indicating that a particular medication is to be discontinued. This information is contained in a box slightly smaller than the label 1 and having a blank space at the position of the section 6.

The label is provided with a pull-away corner 14 capable of being gripped between the thumb and first finger and which allows the label to be peeled off the sheet 3 easily.

The line 7 separating the rectangular section 6 of the label 1 from the remainder, allows the section 6 to remain in place on the sheet 3 when the remainder of the label 1 is removed. Subsequent removal of the section 6 from the cover sheet 1 is facilitated by a pull-away corner 13 similar to the corner 14 of the label 1.

The above-described label is used as follows: if a doctor intends to discontinue one of the medications currently administered to a patient, then the new information, denoted by the prompts (with the exception of the prompt alongside the section is filled in on the areas 4 and 5. The date cannot be filled in because its prompt is positioned alongside the portion of the label occupied by the section 6.

The label 1, less the section 6, is now transferred to the pharmacy order sheet and placed over the original order so that the rectangular space on the label 1, previously occupied by the section 6 which has remained on the cover sheet 3, appears as an empty Or-,%v window lying between the areas 4 and 5. This empty window frames a part of the pharmacy order sheet devoid of any information and draws the attention of the person placing the label in position to the fact that there is still some additional information to be filled in opposite the "Date" prompt on the left-hand side of the label. This is then done, as shown in figure 4.

The section 6 of the label still adhering to the cover sheet 3 is next peeled off and stuck 1 on the patients' medication dmart., as shown in figure 3, so that the word "CEASED" on the section 6 spells out that the corresponding medication of the medication chart is to be discontinued.

From the above description it will be understood that the label of the invention reduces the risk of one only of two functions to be carried out by the label, being undertaken, while inadvertently the second function is forgotten. This is achieved by providing the label with a window (defined by the space occupied by the section 6) which only opens 6 when the label is performing one of the functions. The section 6 of the label remaining on the pull-off cover sheet 1 indicates that there is still a second function which has to be carried out before the two functions associated with the change in medication are completed.

Claims (4)

1. A label having an adhesive backing which is normally covered by a peel-off cover sheet, formed with at least one rectangular area which is to be written on and a separate rectangular section of the label which remains on the peel-off sheet when the remainder of the label is removed, said section and said area having a column of printed prompts alongside them to denote the type of information which is to be written in parallel lines in the area and the space occupied by said section, one of said prompts being positioned alongside said section.

2. A label as claimed in claim 1, in which said section carries the word CEASED arranged with its letters in a vertical column.

3. A label as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, in which said section is positioned between two parallel rectangular and spaced areas, and the column of printed prompts is arranged down one side of said section and said areas.

4. A label as claimed in claim 1, arranged and adapted to be used substantially as 15 described with reference to the accompanying figures. Dated this 27 day of July 2004. Manrex Pty Limited H J iantzen (Applicant's Patent Attorney)