CA2420726A1

CA2420726A1 - Medication display

Info

Publication number: CA2420726A1
Application number: CA 2420726
Authority: CA
Inventors: Judy Danis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-03-03
Filing date: 2003-03-03
Publication date: 2004-09-03

Description

FIELD OF TE-IE INVENTION
This invention relates to a device for displaying pertinent medical information about an individual. More particularly the invention relates to a device for displaying a sample of each solid and encapsulated medicine which is prescribed for an individual. The samples are labeled and are arranged according to the time of day that the medicine is to be taken. The device also has means for displaying other pertinent medical information such as allergies, copies of prescriptions and the like BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Whenever an individual requires medical treatment, the medical practitioner giving the treatment will want to know what medication is being taken by the individual and whether he or she has any allergies. Except in medical emergencies where an individual is not able to respond, the individual will not be treated until he or she has given that information.
An individual may have difficulty in doing so, particularly where he or she is elderly. The elderly are frequently taking relatively large numbers of drugs and are not always able to enumerate them all when they are asked to do so.
The consequences that result from lack of accurate information about medicine being taken by a patient can be serious. The medical practitioner may treat the patient inappropriately by, for example, prescribing the wrong medication. The practitioner may also delay giving treatment until he has verified the information given to him by the patient.
Whether the treatment is inappropriate or delayed, the consequences for the patient can be serious and can result in deterioration of his or her condition or even death.
I have invented a portable display that exhibits visually all the information that a medical practitioner requires concerning medication which is prescribed or being taken by an individual. A
sample of each tablet or capsule being taken by an individual is visible and beside each sample is a label setting out its name and the required dosage. The samples are arranged according to the time of day that they are to be taken in order for the medical practitioner to quickly and accurately determine which medication has been taken at the time of the examination.
The portable display of my invention is useful not only to the medical practitioner but to the individual himself or herself or to a care-giver who is helping the individual take the medicine.
Since there is a sample of each tablet or capsule being taken, the chances of the individual taking the wrong medicine are minimized even if the tablets or capsules are accidentally mixed up in the bottles where they are kept. Moreover should the bottle containing the medicine be mislaid, the chances that the individual will neglect to take the medicine are lessened because what is being taken will not correspond with all the samples set out on the display. Lack of correspondence will alert the individual or care-giver that a medicine has been omitted.
The dosage of each tablet or capsule is set out beside each sample on my display to minimize the chances of the individual taking too much or too little. Moreover because the samples are arranged according to the time of day, the individual is less likely to take the medication more frequently than is prescribed because he or she has forgotten that the medication has already been taken that day.
SUMMARY OF THE ll~IVENT10N
Briefly the portable display of my invention comprises: a backing; a series of compartments mounted to the backing, each compartment being adapted to receive a separate sample of a solid or encapsulated medicine and each having means for displaying the name and the dosage of the sample within the compartment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The portable display of the invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the display mounted in the interior of a holder;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the exterior of the holder;
Figure 3 is a side view of the compartments which form part of the display;
Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view of the compartments;
Figure 5 is a plan view of the compartments; and Figure 6 is an example of some of the information that the holder may contain.
Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the description of the drawings.

With reference to Figure l, the portable display of the invention is mounted within a holder, generally 10. The holder has two sides 12, i 4 which are interconnected by a hinge or a fold line 16. The holder is open in Figure 1 and as such displays the inside walls of the two sides.
The inside wall of side 14 acts as a backing to which a number of compartments or pockets 18 are mounted. The compartments are arranged in parallel columns 20 and rows 22 and each compartment is adapted to receive a separate sample or a solid or encapsulated medication.
The solid medication may be a pill or tablet and the encapsulated medication may be a capsule of a liquid drug.
At the top of each column of compartments is printed, embossed or otherwise identified with the time of the day or a meal that is consumed at a particular time of day. The first column 20a, for example, is headed by "morninglmatin" and the column 20b adjacent to it is headed with the meal consumed in the next time of the day, being "lunch/diner". Adjacent columns are identified with consecutive times of the day or meals.
Beside each compartment is a holder 24 for a label which identifies the name of the medication in the compartment and the dosage of that compartment. For example a label might read "Ativan ( 1 mg) '/z tablet". if the compartment is located in the first column 20a for example, the medication would be prescribed or taken in the morning and if it were located in the second column, the medication would be taken at lunch-time.

The labels are held in position by a U-shaped retainers 26. Each retainer has an upper or inside edge which is spaced apart from the backing suf~'iciently to grip the margin of a label that is held by it.
The inside wall of side 12 serves as a backing for an number of envelopes 28 which have openings for removable accommodation of cards of cardboard, paper or plastic containing such information as that set out in Figure 6 and other information pertaining to the individual that would be relevant to a medical practitioner. As well, copies of prescriptions could be accommodated in the envelopes.
A tongue 30 is attached to the outside edge of side 14 and one component of a snap fastener, such as a stud 32 is attached to that tongue. The other component of the fastener, such as a socket is attached to the outside wall of side 12, as illustrated in Figure 2. The holder may then be locked closed when not in use.
With reference to Figures 3 to 5, the compartments are formed by strips 40 of molded plastic having depressions 42 which receive tablets or capsules 44. The strips are glued or otherwise attached to the inner wall of side 14 An elongated narrow band 46 is attached to each side edge of the strips. The bands are separated from the strips by a space sufficient for receipt of the side margins of an elongated cover 48. The cover slides away to expose the compartments so that tablets or capsules can be added or removed from them.
It will be understood, of course, that modifications can be made in the portable display described herein without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. A portable display for samples of solid and encapsulated medicine prescribed and/or taken by an individual on a regular basis, said display comprising: a backing; a series of compartments mounted to said backing, each said compartment being adapted to receive at least one said sample and each having means for displaying the dosage of the sample within said compartment.

2 The display as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said compartment has means for displaying the name of said sample in addition to the dosage thereof.

3. The display as claimed in claim 1 further including a plurality of pockets for receipt of prescriptions corresponding to each said sample.

4. The display as claimed in claims 1, 2 or 3 further including a transparent cover for confining said samples within said compartments, said cover being slidably removable to allow said samples to be added to or removed from said compartments.

5. A portable display for samples of solid and encapsulated medicine prescribed and/or taken by an individual on a regular basis, said display comprising: a backing; a series of compartments for said samples, said compartments being arranged in rows and columns, the compartments in each said column being identified by consecutive time periods and the compartments in each said row having means for displaying the name of the sample within said compartments.

6. A portable display for samples of solid and encapsulated medicine prescribed and/or taken daily by an individual, said display comprising a backing; a series of compartments for said samples, said compartments being arranged in rows and columns, the compartments in each said column being identified by consecutive parts of the day and the compartments in each said row having means for displaying the name and dosage of the samples within said compartments.

7. The display as claimed in claims S or 6 further including a plurality of pockets for receipt of prescriptions corresponding to each said samples.

8. The display as claimed in claims 7 further including a transparent cover for confining said samples within said compartments, said cover being slidably removable to allow said samples to be added to or removed from said compartments.

9 A portable display of indicia of solid and encapsulated medicine prescribed and/or taken by an individual on a regular basis, said display comprising: a backing; a series of compartments mounted to said backing, each said compartment being adapted to receive at least one said indicia and each having means for displaying the dosage of the medicine represented by said indicia within said compartment.