GB2079250A

GB2079250A - Drug presentation device

Info

Publication number: GB2079250A
Application number: GB8022406A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Beecham Group PLC
Current assignee: Beecham Group PLC
Priority date: 1980-07-09
Filing date: 1980-07-09
Publication date: 1982-01-20
Also published as: GB2079250B; NL8103255A

Abstract

A drug presentation device which makes readily apparent when each dose of a dosage regime is to be or has been taken comprises a base 1 having marked thereon a time scale and a locating element 13a, 13b for unit doses of one or more drugs, affixed to the base 1, such that the dosage units are in register with the time scale on the base 1. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Drug presentation device This invention relates to a drug presentation device, containing one or more drugs in unit dose form.

Many patients, particularly the elderly and chronically ill, have a number of different drugs prescribed repeatedly over a long period which must be taken at fixed time intervals. It is not unusual for such patients to have faulty memories, or to be vague and easily confused. As a result errors may be made in the administration of doses; some doses may be taken too frequently, while others may be taken too infrequently.

An object of the present invention is to provide a drug presentation device which makes it readily apparent when each dose must be taken and when a particular dose has been taken. In a preferred embodiment the invention achieves this object with a number of different drugs, Accordingly, the present invention provides a drug presentation device, which device comprises a base having marked thereon a time scale; and a drug locating element affixed to the base; the drug is in the form of dosage units and these units are in register with the time scale on the base so as to indicate their dosage regime.

The invention also provides a process for the preparation of the device, which process comprises affixing the drug locating element to the base so that the drug dosage units register with the time scale on the base.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. lisa plan view of the base of the device; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a drug locating element for use with the base of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device with two of the drug locating elements of Fig. 2 affixed to the base of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the device of Fig. 3 partly folded into a wallet.

The device base shown in Fig. 1 is a cardboard sheet 1 of elongate rectangular shape. A time scale is marked on the sheet 1 by dividing the sheet 1 into seven adjacent sectors 2, each of which represents a day in the week. Each sector 2 is headed "Day 1", "Day 2" etc. The time scale marked on the sheet 1 is further divided by ruled lines which divide each sector 2 into three columns 3, 4 and 5 and four rows 6, 7, 8 and 9.

The columns 3, 4 and 5 of each sector 2 are headed "Morning", "Afternoon" and "Evening", and a central area 10 of each square 11 defined by the ruled columns 3, 4 and 5 and rows 6, 7, 8 and 9 is perforated around its edge so that it may be removed by finger pressure.

The sheet 1 is also provided with a blank section 12, the use of which will become apparent.

Fig. 2 shows a drug locating element 13 suitable for use with the sheet 1 of Fig. 1, of conventional "blister" pack design. It consists of a transparent polyvinyl chloride strip 14 in which are formed spaced blisters 15, and a foil backing strip 1 6 which closes the blisters 1 5. Drug dosage units in the form of tablets 1 7 are located in the closed blisters 1 5 of the element 13. The element 13 is of similar length to the sheet 1 of Fig. 1, and of similar width to the rows ruled on the said sheet 1.

The drug locating element 13 illustrated has a tag 1 8 on which may be detailed information about the drug.

To prepare the device illustrated in Fig. 3, two of the drug locating elements 13 shown in Fig. 2, 1 3a and 1 3b, containing different drugs are affixed to the sheet 1 of Fig. 1 by glueing so that they cover adjacent rows 7 and 8 ruled on the sheet 1. The blisters 1 5 of each element 1 3a and 1 3b are pre-positioned so that when the elements 1 3a and 1 3b are affixed to the sheet 1 the tablets 1 7 in the blisters 1 5 register with the appropriate columns of the sheet 1 so as to indicate the dosage regime of each drug. It can be seen from Fig. 3 that the drug contained in element 1 3a must be taken in the morning and evening of each day, while the drug of element 1 3b must be taken every afternoon.

To remove the necessary tablets 1 7 at a given time the corresponding blister 1 5 is pressed with the finger to push the tablet 1 7 through its foil backing strip 1 6 and to rupture the corresponding perforated area 10 in the sheet 1.

The device shown in Fig. 3 may be folded along the crease lines 19 and 20, as shown in Fig. 4, to form a convenient wallet. The section 12 of the sheet 1 forms a convenient area on which details of the patient, the method of use of the device and similar information may be set out. When the wallet is open, the tags 1 8 of the drug locating element 1 3a and 1 3b are readily visible on the inside of the section 12, so the information contained thereon can be studied by the patient.

In the embodiment illustrated two elements containing different drugs have been illustrated. It will be realised that more than this number of elements may be incorporated into the device if necessary. Similarly while seven days is a convenient length of time for which to provide the necessary drugs in the device, it is envisaged that much longer periods of time can be provided for, if necessary, merely by extending the length of the base and the drug locating elements.

In the embodiment the drug dosage units are tablets. They may just as weil be any other convenient unit form, such as capsules. Similarly the drug locating elements may be affixed in any suitable manner, other than glueing, if so desired.

The base and the drug locating elenients illustrated are made of cardboard. However they may of course be made from any other suitable material, preferably a resilient material. For example they can be made from a plastic such as polypropylene. In this case the drug locating elements may be affixed to the base by glueing as before, or the base may be provided with an integral bracket cooperable with the drug locating elements to achieve the necessary positioning of the elements. For example, when the elements are of the strip shape illustrated, the bracket may be flanged rails forming a frame into which the elements may be slid. Permanent positioning of the elements in their frame can be achieved, if desired, by glueing or by similar means.

The base illustrated may be provided with a fastening means for releasably holding the device in its wallet configuration. Suitable fastening means include a tongue and cooperating slit, and the like.

The drug presentation device illustrated enables a complicated dosage regime involving different drugs to be clearly presented, thereby minimising the risk that the patient may accidentally take an incorrect dosage. At a given time the patient merely has to detach the tablets in the column of the device corresponding to that time to satisfy the dosage requirements, and it is of course quite clear at a glance when the necessary tablets have been so taken.

The device has the further advantage that it facilitates the job of the pharmacist making up complicated drug regimes for a patient, as the pharmacist merely has to affix in suitable manner the necessary drug locating elements which will be pre-formed so that their tablets will register in the required manner with the time scale on the base.

Claims

1. A drug presentation device, which device comprises a base having marked thereon a time scale; and a separate drug locating element which is affixed to the base; the drug is in the form of dosage units and these units are in register with the time scale on the base so as to indicate their dosage regime.

2. A drug presentation device according to claim 1 comprising at least two different drugs, wherein the different drugs are held by different drug locating elements.

3. A drug presentation device according to claim 1 or 2 wherein each dosage unit is separately held by the drug locating element.

4. A drug presentation device according to any one of the claims 1 to 3 wherein the drug locating element is made from resilient material.

5. A drug presentation device according to claim 4 wherein the drug locating element is of a conventional "blister" pack design.

6. A drug presentation device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

7. A process for the preparation of a drug presentation device according to any one of the claims 1 to 6, which process comprises affixing the drug locating element to the base so that the drug units register with the time scale on the base.