GB2191761A

GB2191761A - Medicament containers having dosage indicators

Info

Publication number: GB2191761A
Application number: GB08713080A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steven Peter Driskel; Peter James Mcgenity
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-06-04
Filing date: 1987-06-04
Publication date: 1987-12-23
Also published as: GB8613605D0; GB8713080D0

Abstract

A container 4 for a medicament has a number of markings of removable masking material which may be removed when a dosage is taken or administered. It is thus easy to tell whether the required number of doses have been taken. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Recordal of events The present invention relates to the recordal of events, particularly but not exciusivelyto the recordal of the administration of a dose of a medicamentwhich is part of a course of treatment.

Medicaments, e.g. in the form of tablets or liquids must frequently be taken or administered for a prescribed period at regular intervals as specified by the issuing pharmacist/doctor.

In general,forthecourseoftreatmenttobefully effective, itis necessaryforthe medicamentto be taken strictly in accordance with the intervals specified. However, the patient cannot always remember ifthe medicament has been taken or administered in accordance with the specified dosage. This applies in particular to elderly people.

As a result a double dosage at any period may lead to uncomfortable side effects, whilst missing the dosage at any interval may render the course of treatment ineffective.

It is an object ofthe present invention to obviate or mitigatetheabove disadvantages.

According to a first aspect ofthe present invention there is provided a container, package or other receptacle (e.g. for a medicament) which receptacle is labelled or otherwise provided with a removable marker to record an event (e.g. to record the taking or administration ofthe medicament).

The invention further provides a container, package or other receptacle for a medicamentwhich receptacle is labelled or otherwise provided with markings representative or administered dosage of the medicamentwherein said markings are associated with removable masking material which may be removed as a dosage of the medicament is administered so asto provide an indication of the total dose taken or administered.

The invention also provides a receptacle as defined in eitherofthe preceding paragraphs containing a medicament, e.g. pills, capsules, linctus, lotion, ointment etc.

The receptacle of the invention may, for example, be a bottle, drum, jar, box or any othersuitable container. It should be understood thatthe receptacle of the invention may be the "primary" containerforthe medicament (i.e. the vessel which actually holds the medicament) or may be a 'secondary' containerforthe medicament, e.g. a box which will contain a bottle which itself actually holds the medicament.

The information representative of administered dosage may be marked (e.g. printed) directly on the receptacle or, for example, on a label which is adhesively secured to the receptacle, a self-adhesive label being particularly suitable.

Therefore, in accordance with a further aspect of the invention there is provided a label marked with a removable markerto record the taking or administration ofthe medicament. Preferably the label is a self-adhesive label marked with information representative of administered dosage wherein said information is removably masked such that masking material may be removed as a dosage of medicament is taken or administered so as to provide an indication ofthe total dosage taken or administered.

It is also possible, in accordance with the invention to provide a dosage recordal substrate labelled or otherwise provided with markings representative of administered dosage of a medicament, wherein said markings are associated with removable masking material which may be removed as a dosage ofthe medicament is taken or administered so as to provide an indication ofthetotal dose taken or administered. The substrate may comprise a sheet, card (which term includes a plastics card) or the like.

The substrate may be supplied by the doctor or pharmacist together with the medicament and may be used inexactlythesamewayforrecordingthe taking or administration of medicament as when a label is provided on a container. Thus in a further aspect the invention provides the combination of a substrate as defined above and a receptacle containing a medicament.

In its simplest form, the receptacle (or label or card) ofthe invention may simply have a number of irreversibiy removable markers. Each time a dosage is taken or administered, one ofthe markers is removed as an indication that the dosage has been taken (or administered) . It is however preferred also to provide information representative of administered dosage.

The information provided on the receptacle may for example be a matrix or series of matrices the elements ofwhich are representative of one dose of the medicament. For example, for a medicament which istobetakenoradministeredseveral times/day over a period of 4 weeks, the receptacle may have four matrices (oneforeach week) each of seven columns (one for each day of the respective week) and n rows, where n is greaterthan orequalto the numberofdosestday.As adose ofthe medicament is taken or administered on any one day of a particular week in the course of treatment, the element of the matrix representing that dose is exposed by scratching away the removable masking material.It is therefore possible to tell by inspection ofthe label how many elements ofthe matrices are exposed and thus how many doses of the medicament have been taken or administered and thus whether the course of treatment is being correctlyfollowed.

Alternatively, the markings may comprise a grid-like structure in the individual boxes of which are discrete elements of masking material. Removal of an element of masking material exposes the box which indicates that a dose has been taken .

The removable masking material may be of the type used in lottery tickets where the masking material covers symbols indicative of whether the ticket is a 'winning ticket'. Such masking materials are relatively easily removed by a coin, blade or even a finger-nail to reveal the concealed symbol(s).

In a preferred embodimentofthe invention the receptacle is provided with a lug, e.g. moulded integrally with the top of the receptacle, having an edge which may be usedforscratching awaythe removable masking material.

The invention will be further described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a self-adhesive label for attachmentto a receptacleformedicament,all masking material being intact; Figure2 shows the label of Figure 1 with certain elements of masking material removed; and Figure3shows a drum for pills, capsules or the like provided with the label.

The illustrated label 1 is self-adhesive and on its front face has a 7column by 4-row grid-structure 2 the columns of which are headed with letters representative ofthe days oftheweek. Within each square ofthe grid is a circle 3 of removable masking material.

The label of Figure 1 will be attached to a container 4(see Figure 3) butforthe purpose of simplicity Figure 2 illustrates its use without being attached to the container.

Assuming thatthe course of treatment commences on a Monday morning,then when the first dosage of pills is taken, the circle 2 of masking material at row 1 column 1 is removed to leave a blank square within the grid. Similarly, when the second dosage is taken on the Monday the circle 3 on row2column 1 is removed.

For the purposes of Figure 2 it is assumed that the treatment comprises 4 doses/day. Figure 2 shows the label at some stage during Tuesday and it will be seen thatthe squares ofthe grid for Monday have been exposed (indicating that all required doses for Monday have been taken) and two squares for Tuesday are exposed so that the patient can readily see that two more doses are required for Tuesday.

Figure3shows a plastics container4for pills orthe like provided with the label as shown in Figure 2. The lid 5 of container4 is integrally moulded with a lug 6 for use in scratching away the masking material.

It should be appreciated that a number of modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiment. For example, in any one column ofthe matrix, the masking material 3 may cover the numbers 1,2,3,4 arranged consecutively down the column. Removal ofthe masking material does reveal a number corresponding the nu m ber of doses taken on any particular day. In this modification, the grid structure may be omitted. Furthermore, the label may comprise more than one matrix where the course of treatment is to extend over a number of weeks. Additionally, although the illustrated matrix have four rows, a greater or lesser number may be used. Alternatively, the matrix may have 7 rows by 4 columns (ratherthan 4 rows and 7 columns as illustrated).

It should be appreciated that a further advantage ofthe invention lies in the fact that the masking material remaining intact on the container is indicative ofthe remaining contents of the container.

Thus the person taking the medicament is able to see easiiy when the course of treatment will be finished or how soon a further supply ofthe medicament will be required.

Although Figures 1 and 2 show a self-adhesive label which is attached to a container as shown in Figure 3, it will be appreciated that it is also possible to provide a card which incorporates the same arrangement of removable markings as shown for the label of Figure 1. Such a card would be supplied to the patient bythe pharmacist/doctortogetherwith the container of medicament (e.g. pills). As with the label, a removable marking would be removed from the card each time a dosage ofthe medicament is taken or administered.

Claims

1. A container, package or other receptacle which receptacle is labelled or otherwise provided with a removable markerwhich may be removed to record an event.

2. A container, package or other receptaclefora medicamentwhich receptacle is labelled or otherwise provided with markings representative of administered dosage of the medicament wherein said markings are associated with removable masking material which may be removed as a dosage of the medicament is taken oradministered so as to provide an indication ofthe total dose taken or administered.

3. A receptacle as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the markings comprise at least one matrix, the elements of which each represent a dose of the medicament.

4. A receptacle as claimed in claim 1 or2wherein the markings comprise a grid-like structure in the boxes of which are elements of masking material.

5. A receptacle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 containing a medicament.

6. A label for application to a receptacle for medicament, the label having removable markerfor recording the taking or administration ofthe medicament.

7. A self-adhesive label for application to a receptacle for medicament, the label having markings representative of administered dosage of the medicamentwherein said markings are associated with removable masking material which may be removed as a dosage of the medicament is taken or administered so asto provide an indication ofthetotal dose taken or administered.

8. A receptacle provided with the label of claim 6 or7.

9. A dosage recordal substrate labelled or otherwise provided with markings representative of administered dosage of a medicament, wherein said markings are associated with removable masking material which may be removed as a dosage ofthe medicament is taken or administered so as to provide an indication ofthetotal dose taken or administered.

10. The combination of a substrate as defined in claim 9 and a receptacle containing a medicament.

11. A container, package or other receptacle for a medicament substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A self-adhesive label for application to a receptacle for a medicament substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.