GB2224383A

GB2224383A - Indicating medical prescriptions

Info

Publication number: GB2224383A
Application number: GB8823063A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Carol Martin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-09-30
Filing date: 1988-09-30
Publication date: 1990-05-02
Anticipated expiration: 2008-09-30
Also published as: GB8823063D0; GB2224383B

Abstract

Relief formations are applied to a medicament container so as to indicate medicament dosage information to the blind, to the partially sighted or to those unable to read the language of a conventional label. Such relief formations are arranged in two groups, the first group indicating the frequency of dosage and the second group indicating the size of dose to be taken. Each of the groups of formations has a distinctive orientation and or shape which enables it to be distinguished from the other group by the user. The relief formations of the invention may suitably be formed from a continuous strip of material, which material may be different for each of the two groups of formations so as to facilitate distinction still further. <IMAGE>

Description

INDICATING tlEDICAL PRESCRIPTIONS This invention relates to the indication, on containers, of a medical prescription which applies to the contents of the container.

It is common to place a label on containers, e.g.

bottles for liquids, or plastics "bottles" for pills, capsules and the like, to indicate to the user the number of times per day, and at what time, and also the number of items which should be taken at each time.

there the user iC blind, or only partially-sighted, or does not understand the language of the label, the information on the label is not mediately available.

A solution to this problem is to provide sore form of relief formation on the container which will enable the blind or partially-sighted to appreciate the information by touch, or will enable the sighted to appreciate the information by siple coding.

It has been proposed, in U.S. Patent Specification No. 4208983, to provide a symbolic indicator which can be incorporated on a container or added onto the container and which has two sets of projections which can be appreciated by touch and by sight, one set being identified as denoting "capsule" or other item to be taken and the other set being identified as denoting a number of times per day at which the items should be taken, these projections being initially all of identical height but being cut down, as necessary, by the dispenser at the time of dispensing a medicament, so as to leave only those projections which apply to the medicament.

In contrast, it is the object of the present invention to permit the establishment of a relief formation, on an otherwise normal container, to enable appreciation by touch or sight of number, time of day and number of items to be taken, by means which are already sufficient in themselves and which do not require any modification by the dispenser at the time of application to the container.

According to the present invention, means for use on a medicament container for the purpose of imparting dosage information by touch or sight comprise two discrete indicator components applied onto the container, a first such component serving to indicate a number of times per period (and when, within that period) a medicament item should be taken, the second such component serving to indicate a number of items of the medicament which should be taken on each occasion, each indicator having a direction of elongation and the respective directions of elongation being different positioned on the container to enable them to be differentiated readily by the user.

The indicator components may each be a single structure having at least one relief formation on it which provides the direction of elongation, or at least two relief formations which are spaced apart in the direction of elongation, or again a component may be constituted by two or more discrete relieved members each of which provides the same direction of elongation or which are spaced apart in the direction of elongation.

In a preferred form, indicator components are constituted by discrete strips of flexible material applied in spaced positions on the container.

To facilitate application to the container, each such component, or member of a component, may be provided with an adhesive backing.

Members of a component may be shaped differently to indicate different kinds of medicament, e.g. pills or tablets as distinct from measured quantities of liquids.

material to form members of a component may be supplied in bulk as a continuous strip which can be parted off and used as required, e.g. at markings and/or points of weakening imparted along the length of the strip.

Advantageously two different forms of the bulk material would be utilised, one form having a "feel" which would ensure that the user knew that it applied to "number and times of day" information, and the other having a "feel" which would ensure that the user knew that it applied to a type of medicament dosage, e.g.

pill or capsule, or liquid dose.

There may be provided, in association with a standard basic strip material, a device which serves to emboss and if necessary provide points of weakness for or part-off, the required portions with relief formation(s).

In order that the nature of the invention may be readily ascertained, two embodiments in accordance therewith are hereinafter particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing In the drawing: Figure 1 is an elevation of one side face of a container; Figure 2 is an elevation of the other opposite side face of the container; Figure 3 shows another embodiment: Figure 4 shows, in simplified manner, how apFropriate coding would enable the user to appreciate times and dosages.

The container 1 is a conventional 'bottle" as commonly used for the dispensing of pills, tablets or liquids. It will usually be made of glass or a plastics material, and have a screw-cap closure. The container is approximately rectangular in horizontal section, and has opposite side faces 2 and 3.

On face 2 there is attached, e.g. by the pharmacist at the time of dispensing, an elongate indicator member 4 which is disposed with its longer dimension running generally in the direction from top to bottom of the container.

The indicator member 4 is intended to denote the number of items, e.g. tablets, capsules, 5 ml spoonsful or the like, which are to be taken by a patient at any one time. In the drawing, there is a single indicator member 4, so that this would indicate to the patient that only one tablet or the like was to be taken. It will be appreciated that two or more indicator members 4 could be arranged side by side, or end to end, or otherwise on face 2, provided that they are all similarly aligned, so as to indicate to the user that two or more tablets or the like are to be taken at any one time.

On the opposite face 3 of the container there are attached, e.g. by the pharmacist at the time of dispensing, a plurality of elongate indicator members 5 which are disposed with their respective longer dimension running generally transversely of the container.

The indicator members 5 are intended to denote the number of times per period, e.g. per day, the patient should take the medicament. In the drawing, there are shown four indicator members 5, which means four times per period, and assuming that the period is the usual "one day", the indicator members 5 are placed respectively one very near the top of container face, and the other very near the bottom of the container face, thereby indicating approximate "first" and "last" taking times, e.g. breakfast time and bedtime. The indicator members 5 arranged intermediately, and in any appropriate number, on the face 3 indicate more times per day and at intermediate times, e.g. midday, afternoon etc.

The indicator members 4 and 5 need not necessarily be placed on opposite faces, and could be placed for example on a same face of the container, the only requirement being that they have their elongation differently disposed, relative to the shape of the container, so that they can be distinguished by feel, and their number ascertained by feel in the case of the blind or partially-sighted, or by sight in the case of the illiterate or those not knowing the language of the usual prescription label on the container.

The indicator members 4 and 5 are preferably selfadhesive, so that the dispenser merely needs to press them into position on the container. They are also preferably given such a thickness, or relief contour, or both, that there will be no difficulty in appreciating their presence and position solely by the sense of touch. A simple flat strip, of a flexible material having a self-adhesive backing, could be used, but advantageously there might be provided a ridge or a plurality of ridges, or pimples, castellations, crossribs or other projections to enhance their capability of appreciation by touch.

Advantageously, the material for production of the indicator members 4 and 5 may be supplied in bulk, e.g.

in a roll from which suitable lengths can be removed for sticking onto the container. By way of example, a length of such material may have points of weakening along its length, enabling the user to part off lengths readily by hand at the time of use.

The indicator members 4 and 5 need not necessarily be discrete, but could be formed on, or joined by, an intervening web, thereby to determine the correct spacing (especially for the time-of-day indicator members 5) without the dispenser having to judge precisely the spacing and positioning at which he should place them on the container. Thus, for example, the dispenser could have available to him, as stock material, strips with "4 times a day", "3 times a day", "twice a day" (and when, during the day) from which he could simply part off a length, at a point of weakening, and press it into position on the container to serve as an indicator member 5. Similarly, the indicator members 4, for number of items to be taken, could be obtained by parting off a length of a material having indicators for "one item", "two items" etc.

In another embodiment, as seen in Figure 3, the shape of the indicator members 5a could be different, to enable the user to distinguish between, for example, pills or tablets on the one hand, and liquid doses on the other hand. For the latter, there may be used, for example, circular indicator members 5a which would be disposed in the "time of day" spacing direction and which would, by touch or sight, indicate to the user that liquid doses, e.g. 5 ml. spoonfuls, were to be taken.

Claims

CLAItlS

1. A medicament container having attached thereto two discrete mutually distinguishable sets of tactile indicia, one set having a number of identical indicia equal to the number of times per day a medicament item should be taken and the other set having a number of identical indicia indicating the number of items of the medicament to be taken on each occasion, wherein said sets are distinguishable by the shape and/or alignment of the indicia thereof.

2. A container as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the indicia of at least one set are elongate and spaced apart in a direction transverse to their elongate axis.

3. A container as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the respective indicia of each set are embossed on a single structure.

4. A container as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein each indicium is provided on a respective separate member.

5. A container as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 4.

6. A container as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3.

7. Marking means for use on a medicament container for the purpose of imparting dosage information by touch or sight, sand means comprising two discrete indicator components secuXrable to the container, a first such component serving to indicate a number of times per period a medicament item should be taken, the second such component serving to indicate a number of items of the medicament which should be taken on each occasion, each indicator having a direction of elongation and being adapted so that the respective directions of elongation can be differently orientated on the container so as to enable said indicators to be distinguished readily by the user.

8. Marking means as claimed in Claim 7, wherein at least one of said indicator components comprises .b structure having at least one elongate relief formation extending in the said direction of elongation.

9. Marking means as claimed in Claim 7, wherein at least one of said indicator components comprises a structure having at least two relief formations which are spaced apart in the said direction of elongation.

10. Marking means as claimed in Claim 7, wherein at least one of said indicator components comprises two or more discrete relieved members each of which extends in the said direction of elongation or which are spaced apart in the direction of elongation.

11. Marking means as claimed in Claim 7 or Claim 10, wherein said indicator components comprise discrete strips of flexible material applied in spaced positions on the container.

12. Marking means as claimed in any one of Claims 7 to 11, wherein each indicator component, or member thereof, is provided with an adhesive backing.

13. Marking means as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim ll, wherein said members of said indicator component are shaped differently to indicate different kinds of medicament.

14. Marking means as claimed in any one of Claims 7 to 13, wherein the said indicator components are formed from materials having distinguishable tactile properties.

15. Marking means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures to 2 and 4. -Figures 1, 2 and 4.

16. Marking means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3.

17. A medicament container provided with marking means as claimed in any one of Claims 7 to 16.

18. A method of marking a medicament container for the purpose of imparting dosage information by touch or sight, said method comprising the application to said container of marking means as claimed in any one of Claims 7 to 16.