Medication compliance and management device

Abstract

A medication dispenser is provided which includes compartments uniquely arranged with respect to time, for example, by time of day and / or day of week. Each compartment may contain pills in accordance with a pharmaceutical regimen such that consuming the pills within the compartments at the appropriate time as arranged with respect to time may maintain a patient's compliance with the pharmaceutical regimen. Additionally, a medication compliance and management method is provided which includes the steps of a) reviewing a pharmaceutical regimen of a patient to reduce a complexity of the pharmaceutical regimen, b) providing a quantity of medication dispensers in accordance with the reviewed pharmaceutical regimen with pills of the pharmaceutical regimen organized within the medication dispensers to further reduce the complexity of the pharmaceutical regimen, c) tracking the quantity of provided medication dispensers to determine when the quantity of medication dispensers will be depleted, d) contacting a prescribing doctor to obtain authorization to refill additional medication dispensers, and e) delivering refilled medication dispensers to the patient.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] Not Applicable STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH / DEVELOPMENT [0002] Not Applicable BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The present invention relates generally to a medication dispensing method, and more particularly to a medication dispenser and to a method of aiding patients to remain compliant with a complicated pharmaceutical regimen by providing the patient with a quantity of medication dispensers, tracking the quantity of medication dispensers in possession of the patient, contacting a prescribing doctor to obtain authorization to refill additional medication dispensers, and delivering refilled medication dispensers to the patient. [0004] In life, unfortunate conditions occur such that people become hospitalized and / or require medication. The medication needed may have to be taken over the course of a patient's lifetime or merely for a short interim period while the patient is recovering. In either case, the patient at time...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided which aids patient in remaining compliant with a complex pharmaceutical regimen. The method discussed in the detailed description of the invention includes the following steps: reviewing a pharmaceutical regimen of a patient, providing the patient with a quantity of medication dispensers, tracking the quantity of the medication dispensers, contacting a prescribing doctor to obtain authorization to refill additional medication dispensers, and delivering the refilled medication dispensers to the patient. The method and the medication dispenser within the method stated above, in particular, aids the patient in staying compliant with the pharmaceutical regimen. This is accomplished by improving the communication between the prescribing doctor and the pharmacist, simplifying the pharmaceutical regimen to the greatest extent possible, and presenting the pharmaceutical regimen in an organized fashion to the patient such that the pharmaceutical regimen is easily rememberable.

[0008] The communication between the prescribing doctor and the pharmacist may be improved through the use of the method in conjunction with the medical dispenser, as discussed below and within the detailed description of the present invention. The medication dispenser aids in improving the communication between the prescribing doctor and the pharmacist by placing the complete pharmaceutical regimen of the patient on an indicia flap of the medication dispenser. In this way, both the pharmacist and the prescribing doctor may view the complete pharmaceutical regimen and determine whether the pharmaceutical regimen of the patient contains any outdated drugs which have been replaced by new and improved pills. Additionally, the pharmacist may review the indicia flap to check for any adversely interacting pills within the pharmaceutical regimen. The above described adjustments to the pharmaceutical regimen may be accomplished by the pharmacist and / or the prescribing doctor.

[0009] As discussed above and in the detailed description of the present invention, the review may check for redundancy within the pharmaceutical regimen, for any adversely interacting pills within the pharmaceutical regimen, and among other things, a determination of whether the pharmaceutical regimen contains any outdated drugs which are no longer in use. These adjustments may help the patient to remain compliant with the pharmaceutical regimen in that the pharmaceutical regimen is simplified to the greatest extent. For example, if the pharmaceutical regimen contained three pills which had to be taken at various intervals throughout the day and throughout the week and through the review process one of the three pills was eliminated then the pharmaceutical regimen is made less complex.

Problems solved by technology

In life, unfortunate conditions occur such that people become hospitalized and / or require medication.

However, if the patient must take more than a few different types of pills, then the consumption requirement for the aggregate of all the pills increase a complexity of a pharmaceutical regimen.

In this regard, the patient may have to be confined to a hospital if the drug regimen is so complex that the patient may forget to consume one pill and thereby possibly cause death or serious bodily injury.

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