Monitored medication package

Abstract

A child resistant medication package and associated system can enable compliance and anti-diversion features. The medication package can include a timing reminder, can detect and record a compliance history of each dose of medication, and can include anti-tamper capabilities to ensure doses are removed in the intended fashion. The medication package can have the capability to exchange data with other devices, including personal computers. The associated system can include a central database that receives data from the medication package, and provides for the transmission of data between various system locations, including not only the individual medication package, but also, for example, drug manufacturers, pharmacies, physician offices, law enforcement agencies, and a database managing agency.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 796,224, filed Mar. 9, 2004, which application in turn claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 453,297, filed Mar. 10, 2003.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention generally relates to packages and containers for medication, and more particularly, to a medication package and associated method for anti-diversion detection and compliance monitoring. [0003] Adherence to prescription medication dosing schedules is often problematic for both the patient and the physician. Forgetting to take medications, or non-compliance, results in poor patient outcome and often is not reported to the prescribing physician by the patient. This can result in the physician increasing the dosage or changing to a different class of medication because of apparent ineffectiveness. Conversely, the taking of medications too frequently, or abuse, ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0019] Initially, the blister pack can be loaded with medication by a licensed pharmacist and then assembled together with the thicker backing material, electronic circuit board portion, and other parts of the medication package, which are within the child-resistant cover. The medication package can be manufactured in such a fashion that allows a pharmacist to “load” the blister pack with any combination or doses of pills, thereby providing dosing flexibility to the prescribing physician. The dose time interval can be preset when the dose package is assembled by the pharmacist.

Problems solved by technology

The breaking of the frangible layer to remove a dose cannot occur without the frangible layer contacting one of the conductive traces associated with an individual bubble chamber, thus causing a detectable event.

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