Drug tapering assistance device, drug tapering assistance method, program, and drug tapering assistance system

Abstract

The present invention determines an appropriate dose of a drug to be tapered on the basis of the physical condition of a patient.　Provided is a drug tapering assistance device for assisting in drug tapering for a user who takes a drug, the drug tapering assistance device comprising: an input unit that receives an input of a physical condition from the user; a determination unit that determines a dose on the basis of the physical condition of the user, determines an input amount of the drug on the basis of the determined dose, and determines an extraction amount of an aqueous solution in which the determined dose of the drug has been dissolved; and an output unit that outputs at least one of the determined dose, the input amount of the drug, and the extraction amount of the aqueous solution.

Description

Drug reduction support device, drug reduction support method, program, and drug reduction support system

[0001] The present invention relates to a medication reduction support device, a medication reduction support method, a program, and a medication reduction support system. This invention claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-172759 filed on October 4, 2023, and the contents of that application are incorporated by reference into this application in designated states where incorporation by reference of documents is permitted.

[0002] Psychotropic drugs such as benzodiazepines (hereinafter simply referred to as "drugs") may be prescribed to patients with insomnia for treatment. Long-term use of these drugs can lead to physical dependence, making it difficult for patients to stop taking them even if the underlying cause of the insomnia (e.g., stress) is eliminated. Forcibly stopping the drug can lead to withdrawal symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, headache, vomiting, and psychomotor agitation. Therefore, gradually reducing the dosage is important. A more gradual approach is necessary, particularly if the drug has been taken for a long period of time.

[0003] Aqueous titration is a known method for reducing medication. Aqueous titration involves dissolving a predetermined amount of medication in a predetermined amount of water or other liquid to create an aqueous solution, which is then precisely measured and administered. Reducing medication using aqueous titration reduces the likelihood of withdrawal symptoms. However, aqueous titration requires the patient to manage medication dosage in units of a few milligrams, which is time-consuming and stressful for the patient, and may have a negative impact on insomnia.

[0004] Regarding medication management, for example, Cited Document 1 describes a technology that calculates a patient's biometric information (sleep time, etc.) from a sensor signal of a wristband worn by the patient after taking medication, and calculates the correlation between the drug's effects, side effects, and dosage by referring to the medication information including the biometric information.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-221245

[0006] According to the technology described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to calculate the correlation between the effects, side effects, and dosage of a drug by referring to factors such as the amount of sleep after taking the drug, but it is not possible to determine the appropriate dosage based on the patient's physical condition before taking the drug.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to make it possible to determine an appropriate dosage of a drug to be reduced based on the physical condition of the patient.

[0008] The present application includes a number of means for solving at least part of the above problems, examples of which are as follows.

[0009] In order to solve the above problem, one embodiment of the present invention provides a medication reduction support device that supports a user taking medication in reducing their medication, and includes an input unit that accepts input of the user's physical condition, a determination unit that determines the dosage based on the user's physical condition, determines the amount of medication to be administered based on the determined dosage, and determines the amount of aqueous solution to be extracted in which the determined amount of medication has been dissolved, and an output unit that outputs at least one of the determined dosage, the amount of medication to be administered, and the amount of aqueous solution to be extracted.

[0010] The input unit can accept a selection input from the user of multiple options regarding physical condition, and the decision unit can decrease the dosage when the user selects and inputs a first physical condition as the option, and can increase the dosage when the user selects and inputs a second physical condition as the option.

[0011] The decision unit can decrease the dosage when the number of consecutive times the user selects and inputs the first physical condition is equal to or greater than a first threshold, and can increase the dosage when the number of consecutive times the user selects and inputs the second physical condition is equal to or greater than a second threshold.

[0012] The determination unit can determine the number of tablets of the medicine as the input amount by dividing the determined dosage by the ingredient content per tablet of the medicine and rounding up the quotient to a positive number.

[0013] The medication reduction support device may include a stirring container for dissolving the input amount of medication in a predetermined amount of water, and a stirring mechanism for stirring the medication and water in the stirring container to create the aqueous solution.

[0014] The drug reduction support device may include an extraction pump that extracts the aqueous solution in the stirring vessel.

[0015] The drug reduction support device may include a removable water supply tank and a water injection pump that injects water from the water supply tank into the stirring container.

[0016] The drug reduction support device may include a removable drainage tank and a drainage pump that discharges the aqueous solution remaining in the stirring vessel into the drainage tank.

[0017] The medication reduction support device may include a drug crushing mechanism that crushes the drug that is added.

[0018] The medication reduction support device may include a memory unit that stores medication setting information, and the determination unit may determine the medication amount based on the user's physical condition and the medication setting information.

[0019] The medication setting information may be set by at least one of the user and an administrator who manages the prescription of medicines for the user.

[0020] The medication reduction support device may include a memory unit that stores medication history information, and the output unit may output a history of the user's physical condition and the medication dosage based on the medication history information.

[0021] Another aspect of the present invention is a medication reduction support method using a medication reduction support device that supports a user taking medication in reducing their medication, and includes an input step of accepting input of the user's physical condition, a determination step of determining a medication dosage based on the user's physical condition, determining an amount of medication to be administered based on the determined medication dosage, and determining an amount of aqueous solution to be extracted in which the determined amount of medication has been dissolved, and an output step of outputting at least one of the determined medication dosage, the amount of medication to be administered, and the amount of aqueous solution to be extracted.

[0022] A program according to yet another aspect of the present invention causes a computer to function as an input unit that accepts input of the physical condition of a user taking medicine, a determination unit that determines the dosage based on the physical condition of the user, determines the amount of medicine to be administered based on the determined dosage, and determines the amount of aqueous solution to be extracted in which the determined amount of medicine has been dissolved, and an output unit that outputs at least one of the determined dosage, the amount of medicine to be administered, and the amount of aqueous solution to be extracted.

[0023] A further aspect of the present invention provides a medication reduction support system comprising a user terminal used by a user taking medication, and a medication reduction support device, wherein the user terminal comprises an input unit that accepts input of the user's physical condition, a determination unit that determines the dosage based on the user's physical condition, determines the dosage of the medication based on the determined dosage, and determines the amount of aqueous solution extracted with the determined dosage of the medication, and an output unit that outputs at least one of the determined dosage, the dosage of the medication, and the amount of aqueous solution extracted, and the medication reduction support device comprises a stirring container for dissolving the dosage of the medication in a predetermined amount of water, a stirring mechanism that stirs the medication and the water in the stirring container to create the aqueous solution, and an extraction pump that extracts the aqueous solution in the stirring container.

[0024] According to the present invention, it is possible to determine an appropriate dosage of a medicine to be reduced based on the physical condition of the patient.

[0025] Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of a medication reduction support device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a medication reduction support device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a medication reduction support process. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display of a medication setting screen. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display of a home screen. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a medication dosage determination process. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a display of a medication input instruction screen. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a display of an aqueous solution preparation screen. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a dosage instruction screen. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display of an error screen. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a display of a medication history screen. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a medication reduction support system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a medication reduction support device in the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a computer.

[0027] Hereinafter, multiple embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all drawings used to describe each embodiment, identical components are generally designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, in the following embodiments, the components (including element steps, etc.) are not necessarily essential unless otherwise specified or considered to be clearly essential in principle. Furthermore, when the terms "consisting of A," "composed of A," "having A," and "including A" are used, other elements are not excluded unless otherwise specified, specifically indicating that only that element is included. Similarly, in the following embodiments, when referring to the shape, positional relationship, etc. of components, etc., these terms include those that are substantially similar or similar to the shape, etc., unless otherwise specified or considered to be clearly essential in principle.

[0028] <Medication reduction support device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention> FIG. 1 shows an example of the appearance of a medication reduction support device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] The medication reduction support device 10 assumes that the user is, for example, a patient suffering from insomnia, and supports the titration of an aqueous solution of a medication (e.g., a psychotropic drug such as benzodiazepine) that has been prescribed to the user and that should be reduced. Note that the user's medical condition, symptoms, and therapeutic drugs are not limited to the examples described above.

[0030] The medication reduction support device 10 has, on the front of its housing, a touch panel display 11 that displays various information to the user and receives input from the user, and a medicine inlet 14 that pours water in which a medicine has been dissolved by the medication reduction support device 10 (hereinafter referred to as an aqueous solution) into the cup 1. Note that instead of the touch panel display 11, a display without a touch panel and mechanical buttons or the like may be provided.

[0031] The medication reduction support device 10 also has a medication inlet 12 on the top surface of its housing for inserting medication. The medication to be inserted is assumed to be a tablet. However, the form of the medication is not limited to a tablet, and it may also be a powder or liquid.

[0032] Furthermore, the medication reduction support device 10 is provided on the side of its housing with a removable water supply tank 13 for storing water to dissolve the medication, and a removable drainage tank 15 for storing the remaining aqueous solution before disposal.

[0033] The arrangement of the touch panel display 11, the medicine inlet 12, the water tank 13, the medicine inlet 14, and the drain tank 15 is not limited to the example shown in Fig. 1. Instead of providing the water tank 13, for example, a detachable plastic bottle filled with water may be used, or a water pipe may be connected to the medication reduction support device 10.

[0034] 2 shows an example of the internal configuration of the medication reduction support device 10. In addition to a touch panel display 11, a medication inlet 12, a water supply tank 13, a medication inlet 14, and a drainage tank 15, the medication reduction support device 10 includes a control unit 20, a memory unit 21, a medication crushing mechanism 22, an agitation container 23, a measuring device 24, an agitation mechanism 25, a water injection pump 26, an extraction pump 27, a drainage pump 28, and sensors 29 and 30. Each component of the medication reduction support device 10 is detachable and disassembled so that it can be washed and dried by the user.

[0035] The control unit 20 is composed of, for example, a small computer or a microcomputer, and the small computer or the like executes a predetermined program to control each part of the medication reduction support device 10 to realize the UI (User Interface) function, the dosage determination function, and the dispensing function. Note that the control lines from the control unit 20 to each part of the medication reduction support device 10 are omitted in the illustration.

[0036] The UI function is a function for controlling the touch panel display 11 to display various information or to receive input from the user, and corresponds to the input unit and output unit of the present invention.

[0037] The dosage determination function is a function for determining the dosage based on the user's own physical condition and the like input by the user. Details of dosage calculation will be described later. The dosage determination function corresponds to the determination unit of the present invention.

[0038] The dispensing function is a function that controls each part of the medication reduction support device 10 to generate an aqueous solution, accurately measures the aqueous solution to be taken by the user, and extracts it into the cup 1.

[0039] The storage unit 21 is composed of, for example, a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory or a volatile memory such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) (which requires constant power supply), and stores medication setting information 211 and medication history information 212. The medication setting information 211 is information consisting of various setting values ​​(described later with reference to FIG. 4 ) required to determine the medication dosage, and is set by the user or a manager such as the user's doctor or pharmacist who manages the user's medication. The medication history information 212 is information representing the history of the user's physical condition and medication dosage. The storage unit 21 also stores the number of consecutive good days and the number of consecutive unwell days, which will be described later. Note that the storage unit 21 may also store other information and data.

[0040] The drug crushing mechanism 22 is composed of, for example, a motor and a propeller-type cutter, and crushes the drug (tablet) fed from the drug feeding port 12 and discharges it into the agitating vessel 23. Note that the drug feeding port 12 is provided with a bypass so that when the drug to be fed is in the form of a powder or liquid, the drug can be fed directly into the agitating vessel 23 without passing through the drug crushing mechanism 22.

[0041] The stirring vessel 23 is, for example, a beaker, into which water is poured from the water supply tank 13 by a water injection pump 26 , and medicine is poured from the medicine inlet 12 or the medicine crushing mechanism 22 .

[0042] The weighing device 24 is, for example, an electromagnetic scale, and measures the weight of the water poured into the stirring vessel 23. The weighing device 24 also measures the aqueous solution remaining in the stirring vessel 23, thereby measuring the aqueous solution extracted from the stirring vessel 23.

[0043] The stirring mechanism 25 is, for example, a stirrer, and generates an aqueous solution by stirring the water and chemicals introduced into the stirring vessel 23. Instead of a stirrer, stirring blades may be provided at the bottom of the stirring vessel 23.

[0044] The water injection pump 26, under the control of the control unit 20, sucks up water from the water supply tank 13 and injects it into the agitator 23. At this time, the control unit 20 causes the measuring device 24 to measure the amount of water injected into the agitator 23, and controls the water injection pump 26 in accordance with the result, thereby accurately controlling the amount of water injected into the agitator 23. Note that a flow meter may be added between the water supply tank 13 and the agitator 23, and the water injection pump 26 may be controlled in accordance with the measurement result.

[0045] Extraction pump 27 extracts the aqueous solution from stirring vessel 23 under the control of control unit 20 and pours it into cup 1 through chemical inlet 14. At this time, control unit 20 causes metering device 24 to measure the gradually decreasing amount of aqueous solution from stirring vessel 23, and controls extraction pump 27 in accordance with the measurement result, thereby accurately controlling the amount of aqueous solution extracted. Note that a flow meter may be added between stirring vessel 23 and chemical inlet 14, and extraction pump 27 may be controlled in accordance with the measurement result.

[0046] The drain pump 28 discharges the aqueous solution remaining in the stirring vessel 23 into the drain tank 15 under the control of the control unit 20 .

[0047] The sensor 29 detects the attachment or detachment of the water supply tank 13 to the housing of the medication reduction support device 10, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 20. The sensor 29 also detects the presence or absence of water in the water supply tank 13, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 20.

[0048] The sensor 30 detects the attachment or detachment of the drainage tank 15 to the housing of the medication reduction support device 10, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 20. The sensor 30 also detects whether the drainage tank 15 is full of aqueous solution, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 20.

[0049] <Regarding the medication reduction support process by the medication reduction support device 10> FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the medication reduction support process by the medication reduction support device 10. As shown in FIG.

[0050] The medication reduction support process is performed on the premise that the user has attached the water supply tank 13 filled with water and the empty drainage tank 15 to the housing of the medication reduction support device 10. Also, medication setting information 211 set by the user or an administrator such as the user's doctor is stored in the memory unit 21. The medication reduction support process is started in response to a predetermined start operation by the user during a medication time slot, such as before going to bed.

[0051] First, the control unit 20 displays the medication setting screen 1000 (FIG. 4) based on the medication setting information 211 in the storage unit 21 on the touch panel display 11 (step S1).

[0052] 4 shows an example of a display of a medication setting screen 1000. The medication setting screen 1000 is provided with a "Home" button 1001, a management setting field 1002, a medication setting field 1003, and a medication reduction setting field 1004.

[0053] The "Home" button 1001 is used by the user to instruct transition to the home screen 1100 (FIG. 5). The management setting field 1002 is used to set whether remote control by an administrator such as a primary care physician is enabled and whether control by the patient (user) himself / herself is enabled with respect to the settings of the medication setting information 211. Remote control by an administrator such as a primary care physician will be described in the second embodiment below.

[0054] The medication setting field 1003 is used to set the name of the medication prescribed to the user, the dosage frequency, and the initial dosage, and is set by the user or administrator. In the example of FIG. 4, the medication name is set to "brotizolam 0.25 mg," the dosage frequency is set to "every night before bedtime," and the current dosage is "0.37 mg." The "0.25 mg" included in the medication name corresponds to the ingredient content X of one tablet of the medication, which will be described later.

[0055] The medication reduction setting field 1004 is used to set a good state reduction rate that indicates the rate at which the medication dosage is reduced when the user is in good physical condition, a good state threshold that indicates a threshold for comparison with the number of consecutive days the user is in good physical condition, an unwell state increase rate that indicates the rate at which the medication dosage is increased when the user is in poor physical condition, and an unwell state threshold that indicates a threshold for comparison with the number of consecutive days the user is in poor physical condition, and these are set by the user or an administrator. The good state threshold corresponds to the first threshold in this invention, and the unwell state threshold corresponds to the second threshold in this invention.

[0056] In the example of Fig. 4, the good condition gradual decrease rate is set to "2%, the good condition threshold is set to "5 days", the bad condition gradual increase rate is set to "3%, and the bad condition threshold is set to "3 days". In the calculation formulas described below, percentages are converted to decimals before use.

[0057] Returning to Fig. 3, when the user checks the medication setting screen 1000 displayed on the touch panel display 11 and operates the "Home" button 1001, the control unit 20 then causes the home screen 1100 (Fig. 5) to be displayed on the touch panel display 11 (step S2).

[0058] 5 shows an example of a home screen 1100. The home screen 1100 has a “History” button 1101, a “Settings” button 1102, and a physical condition selection button 1103.

[0059] The "History" button 1101 is used by the user to instruct transition to the history screen 1600 (FIG. 11). The "Settings" button 1102 is used by the user to instruct transition to the medication setting screen 1000 (FIG. 4).

[0060] The physical condition selection button 1103 allows the user to select and input his / her physical condition as "good", "poor", or "extremely poor". In this embodiment, the physical condition is classified into three stages, "good", "poor", and "extremely poor", but it may be classified into two stages or four or more stages.

[0061] Returning to Fig. 3, when the user selects and inputs a physical condition using the physical condition selection button 1103 on the home screen 1100 displayed on the touch panel display 11, the control unit 20 then performs a medication dosage determination process based on the user's physical condition, etc. (step S3).

[0062] 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the dosage determination process. First, the control unit 20 determines whether the physical condition selected and input by the user is "good," "poor," or "extremely poor" (step S11).

[0063] If the user's physical condition is "good" ("good" in step S11), the control unit 20 then adds 1 to the number of consecutive days of good condition stored in the memory unit 21 (step S12) and resets the number of consecutive days of poor condition to 0 (step S13).

[0064] Next, the control unit 20 determines whether the number of consecutive good days to which 1 was added in step S12 is equal to or greater than the good threshold value (five days in the example of FIG. 4) (step S14). If the number of consecutive good days is equal to or greater than the good threshold value ("YES" in step S14), the control unit 20 multiplies the dosage A by (1 - good condition tapering rate) to update the dosage A (step S15), and resets the number of consecutive good days stored in the memory unit 21 to 0 (step S16).

[0065] On the other hand, if the number of consecutive good days is less than the good threshold value ("NO" in step S14), the control unit 20 skips steps S15 and S16. In this case, the dosage A is not updated.

[0066] Next, the control unit 20 divides the dosage A by the amount of ingredients X contained in one tablet of the medicine and rounds up the quotient to a positive number to calculate the amount of medicine Y to be added in units of one tablet. Furthermore, the control unit 20 multiplies the ratio of the dosage A to the amount of ingredients X and Y of the medicine to be added (A / (X·Y)) by the amount of water C to be poured in to dissolve the medicine, thereby determining the amount of aqueous solution D to be extracted (step S17). D = (A / (X·Y)) × C

[0067] 4, if the dosage A before updating is 0.37 mg, the good condition tapering rate is 2%, the good condition threshold is 5 days, and the number of good consecutive days added by 1 in step S12 is 5, then in step S15 the dosage A before updating (0.37 mg) is multiplied by (1-0.02) to update dosage A to 0.3626 mg. Then, the updated dosage A (0.3626 mg) is divided by the ingredient content X of one tablet (0.25 mg), and the result, 1.4504, is rounded up to a positive number, and the dosage Y of the drug is determined to be 2 tablets. Furthermore, the ratio of the dosage of 0.3626 mg to the amount of drug ingredient added (0.25 mg x 2 tablets) is 0.7252 (= 0.3626 / (0.25 x 2)) multiplied by the amount of water injected C (e.g., 100 ml) to determine the amount of aqueous solution extracted D = 72.52 ml.

[0068] If the user's physical condition is "poor" ("poor" in step S11), the control unit 20 then adds 1 to the number of consecutive days of poor condition stored in the memory unit 21 (step S21), and resets the number of consecutive days of good condition to 0 (step S22).

[0069] Next, the control unit 20 determines whether the number of consecutive days of illness to which 1 was added in step S21 is equal to or greater than the illness threshold (three days in the example of FIG. 4) (step S23). If the number of consecutive days of illness is equal to or greater than the illness threshold ("YES" in step S23), the control unit 20 multiplies the previous dose A by (1 + the dose increase rate during illness) to update the dose A (step S24), and resets the number of consecutive days of illness stored in the memory unit 21 to 0 (step S25).

[0070] On the other hand, if the number of consecutive days of illness is less than the illness threshold ("NO" in step S23), the control unit 20 skips steps S24 and S25. In this case, the dosage A is not updated.

[0071] Next, the control unit 20 determines the amount Y of medicine to be added and the amount D of aqueous solution to be extracted (step S17).

[0072] 4, if the dosage A is 0.37 mg, the illness tapering rate is 3%, the illness threshold is 3 days, and the number of consecutive days of illness added by 1 in step S21 is 3, then in step S24 the previous dosage A = 0.37 mg is multiplied by (1 + 0.03) to update dosage A to 0.3811 mg. The updated dosage A = 0.3811 mg is then divided by the ingredient content X of one tablet = 0.25 mg, and the result, 1.5244, is rounded up to a positive number, determining the dosage Y to be 2 tablets. Furthermore, the ratio of the dosage of 0.3811 mg to the amount of drug ingredient (0.25 mg x 2 tablets) added (0.7622 = 0.3811 / (0.25 x 2)) is multiplied by the amount of water injected C (e.g., 100 ml) to determine the amount of aqueous solution extracted D = 76.22 ml.

[0073] If the user's physical condition is "extremely poor" ("extremely poor" in step S11), the control unit 20 then resets the number of consecutive days of poor condition stored in the memory unit 21 to 0 (step S31), and resets the number of consecutive days of good condition to 0 (step S32).

[0074] Next, the control unit 20 multiplies the current dosage A by (1 + the dosage increase rate during illness) to update the dosage A (step S33).

[0075] Next, the control unit 20 determines the amount Y of medicine to be added and the amount D of aqueous solution to be extracted (step S17).

[0076] For example, as shown in Figure 4, if the dosage A is "0.37 mg" and the failure tapering rate is "3%," in step S33, the previous dosage A = 0.37 mg is multiplied by (1 + 0.03) to update the dosage A to 0.3811 mg. The updated dosage A = 0.3811 mg is then divided by the ingredient content X of one tablet of the drug = 0.25 mg, and the result, 1.5244, is rounded up to a positive number to determine the dosage Y of two tablets. Furthermore, the ratio of the dosage 0.3811 mg to the ingredient amount of the drug (0.25 mg x 2 tablets) (0.7622 = 0.3811 / (0.25 x 2)) is multiplied by the amount of water injected C (e.g., 100 ml) to determine the extracted aqueous solution volume D = 76.22 ml.

[0077] In the above description, the dosage Y of the medicine is calculated in units of one tablet, allowing the user to easily administer the medicine. However, the dosage Y of the medicine may be calculated in units of half a tablet, quarter tablet, or the like. Furthermore, the dosage A and the extracted amount D of the aqueous solution may be rounded to a predetermined place (e.g., to the nearest 0.01) depending on the accuracy of the metering device 24, the water injection pump 26, and the extraction pump 27.

[0078] Returning to Fig. 3, the control unit 20 then displays on the touch panel display 11 the medicine administration instruction screen 1200 (Fig. 7) reflecting the medicine dose calculated in the medicine dose calculation process and the medicine administration amount Y (step S4).

[0079] 7 shows an example of a display of a medicine administration instruction screen 1200. The medicine administration instruction screen 1200 displays a message indicating the dosage calculated in the dosage calculation process (e.g., "This medicine is 0.38 mg"), a message indicating the amount Y of medicine to be administered (e.g., "Place the cup, administer two 0.25 mg tablets of brotizolam, and press OK"), an "OK" button 1201, and a "Back" button 1202. In addition to the screen display, the message indicating the dosage and the message indicating the amount Y of medicine to be administered may be output as audio from a speaker. The amount D of aqueous solution extracted may also be displayed on the medicine administration instruction screen 1200 or output as audio.

[0080] The "OK" button 1201 is used by the user who has placed the cup 1 under the medicine inlet 14 and poured the medicine into the medicine inlet 12 to instruct the process to proceed. The "Back" button 1202 is used to return the process to step S2, display the home screen 1100, and redo the selection and input of the physical condition.

[0081] Returning to FIG. 3 , when the user operates the "OK" button 1201 on the medicine injection instruction screen 1200 displayed on the touch panel display 11, the control unit 20 then causes the weighing device 24 to start weighing, and controls the water injection pump 26 while referring to the weighing result to inject a predetermined amount C (e.g., 100 ml) of water from the water supply tank 13 into the stirring container 23. The control unit 20 also causes the medicine crushing mechanism 22 to crush the medicine tablets and discharge them into the stirring container 23, and causes the stirring mechanism 25 to stir the water and medicine, thereby preparing an aqueous solution. Furthermore, the control unit 20 causes the touch panel display 11 to display an aqueous solution preparation screen 1300 ( FIG. 8 ) (step S4).

[0082] 8, an explanation of the current process (e.g., "Mixing water and medicine") and an "Abort" button 1301 are displayed on the aqueous solution preparation screen 1300. The "Abort" button 1301 is used to instruct the user to stop preparing the aqueous solution.

[0083] Returning to FIG. 3 , after stirring mechanism 25 stirs the water and medicine for a predetermined time, control unit 20 controls extraction pump 27 while referring to the measurement result (remaining amount of aqueous solution) of measuring device 24 to extract the aqueous solution in stirring container 23 into cup 1 via medicine spout 14 by the amount D determined in step S17, and displays administration instruction screen 1400 ( FIG. 9 ) on touch panel display 11 (step S6). Note that instead of stirring the water and medicine for a predetermined time, a sensor may be provided to measure the transparency of the aqueous solution in stirring container 23, and stirring may be terminated depending on the transparency.

[0084] 9 shows a display example of a medication instruction screen 1400. The medication instruction screen 1400 displays a message encouraging the user to take the medicine (for example, "Medicine extraction has been completed. Please take all of the medicine in the cup (76 ml)."), a "Home" button 1401, and a "History" button 1402. In addition to the screen display, the message encouraging the user to take the medicine may be output as audio.

[0085] The "Home" button 1401 is used by the user to instruct a transition to the home screen 1100 (FIG. 5). The "History" button 1402 is used by the user to instruct a transition to the history screen 1600 (FIG. 11). The history screen 1600 will be described later.

[0086] Returning to Fig. 3, the control unit 20 then controls the drain pump 28 to drain the aqueous solution remaining in the stirring vessel 23 into the drain tank 15 (step S7).

[0087] Finally, the control unit 20 associates the physical condition selected and input on the home screen 1100 with the medication amount calculated based on the physical condition, etc., and the date, and records them in the medication history information 212 in the storage unit 21 (step S8). This completes the medication reduction support process by the medication reduction support device 10.

[0088] According to the medication reduction support process described above, the user can reduce medication while preventing the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms, simply by inputting their own physical condition, without having to strictly control their own medication intake.

[0089] If the medication reduction pace achieved by the medication reduction support process does not suit the user, the medication reduction settings can be changed on the medication setting screen 1000.

[0090] The above explanation has been given using the example of a case where the medication is taken once a day (every night before going to bed), but if the medication is taken twice a day or more, the number of consecutive good days, number of consecutive unwell days, good threshold, and unwell threshold explained above can be changed from a date unit to a session unit.

[0091] <Other Screen Displays> Figure 10 is a display example of error screen 1500, showing an example in which there is insufficient water in water supply tank 13. Error screen 1500 is provided with a "Settings" button 1501 for the user to instruct transition to medication setting screen 1000 (Figure 4), and an "OK" button 1502 that the user operates when confirming the error content.

[0092] In addition to when there is insufficient water in the water supply tank 13, an error screen similar to error screen 1500 is also displayed when, for example, the water supply tank 13 is not installed, the drainage tank 15 is not installed, or the drainage tank 15 is full.

[0093] FIG. 11 shows an example of a history screen 1600 that is displayed when the "History" button 1101 on the home screen 1100 or the "History" button 1402 on the medication instruction screen 1400 is operated.

[0094] The history screen 1600 is provided with a "Home" button 1601 for instructing transition to the home screen 1100, a history display field 1602, and a display range selection input button 1603. The history display field 1602 visualizes and displays the changes in daily medication dosage and physical condition within the display range as line graphs based on the medication history information 212 stored in the storage unit 21. In the figure, one month is selected as the display range, and the history display field 1602 displays the changes in daily physical condition and medication dosage over the past month.

[0095] Furthermore, the history screen 1600 displays the current medication dosage, the medication increase / decrease rate for the display period, and the patient's physical condition for the display period. The medication increase / decrease rate for the display period is calculated by the control unit 20 based on the ratio of the current medication dosage to the initial dosage for the display period. For example, if the initial dosage for the display period is 0.4 mg and the current dosage is 0.38 mg, the medication increase / decrease rate of "-5.0%" is calculated as 0.38 / 0.4 = 0.95. The physical condition for the display period is calculated by the control unit 20 as a score for the physical condition for the display period. For example, good physical condition for each day is assigned a score of 1, poor physical condition is assigned a score of 0, and extremely poor physical condition is assigned a score of -1, with good physical condition for all days of the display period being totaled and converted to 100 points.

[0096] <Medication reduction support system 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention> FIG. 12 shows an example of the configuration of a medication reduction support system 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0097] The medication reduction support system 100 comprises a medication reduction support device 10', a user terminal 60, an administrator terminal 70, and a server 80. The medication reduction support device 10' is connected to the user terminal 60. The user terminal 60 and the administrator terminal 70 are connected to the server 80 via a network N such as the Internet.

[0098] 13 shows an example of the configuration of a medication reduction support device 10'. Note that components common to the medication reduction support device 10' and the medication reduction support device 10 are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0099] The medication reduction support device 10' is obtained by omitting the touch panel display 11 and the storage unit 21 from the medication reduction support device 10 and adding a communication unit 41.

[0100] The control unit 20 of the medication reduction support device 10' has a dispensing function, and is the same as the control unit 20 of the medication reduction support device 10 (FIG. 2) except that the UI function and the dosage determination function are omitted. In the second embodiment, the UI function and the dosage determination function are realized by the user terminal 60.

[0101] The communication unit 41 connects to the user terminal 60 using a short-range wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth (trademark), receives information about the amount of water poured and the amount of aqueous solution extracted, which are related to the dispensing function, transmitted from the user terminal 60, and outputs the information to the control unit 20. Note that the communication unit 41 may be connected to the user terminal 60 via a local area network (LAN) (not shown) provided in the user's home.

[0102] Returning to Figure 12, the user terminal 60 used by the user (patient) is, for example, a general computer such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a smartphone, and is responsible for the UI function and dosage determination function that are omitted from the medication reduction support device 10'.

[0103] 14 shows an example of the configuration of a general computer 600 that constitutes a user terminal 60. The computer 600 includes a processor 601 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory 602 such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), a storage 603 such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), an input device 604 such as a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch panel, an output device 605 such as a display, and a communication module 606 such as a NIC (Network Interface Card).

[0104] The computer 600 serving as the user terminal 60 realizes a UI function and a dosage determination function by having the processor 601 execute a predetermined program loaded into the memory 602. For example, as the UI function, the user terminal 60 displays a home screen 1100 (FIG. 5) to accept input of physical condition from the user, and displays a medicine administration instruction screen 1200 (FIG. 7) to output instructions to the user. Furthermore, as the dosage determination function, the user terminal 60 connects to the server 80 via the network N and determines the dosage by referring to the medication setting information 211.

[0105] The administrator terminal 70 is, for example, a PC, a smartphone, or the like, and is used by an administrator such as a doctor or pharmacist who manages prescriptions for patients. The administrator terminal 70 connects to the server 80 via the network N and sets medication setting information 211 for the patient (user of the user terminal 60). However, in order for the administrator to set the medication setting information 211, the management setting information included in the medication setting information 211 must be set in advance to enable remote control by the administrator.

[0106] The server 80 is a so-called cloud storage or the like, and manages medication setting information 211 and medication history information 212 corresponding to each patient.

[0107] In the medication reduction support system 100, the user terminal 60 accepts input of the user's physical condition and determines the medication dosage A, the amount of medication to be added Y, and the amount of aqueous solution to be extracted D by referring to medication setting information 211 managed by the server 80. Next, the user terminal 60 instructs the user to add medication to the medication reduction support device 10' and place the cup 1 under the medication spout 14, and transmits the amount of water to be added C and the amount of aqueous solution to be extracted D to the medication reduction support device 10'. The medication reduction support device 10' then prepares an aqueous solution in which the medication has been dissolved and extracts the amount of solution D into the cup 1.

[0108] The medication reduction support system 100 allows an administrator to remotely manage the medications of multiple users. Furthermore, the medication reduction support device 10' can be manufactured at lower cost than the medication reduction support device 10 (FIG. 2).

[0109] <Modification> As a modification of the medication reduction support system 100 according to the second embodiment, for example, the medication dosage determination function may be transferred from the user terminal 60 to the server 80 .

[0110] As a modified example of the medication reduction support device 10 according to the first embodiment, the dispensing function may be omitted, and only the UI function and the dosage determination function may be provided. Similarly, as a modified example of the medication reduction support system 100 according to the second embodiment, the medication reduction support device 10' may be omitted. That is, in the medication reduction support device 10 and the medication reduction support system 100, the UI function may accept input of the user's physical condition, the dosage determination function may determine the dosage and extraction amount based on the user's physical condition, and notify the user of the results. Thereafter, the user may be responsible for preparing water and cups, stirring the medicine, extracting the medicine, cleaning up, and so on.

[0111] Furthermore, as a modification of the medication reduction support device 10 according to the first embodiment, some of the components related to the dispensing function may be omitted or simplified. Similarly, as a modification of the medication reduction support system 100 according to the second embodiment, some of the components of the medication reduction support device 10' may be omitted or simplified. For example, the water supply tank 13, the water injection pump 26, and the sensor 29 may be omitted, and the user may inject water by himself. For example, the drug crushing mechanism 22 may be omitted, and the user may crush the tablets by himself. For example, the extraction pump 27 may be omitted, and the user may extract the aqueous solution by himself. For example, the drainage tank 15, the drainage pump 28, and the sensor 30 may be omitted, and the user may discharge the aqueous solution by himself.

[0112] Furthermore, a predetermined web server can be accessed via a browser on a user terminal such as a smartphone, and when the user inputs their physical condition on a web screen displayed on the browser by the web server, the dosage, amount of medicine to be taken, and amount of aqueous solution to be extracted according to the user's physical condition can be displayed.

[0113] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and various other modifications are possible. For example, the above-described embodiments and modifications have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace a part of a modification with another modification, or to combine modifications.

[0114] Furthermore, some or all of the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be implemented in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. Furthermore, the above-described configurations, functions, etc. may be implemented in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that implements each function. Information such as programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in memory, a recording device such as a hard disk or SSD, or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD. Furthermore, the control lines and information lines shown are those considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily represent all control lines and information lines in the product. In reality, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected.

[0115] 10, 10'...Medication reduction support device, 11...Touch panel display, 12...Medication inlet, 13...Water supply tank, 14...Medication inlet, 15...Drainage tank, 20...Control unit, 21...Memory unit, 211...Medication setting information, 212...Medication history information, 22...Medication crushing mechanism, 23...Agitation container, 24...Measuring device, 25...Agitation mechanism, 26...Water injection pump, 27...Extraction pump, 28...Drainage pump, 29...Sensor, 30...Sensor, 41...Communication unit, 60... User terminal, 70...administrator terminal, 80...server, 100...medication reduction support system, 600...computer, 601...processor, 602...memory, 603...storage, 604...input device, 605...output device, 606...communication module, 1000...medication setting screen, 1100...home screen, 1200...medication administration instruction screen, 1300...aqueous solution preparation screen, 1400...medication instruction screen, 1500...error screen, 1600...history screen

Claims

1. A medication reduction support device that supports a user taking medication in reducing the amount of medication, comprising: an input unit that accepts input of the user's physical condition; a determination unit that determines an amount of medication to be taken based on the user's physical condition, determines an amount of the medication to be administered based on the determined amount of medication, and determines an amount of aqueous solution to be extracted in which the determined amount of medication has been dissolved; and an output unit that outputs at least one of the determined amount of medication to be taken, the amount of the medication administered, and the amount of the aqueous solution to be extracted.

2. A medication reduction support device as described in claim 1, wherein the input unit accepts a selection input from the user of multiple options regarding physical condition, and the decision unit reduces the dosage when the user selects and inputs a first physical condition as one of the options, and increases the dosage when the user selects and inputs a second physical condition as one of the options.

3. A medication reduction support device as described in claim 2, wherein the decision unit reduces the dosage when the number of consecutive times the user selects and inputs the first physical condition is equal to or greater than a first threshold, and increases the dosage when the number of consecutive times the user selects and inputs the second physical condition is equal to or greater than a second threshold.

4. A medication reduction support device as described in claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines the number of tablets of the medication as the input amount by dividing the determined dosage by the ingredient content per tablet of the medication and rounding up the quotient to a positive number.

5. A medication reduction support device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising: a mixing container for dissolving the input amount of the medication in a predetermined amount of water; and a mixing mechanism for mixing the medication and the water in the mixing container to create the aqueous solution.

6. A drug reduction support device as described in claim 5, comprising an extraction pump for extracting the aqueous solution in the stirring vessel.

7. A drug reduction support device as described in claim 5, comprising: a removable water supply tank; and a water injection pump that injects water from the water supply tank into the mixing container.

8. A drug reduction support device as described in claim 5, comprising: a removable drainage tank; and a drainage pump that discharges the aqueous solution remaining in the mixing vessel into the drainage tank.

9. A medication reduction support device as claimed in claim 5, comprising a drug crushing mechanism for crushing the drug that is added.

10. A medication reduction support device as described in claim 1, comprising: a memory unit that stores medication setting information; and the determination unit determines the dosage based on the user's physical condition and the medication setting information.

11. A medication reduction support device as described in claim 10, wherein the medication setting information is set by at least one of the user and an administrator who manages drug prescriptions for the user.

12. A medication reduction support device as described in claim 1, comprising: a memory unit that stores medication history information; and the output unit outputs a history of the user's physical condition and the medication amount based on the medication history information.

13. A medication reduction support method using a medication reduction support device that supports a user taking medication in reducing their medication, comprising: an input step of accepting input of the user's physical condition; a determination step of determining an amount of medication to be taken based on the user's physical condition, determining an amount of the medication to be administered based on the determined amount of medication, and determining an amount of aqueous solution to be extracted in which the determined amount of medication has been dissolved; and an output step of outputting at least one of the determined amount of medication to be taken, the amount of the medication administered, and the amount of the aqueous solution to be extracted.

14. A program that causes a computer to function as: an input unit that accepts input of the physical condition of a user taking medicine; a determination unit that determines a dosage based on the user's physical condition, determines an amount of the medicine to be administered based on the determined dosage, and determines an amount of aqueous solution in which the determined amount of the medicine has been dissolved to be extracted; and an output unit that outputs at least one of the determined dosage, the amount of the medicine administered, and the amount of the aqueous solution to be extracted.

15. A medication reduction support system comprising: a user terminal used by a user taking medication; and a medication reduction support device, wherein the user terminal comprises: an input unit for accepting input of the user's physical condition; a determination unit for determining a dosage based on the user's physical condition, determining an amount of the medication to be administered based on the determined dosage, and determining an amount of aqueous solution extracted in which the determined amount of the medication has been dissolved; and an output unit for outputting at least one of the determined dosage, the amount of the medication administered, and the amount of the aqueous solution extracted, wherein the medication reduction support device comprises: a stirring container for dissolving the administered amount of the medication in a predetermined amount of water; a stirring mechanism for stirring the medicine and the water in the stirring container to create the aqueous solution; and an extraction pump for extracting the aqueous solution in the stirring container.

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