The present invention relates generally to label forms, and, more specifically, to pharmaceutical label scripts.
Pharmaceutical label scripts are custom made for individual pharmacies for use in completing a typical pharmaceutical drug transaction. The typical pharmacy dispenses prescription drugs in high volume for a large number of individual customers in each business day. The individual pharmacy scripts are tailored for completing an individual prescription transaction, and include one or more pressure sensitive labels for placement on the prescription drug container, which may have any suitable form such as a small plastic bottle. The script typically also includes small warning labels which may also be placed on the bottle. And, the script also includes a receipt and use instructions pertaining to the specific pharmaceutical drug being dispensed.
The high volume usage in pharmaceutical sales requires efficiency and ease of use of the scripts. A typical script is in the form of a single sheet which may be conveniently fed into a printer, such as a laser printer, for printing thereon all required information for completing the pharmaceutical transaction. Since a laser printer includes a hot fusion roller, the script must be configured with suitable pressure sensitive adhesive that is not excessively heat-softened during its travel through the printer for preventing premature delamination of the labels inside the printer, or liberation of heat-softened adhesive from the script during printer travel which could jam or damage the printer.
The various script labels applied to the drug container typically use a permanent bonding, pressure sensitive adhesive to ensure a permanent bond of the labels to the container to prevent their inadvertent or intentional removal therefrom. Permanent labels ensure the correspondence between the actual prescription drugs found in the container with the description and identification thereof on the label.
However, when the drug container is empty of its contents the prescription label remains attached thereto. That label includes confidential or sensitive information regarding the drugs, which the customer may prefer to maintain confidential. However, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to readily remove the drug label from the container once it has been adhesively bonded thereto. This creates a problem in discarding the empty container without the confidential information remaining thereon.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide an improved pharmaceutical label script which may be permanently adhered to a prescription drug container, yet permits easy removal of confidential information from the container.
A pharmaceutical script includes a face sheet laminated to a liner by an adhesive therebetween. The face sheet includes a removable label defined by a perimeter diecut. The label includes an excisable tab spaced inboard from a surrounding rim. The tab includes a slit along one edge thereof. And, the label and tab are removable together from the liner to expose adhesive on the label rim, without adhesive being exposed on the tab.
The invention, in accordance with preferred and exemplary embodiments, together with further objects and advantages thereof, is more particularly described in the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
A main label 14 and a secondary label 16 are illustrated in
Each of the labels illustrated in
In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
The pharmaceutical script illustrated in
In order to maintain the confidentiality of the patient's information 30, the main label includes an integral central tab 32 spaced inboard from a surrounding integral rim or frame 34 as illustrated in
As shown in
In an exemplary method of use, the laser printer 28 is first used for printing all required information on the face sheet 12, with the confidential information 30 being printed on the front side of the label tab 32. The main label 14 and its printed tab 32 are then removed together from the liner by being simply peeled away therefrom in the typical manner. The so-removed main label is then adhered to the pharmaceutical container 26 illustrated in
When use of the container 26 is completed, with all the prescribed drugs being emptied therefrom, the container may be suitably discarded, but firstly the confidential information 30 may be removed from the container by simply excising or tearing away the printed tab 32 from the label rim 34 which rim remains permanently bonded to the container. The provided slits 36 in the main label provide a convenient manner for initiating tearing of the label tab 32 from the remaining label rim.
In the preferred embodiment illustrated in
As shown in
The two-ply configuration of the laminated label and liner tabs provides increased rigidity thereof, with the liner tab reinforcing the label tab and permitting a relatively clean tear of the label tab from the surrounding label rim. Since the back of the liner tab 40 contains no adhesive, it permits removal of the overlying label tab 32 from the container, with the label rim 34 remaining permanently bonded to the container. The container may then be suitably discarded without concern for leaving any patient confidential information on the container, since the label tab has firstly been removed from the container.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in cross section in
In this way, the label tab 32 and liner tab 40 provide an integrated, two-ply laminate increasing the overall rigidity and stiffness thereof for permitting easy removal from the main label attached to the container as shown in
However, in this configuration the label tab 32 removed from the main label may then be adhesively bonded to another object by simply removing the liner tab 40 therefrom. In this way, the customer may keep a convenient record of drug transactions by simply transferring the removed label tabs to a common record sheet for filing.
In this configuration, when the main label is removed from the liner 18 and bonded to the pharmaceutical container, a generally U-shaped, three-sided label rim is permanently adhesively bonded to the container. The fourth side of the rim in the embodiment illustrated in
The removal slits 36 may also be used in this embodiment and located close to the edge of the label tab 32C within the area of the adhesive 20, or alternatively in the adhesive void. The label tab 32C is devoid of the adhesive inboard from the slits 36. The adhesive at the slits 36 ensures structural integrity of the face sheet, yet permits initiation of the tearing removal of the label tab 32C thereat.
Since the label tab 32C is itself devoid of the adhesive, it may be removed with its surrounding label rim 34 in the main label and permanently bonded to the pharmaceutical container by the perimeter adhesive. The liner 18C remains with the script, and is not required for preventing bonding of the label tab 32C with the pharmaceutical container.
The pharmaceutical label script disclosed above in various embodiments maintains initial integrity of the laminated script for being printed in a laser printer without concern for heat-softening of the adhesive, or premature liberation thereof at diecuts. Confidential patient information may be isolated in the label tab of the main label, with that tab being as large as required for containing all necessary confidential information.
The label rim is relatively narrow and surrounds the label tab with sufficient surface area for permanently bonding the main label to the pharmaceutical container in use. The permanent bond of the main label ensures that the main label cannot be accidentally or prematurely removed from the container. Yet, with intentional removal of the label tab from the main label the main label is necessarily torn along the perimeter of the label tab rendering conspicuous the damage thereto and preventing unauthorized reuse of the label on a different container without detection.
While there have been described herein what are considered to be preferred and exemplary embodiments of the present invention, other modifications of the invention shall be apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings herein, and it is, therefore, desired to be secured in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
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