Patent Application
20240122805
The present invention relates to a medicament dispensing assembly, a method of preparing a medicament dispensing assembly, and a method of dispensing drugs that employs a medicament dispensing assembly.
Currently, the assembly of dispensing drugs in a pharmacy involves a pharmacist or pharmacist technician removing tablets from a blister pack counting out the required number of tablets for each drug for a given period such as a month and providing the drugs to the patient. This is time consuming and laborious, especially when a patient is taking a number of different medications. It is also prone to error as well as requiring an unnecessary amount of packaging. In the case of older patients taking a number of medications, the tablets are often provided in drug dispensing trays that have multiple individual containers for tablets, for example a weekly tray having a container for each day of the week or a four-week container having a container for a four-week period. Each container may contain multiple tablets, including tablets for each day of the week and tablets for specific dosing times. Preparation of this type of dispensing tray is time consuming and laborious, especially as tablets that are provided in a blister pack under controlled manufacturer conditions and then have to be removed from blisters in a pharmacy unnecessarily. This gives rise to enhanced chances of error and/or contamination.
Some pharmacies provide weekly or monthly medication for patients in the form of large tailor-made blister packs, with the tablets for each day of the week or month provided in an individual blister chamber. These blister packs are time consuming and laborious to prepare and add unnecessary costs to the dispensing process.
JP2012131564 describes a dispensing assembly for dispensing a single medication provided in a blister pack. The assembly comprises a month-per-page calendar, having the days of the month arranged in rows of seven (one row per week), and a row of apertures provided under each row of days for receipt of a 7-tablet blister pack. A number of 70-tablet blister strips of the medication is attached to a card in rows, and the card is placed in between the month page with the apertures and a backing page with corresponding apertures such that the blisters containing the drug project through the apertures. While this is a good method for dispensing a single drug on a monthly basis, it does not work for patients who are taking multiple drugs per day, or at specific times of each day. In addition, the use of the assembly is quite laborious insofar as it requires blister strips of seven tablets to be attached to a backing page in the correct orientation and spacing, and then the blister strip page to be sandwiched between two pages of the calendar with the blisters in register with the apertures.
It is an objective of the invention to overcome at least one of the above-referenced problems.
In a first aspect, the invention provides a medicament dispensing kit comprising:
In another aspect, the invention provides a medicament dispensing kit comprising:
The kit of the invention can be provided to a pharmacy allowing a pharmacist to quickly and efficiently prepare a patient-specific medicament for dispensing of multiple drugs daily. As the kit employs blister strips of different drugs, each tailor made for the booklet of the kit, compiling a number of different blister strips into the same booklet is a relatively easy task and negates the need to de-blister medication packaged in a manufacturing plant. The patient is presented with a booklet comprising a regular array of blisters (each containing a medicament) with X columns (e.g., 7 columns each column corresponding to a day of the week) and Y rows (e.g., 4 rows corresponding to the four medicaments to be taken every day). The manufacture of the kit involves different drugs being purchased in bulk and re-packaged into strips that are designed to nest in a row of apertures in the booklet. Alternatively, the different drug may be purchased already packaged into blister strips. The booklets and the blister strips of medicaments are then supplied to a pharmacy allowing a pharmacist or pharmacist technician to prepare a patients specific medicament dispensing assembly suitable for a week or a longer period. The preparation time using the kit and assembly of the invention is of the order of 4 to 5 minutes compared to the current system which takes in excess of 15 minutes. At present no other pharmaceutically manufactured blisters are designed such to allow two different medications to be placed into a system of packaging with the net result of uniformity to the patient.
Generally, the spacing of the blisters in each blister strip is the same, allowing each blister strip to nest in a row of apertures in the booklet. The shape of the convex blister in the first and second blister strips may be the same or different, but they will be dimensioned so that they fit inside the apertures of the booklet. For example, if the first drug is a circular disk-shaped tablet, each blister in the strip may have a round dome shape. Likewise, if the first drug is a capsule, each blister in the strip for that drug may be capsule shaped.
In any embodiment, the blisters of each of the blister strips have the same dimensions (e.g., the same size and shape).
In any embodiment, all of the apertures in the booklet are the same size.
In any embodiment, the size of the blisters in the blister strips matches the size of the apertures on the front (and/or rear) page of the booklet.
In any embodiment, each row of apertures in the booklet contains 7 apertures. This arrangement provides a booklet suitable for a weekly drug dispensing assembly, with each column of blisters corresponding to a day of the week, and the number of rows per column corresponding to the number of different drugs to be taken on any given day.
In any embodiment, each column of blisters on the front (and/or back) page is marked with an indicium indicating a day of the week (for example “M”, or “Mon” or “Monday”).
In any embodiment, each row of apertures in the booklet contains 28, 30 or 31 rows of apertures. This arrangement provides a booklet suitable for a monthly drug dispensing assembly, with each column of blisters corresponding to a day of the month, and the number of rows per column corresponding to the number of different drugs to be taken on any given day.
In any embodiment, each column of blisters on the front (and/or back) page is marked with an indicium indicating a day of the month (for example 1, 2, 3 etc) In any embodiment, the front page of the booklet comprises at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 rows of apertures.
In any embodiment, one or more of the rows on the front (and/or rear) page is marked with an indicium indicating a time of the day, for example morning, lunchtime or evening. This is useful when a particular medicament is supposed to be taken at a specific time during the day, and when the patient has a medicament to take at one time of the day and another medicament to take at a second time of the day.
In any embodiment, the front page is hingedly attached to the back page.
In any embodiment, the booklet comprises a fastener for fastening the front page and back page together to clamp the blister strips in between. The fastener may be, for example, a Velcro fastener, or a button, or an adhesive strip.
In any embodiment, the kit comprises a third blister strip containing a third drug.
In any embodiment, the kit comprises a fourth blister strip containing a fourth drug.
In any embodiment, the kit comprises a fifth blister strip containing a fifth drug.
In any embodiment, the booklet is formed of corrugated cardboard. In any embodiment, the corrugated cardboard has a thickness of 0.5 to 2.0 mm.
In any embodiment, each blister strip in the kit comprises an electronically readable tag, such as for example a barcode, QR code, RFID tag, or any other type of machine-readable tag. In any embodiment, the electronically readable tag is positioned on the blister strip such that it can be scanned when the blister strip is nested in a row of apertures and sandwiched between the front and back pages of the booklet.
In any embodiment, each booklet comprises an electronically readable tag, such as a barcode, QR code, or an RFID tag.
In another aspect, the invention provides a medicament dispensing assembly comprising:
wherein the front page and back page of the booklet abut in a closed configuration, with the first blister strip sandwiched between the front and back pages and nested in a first row of apertures of the booklet and the second blister strip mounted between the front and back pages and nested in a second row of apertures of the booklet.
In any embodiment, a third blister strip is sandwiched between the front and back pages and nested in a third row of apertures of the booklet.
In any embodiment, a fourth blister strip is sandwiched between the front and back pages and nested in a fourth row of apertures of the booklet.
In any embodiment, a fifth blister strip is sandwiched between the front and back pages and nested in a fifth row of apertures of the booklet.
In any embodiment, rows of apertures each contain seven apertures and the blister strips each contain seven blisters.
In another aspect, the invention provides a medicament dispensing system comprising:
In any embodiment, the medicament dispensing system comprises a plurality of medicament dispensing assemblies.
In any embodiment, the dispensing time may be once a day, or more than once a day in the case of patients who have dosage regimes that require dosage at different times of the day.
In any embodiment, the holder may comprise a processor coupled to a signal emitter. The holder may comprise the signal emitter, and or the holder may comprise a wireless transmitter configured to send a signal to remote signal emitter (for example a speaker, screen or vibration module of a remote device such as a mobile phone) to cause the device to emit a signal. The processor may be pre-programmed to cause the signal emitter to emit a signal at one or more predetermined times during the day. The signal emitter is generally configured to emit a signal that is easily detectable by a human, for example a loud noise, a light, a vibration, or a combination of one or more.
In any embodiment, the holder may comprise a sensor operatively coupled to the processor and configured to detect when a medicament dispensing assembly is removed from the holder. The processor may be configured to cause the signal emitter to emit a signal (continuously or intermittently) until the sensor detects that a medicament dispensing assembly has been removed from the housing.
In any embodiment, the sensor may also be configured to detect when a medicament (or medicaments) has been removed from medicament dispensing assembly. The sensor may comprise a sensing module to monitor the medicaments contained in the blister packs when the medicament dispensing assembly is housed within the holder. The sensing module may be a visual sensing module.
The medicament dispensing assembly (generally the booklet of the medicament dispensing assembly) typically includes a machine-readable tag comprising data identifying the medicaments contained within the assembly, and the patient's dosage regime for the medicaments.
The holder generally includes a reader for the machine-readable tag which is operatively coupled to the processor. The processor is configured to receive the data on the machine-readable tag, optionally store the data in a memory, and actuate the signal emitter based on the dosage regime data received from the machine-readable tag.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method of assembling a patient-specific medicament dispensing assembly, the method comprising the steps of:
In any embodiment, the method comprises:
In any embodiment, each blister strip contains a single row of seven blisters, and the front page of the booklet contains rows of seven apertures.
In any embodiment, the front page of the booklet contains at least 4 or 5 rows of apertures.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method of preparing a kit for making a drug dispensing assembly, the method comprising the steps of
In any embodiment, the method includes the initial steps of:
In any embodiment, the method comprises purchasing in bulk quantities at least 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100 different drugs.
In any embodiment, the blister strips comprise a row of 7 or 28 blisters containing a drug.
In any embodiment, the blister strip comprises a single row of blisters.
In any embodiment, the method comprises providing at least 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000 the blister strips, including a plurality of blister strips for at least 10 different drugs; In any embodiment, the number of apertures in the rows of apertures of the booklet match the number of blisters in the blister packs.
In any embodiment, the assembled order comprises a plurality of booklets and a plurality of blister strips, in which each booklet comprises seven apertures in each row of apertures and each blister strips contains a single row of seven blisters.
Other aspects and preferred embodiments of the invention are defined and described in the other claims set out below.
All publications, patents, patent applications and other references mentioned herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties for all purposes as if each individual publication, patent or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference and the content thereof recited in full.
Where used herein and unless specifically indicated otherwise, the following terms are intended to have the following meanings in addition to any broader (or narrower) meanings the terms might enjoy in the art:
Unless otherwise required by context, the use herein of the singular is to be read to include the plural and vice versa. The term “a” or “an” used in relation to an entity is to be read to refer to one or more of that entity. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more,” and “at least one” are used interchangeably herein.
As used herein, the term “comprise,” or variations thereof such as “comprises” or “comprising,” are to be read to indicate the inclusion of any recited integer (e.g. a feature, element, characteristic, property, method/process step or limitation) or group of integers (e.g. features, element, characteristics, properties, method/process steps or limitations) but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. Thus, as used herein the term “comprising” is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited integers or method/process steps.
As used herein, the term “medicament” refers to a unit dose pharmaceutical such as a pill, tablet, lozenge or capsule that is suitable for being contained within a blister of a blister pack. The pharmaceutical may be any type of drug, for example an antibiotic, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant, anxiolytic, anti-psychotic, anti-cancer, painkiller, muscle relaxant, steroid, or antihistamine.
As used herein, the term “blister strip” refers to a packaging format commonly used for drugs that has a base layer formed of polymer or another material and containing a plurality of pockets or depressions (hereafter “blisters”) that are dimensioned to receive a medicament in unit dose form and a cover layer formed of a frangible material such as a metallic foil that covers the base layer closing the pockets or in some embodiments a peelable layer that can be peeled back to open the pockets. To dispense a tablet a user presses the base layer of a pocket to push a drug out of the pocket through the metallic foil or, in the case of a peelable layer, peels back the layer to open one or more pockets The strip generally comprises a single row of blisters each containing a unit dose of medicaments, usually seven blisters.
As used herein, the term “booklet” refers to a container for a number of blister strips comprising a front page having an array of apertures comprising a plurality of rows of apertures and a back page generally having a corresponding array of apertures. Each row of apertures generally includes seven apertures, although booklets containing rows of apertures with more or less apertures are also envisaged. For example, a page of the booklet may have an elongated aperture configured to receive a blister strip without individual holes for the blisters. The front and back pages are generally similarly sized so that they can be arranged in an abutting relationship with the apertures of the front page in register with the apertures of the back page. The aperture on the back page allows a user to access the back of the blister to deform the blister and push the medicament out of the blister through the frangible front cover. The aperture in the front cover allows the medicament to be removed from the booklet. The pages are generally hingedly connected together. The booklet usually includes a fastening means to fasten the pages together in an abutting configuration. The booklet may be made of reinforced cardboard.
As used herein the term “medicament dispensing assembly” refers to a booklet containing one, and typically at least two, three or four or more blister strips nested in rows of apertures of the booklet and sandwiched between the front and back pages. It is the assembly that is provided to patients, especially patients that have complicated prescriptions comprising more than one medicament. Generally, the assembly comprises at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 different medicaments. In some embodiments the assembly comprises medicaments that are to be taken at different times of the day. For example, a medicament that is to be taken in the morning and a medicament that is to be taken in the evening. The medicament dispensing assembly (generally the booklet) generally includes a machine-readable tag containing electronic data relating to the medicaments in the assembly, for example the identity of the medicaments, the dosage regime for each medicament, identity of the patient, contact details for the pharmacy.
As used herein the term “medicament dispensing kit” refers to a supply of booklets and blister strips that can be used in pharmacies to make up patient-specific medicament dispensing assemblies of the invention. Generally, the kit comprises blister strips of at least 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 500, or 1000 different drugs.
As used herein, the term “in bulk” refers to at least 1000 unit dose pharmaceuticals.
As used herein, the term “medicament dispensing system” refers to one or more medicament dispensing assemblies and a holder for the medicament dispensing assembly configured to alert a patient at specific times (e.g., dispensing times) to take a medicament from the medicament dispensing assembly. The holder may be configured to alert the patient when a medicament is supposed to be taken, to alert a patient is a wrong medicament is taken at a given time or alert the patient when a medicament is not taken at the correct time. The dispensing time may be once a day, or more than once a day in the case of patients who have dosage regimes that require dosage at different times of the day. The holder may have a processor coupled to a signal emitter. The signal emitter may be part of the holder or may be part of a remote device, in which case the holder comprises a wireless transmitter configured to allow the processor and remote signal emitter communicate. The transmitter may be a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth transmitter. The processor may be configured to be pre-programmed to cause the signal emitter to emit a signal at one or more predetermined times during the day. The signal emitter is configured to emit a signal that is easily detectable by a human, for example a load noise, a vibration, a light, or a combination of any. The holder may comprise a sensor operatively coupled to the processor and configured to detect when a medicament dispensing assembly is removed from the holder. The processor may be configured to cause the signal emitter to emit a signal (continuously or intermittently) until the sensor detects that a medicament dispensing assembly has been removed from the housing. The sensor may also be configured to detect when a medicament (or medicaments) has been removed from medicament dispensing assembly. The sensor may comprise a sensing module to monitor the medicaments contained in the blister packs when the medicament dispensing assembly is housed within the holder. The sensing module may be a visual sensing module. The medicament dispensing assembly (generally the booklet of the medicament dispensing assembly) typically includes a machine-readable tag comprising data identifying the medicaments contained within the assembly, and the patient's dosage regime for the medicaments. The holder generally includes a reader for the machine-readable tag which is operatively coupled to the processor. The processor is configured to receive the data on the machine-readable tag, optionally store the data in a memory, and actuate the signal emitter based on the dosage regime data received from the machine-readable tag.
The invention will now be described with reference to specific Examples. These are merely exemplary and for illustrative purposes only: they are not intended to be limiting in any way to the scope of the monopoly claimed or to the invention described. These examples constitute the best mode currently contemplated for practicing the invention.
Referring to the drawings and initially to
As illustrated in
The embodiment described above is an assembly for one week's medication. However, assemblies suitable for dispensing multiple medicaments to a patient over a longer period of time, for example a fortnight or one month are also envisaged and generally will employ longer strips with more blisters and wider pages with rows of apertures containing more apertures.
In addition, the rows of the apertures in the arrays can be grouped into rows for specific times of the day.
The drug dispensing assemblies of the invention are usually assembled in a pharmacy by a pharmacist. The pharmacy will have access to a medicament dispensing kit from which to assemble patient-specific assembly. The kit generally comprises blister strips for a large number of drugs, for example more than 50, 100, 150, or 200 different drugs. The kit may include 50 or 100 blister strips of each drug. The kit may include over 1000 booklets with rows of apertures designed to correspond to the number and size of blisters on the blister strips.
A block diagram 400 illustrating a method of making a kit of the invention is shown in
In a different embodiment, with reference to
The foregoing description details presently preferred embodiments of the present invention. Numerous modifications and variations in practice thereof are expected to occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of these descriptions. Those modifications and variations are intended to be encompassed within the claims appended hereto.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22202307.9 | Oct 2022 | EP | regional |
