Special receptacle or package – For ampule – capsule – pellet – or granule – With indicia or indicator
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-21
2002-05-14
Bui, Luan K. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For ampule, capsule, pellet, or granule
With indicia or indicator
C206S459500, C215S227000, C359S809000, C359S819000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06386367
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a container for holding prescription medicine in pill or capsule form, and in particular to a container incorporating features to reduce the risk of harm to the patient in the event that the prescription is erroneously filled.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
All too frequently, errors are made by pharmacists or their assistants in filling prescriptions. Some of these errors are caught by the patient who notices the difference in the medication compared to medication previously obtained for the same prescription. However, under certain circumstances, the patient may not notice the error. For example, the erroneous medication, e.g., a pill, and the correct pill may be similar in appearance, or the error may occur the first time that the prescription is being filled. In other instances, the patient may simply fail to notice the mistake because differences in size and/or color of the pills are difficult to detect, particularly if the patient has less than perfect vision.
Errors in the filling of prescriptions can arise from a variety of circumstances. In many instances, the error can be attributed to the inattention of the pharmacist, particularly during times when there is a need to fill a large number of prescriptions. Also, the error can be occasioned by the lack of experience of the pharmacist with the particular prescription, or the general lack of experience of the pharmacist's assistant. Other errors can be caused by the similarity of unrelated pills in color and/or shape. Errors can also arise from name similarities, e.g., Feldene/Seldane, Lodine/Codeine, or Prilosec/Prozac.
Errors by pharmacists will continue to occur. Those errors that are not caught by the patient as least deprive the patient of the benefit of the prescribed medication. At worst, the errors can result in death or serious injury. In addition, malpractice errors can result in considerable expense to the negligent pharmacist, or his or her insurer.
Due to the large number of prescription drugs, elimination of pills with similar colors, shapes and/or names is mathematically impossible. In fact, the extent of the problem will increase over time as new drugs become available. Human error will also continue. Therefore, there is a pressing and increasing need for a means to detect erroneously filled prescriptions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to improved containers for prescription drugs, and in particular to improved prescription drug containers incorporating means to aid the pharmacist and the patient in noting when an error has been made in the filling of the prescription.
The present invention is particularly directed to prescription containers to the kind used to hold prescription medicines sold in solid form, e.g., pills, tablets, caplets, suppositories, or capsules. These medications in solid form will be referred to herein for convenience and brevity, as pills. Generally, these containers are comprised of a receptacle into which the pills are placed through an opening, a cap or cover attachable over the opening and a label that is affixed to the receptacle. It will be understood, however, that the concepts forming the basis of the present invention can also be applied to medications in non-solid forms, such liquids, ointments, or gels, etc., and to other receptacle configurations.
The receptacle is normally of a cylindrical shape, having a continuous side wall with continuous upper and lower edges, and a bottom wall or base extending across the lower edge of the side wall. The receptacle is normally threaded adjacent the upper edge of the side wall to receive a correspondingly threaded cap used to close the receptacle opening formed by the upper edge of the side wall.
The wall may be threaded on its outer surface, its inner surface, or both, depending upon the particular cap design. Additionally, the wall may include locking projections on its exterior surface adjacent the upper edge, forming part of a childproof locking mechanism. Usually, the wall and bottom are integrally molded from a transparent, colored plastic.
The cap is normally molded from an opaque plastic material and is designed to be secured over the receptacle opening. Usually, the cap is comprised of a planar top wall with a circular periphery, and a continuous integral side wall that extends downwardly from the periphery of the top wall. The side wall may be internally or internally threaded to join with the receptacle.
The cap may be simply threaded or screwed onto the top of the receptacle. In so-called childproof caps, the interior of the cap side wall is normally threaded and includes locking projections to join with external locking projections on the corresponding receptacle. These locking projections function in a known manner and are not per se a part of the present invention.
In some designs, the receptacle is internally and externally threaded. The cap used with these receptacles includes a first continuous wall designed to fit around the exterior of the receptacle. In addition, the cap includes a second continuous wall, integrally joined to one edge of the first wall by a horizontal flange, to fit into the interior of the receptacle. In this design, the cover will normally extend across the exterior edge of the second wall to enclose the receptacle contents.
When a prescription is to be filled, the pharmacist, or his or her assistant, selects a large container of pills corresponding to the medication to be prescribed, transfers the designated number of pills from the large container to a receptacle, and caps the receptacle with its matching cap. An instruction sheet may also be included on or in the receptacle. The pharmacist or assistant then types information about the prescription onto a label, and attaches the label to the wall of the receptacle.
Labels are normally pre-printed with standard information common to all prescriptions filled at the particular pharmacy, including the name, address and telephone number of the pharmacy. Information unique to the prescription, such as the patient's name, doctor's name, the name of the prescribed medicine, instructions for use, number of refills, etc., are then typed onto the label at the time the prescription is filled.
Historically, pre-printed labels were supplied in rolls, and the unique information was typed onto the label using a typewriter. Today, the unique information may typed onto the label using a computer equipped with conventional word processing software. However, most modern pharmacies use either a computer equipped with software especially designed to print labels, which may be a normal desktop computer, or a computer especially designed for this purpose. Output from the computer is sent to a conventional printer, such as an ink jet or laser printer, or a label printer especially designed to print labels.
The present invention is directed to two modifications of the above containers and the related procedures for their preparation that may be used alone or in combination to significantly increase the likelihood that the pharmacist or the patient will detect an error in filling the prescription in question. One of these improvements relates to an improved cap forming a part of this type of container, while the other improvement, which can be used alone or with the cap improvement, relates to an improved label.
With conventional prescription containers such as described above, the contents of the container is difficult to see since the receptacle, while usually transparent, is of a bronze or other color to protect the contents from deterioration caused by light. Additionally, the contents are at least partially hidden by the opaque container cap and the label covering most of the receptacle side wall. Thus, the patient, as well as the pharmacist, is prevented from seeing the container contents.
Ready identification of the container contents is further restricted by the size of the pills and the fact that any identification
,MacCord Mason PLLC
Bui Luan K.
LandOfFree
Safety prescription container does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Safety prescription container, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Safety prescription container will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2867224