U.S. patent application number 11/366295 was filed with the patent office on 2006-07-06 for medicament carriers and methods of using same.
This patent application is currently assigned to INRANGE SYSTEMS, INC.. Invention is credited to William S. Arnold, Christopher E. Bossi, Cathy L. Caracciolo.
Application Number | 20060144749 11/366295 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35320954 |
Filed Date | 2006-07-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060144749 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Arnold; William S. ; et
al. |
July 6, 2006 |
Medicament carriers and methods of using same
Abstract
A blister pack may include a first layer, a second layer and a
third layer. The first layer may include a hole. The second layer
may include an indentation substantially aligned through the hole
when the first and second layers are aligned and a second area
surrounding the indentation. The third layer, which is in contact
with the second layer, may include a third area that is
substantially aligned with the second area when the second and
third layers are aligned. The indentation may contain a medicament.
The blister pack may include adhesives that secure the second layer
to the first layer and the third layer. The second and third areas
may be scored, cut and/or perforated. When sufficient force is
applied to the third area, a blister, including the second and
third areas, may be displaced containing the medicament.
Inventors: |
Arnold; William S.;
(Plumesteadville, PA) ; Bossi; Christopher E.;
(Altoona, PA) ; Caracciolo; Cathy L.;
(Fallentimber, PA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PEPPER HAMILTON LLP
ONE MELLON CENTER, 50TH FLOOR
500 GRANT STREET
PITTSBURGH
PA
15219
US
|
Assignee: |
INRANGE SYSTEMS, INC.
|
Family ID: |
35320954 |
Appl. No.: |
11/366295 |
Filed: |
March 2, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11013010 |
Dec 15, 2004 |
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11366295 |
Mar 2, 2006 |
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60565220 |
Apr 24, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/538 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61J 2200/30 20130101;
A61J 2205/10 20130101; A61J 2205/30 20130101; A61J 1/035 20130101;
A61J 2205/60 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/538 |
International
Class: |
B65D 83/04 20060101
B65D083/04 |
Claims
1. A blister pack, comprising: a first layer having a hole; a
second layer including an indentation, wherein the indentation
contains a medicament, wherein the second layer comprises a second
area, wherein the second area surrounds the indentation; and a
third layer in contact with the second layer, wherein the third
layer includes a third area; wherein the second area and the third
area each comprise one or more of a scoring, a cutting and a
perforation, whereby when sufficient force is applied to the third
area, the second area and third area are displaced from the blister
pack to form a blister containing the medicament.
2. The blister pack of claim 1, further comprising: a first
adhesive for securing the first layer to the second layer; and a
second adhesive for securing the second layer to the third
layer.
3. The blister pack of claim 1 wherein the first layer comprises a
first area surrounding the hole, wherein the first area comprises
one or more of a scoring, a cutting and a perforation, whereby when
sufficient force is applied to the third area, the first area is
displaced from the blister pack.
4. The blister pack of claim 1 wherein the third layer comprises a
foil sheet.
5. The blister pack of claim 1 wherein the third layer comprises
one or more labels.
6. The blister pack of claim 1 wherein the third layer comprises
one or more barcodes.
7. The blister pack of claim 1 wherein the third area comprises a
label pertaining to the medicament.
8. The blister pack of claim 7 wherein the label comprises one of
more of the following: a barcode; a lot number of the medicament;
an expiration date of the medicament; a name of the medicament; a
dosage pertaining to the medicament; and a name of a patient.
9. The blister pack of claim 1 wherein the third area comprises one
or more of the following: a barcode; a lot number of the
medicament; an expiration date of the medicament; and a name of the
medicament; a dosage pertaining to the medicament; and a name of a
patient.
10. The blister pack of claim 1 wherein the second layer comprises
a plastic.
11. The blister pack of claim 1 wherein the second layer comprises
polyvinyl chloride.
12. The blister pack of claim 1 wherein the first layer comprises
cardboard.
13. The blister pack of claim 1 wherein the first layer comprises a
plastic.
14. The blister pack of claim 1, further comprising: one or more
guide holes cut from the first layer, the second layer and the
third layer.
15. The blister pack of claim 1, wherein each of the first layer,
the second layer and the third layer are approximately 9 inches by
approximately 6 inches.
16. A method of assembling a blister pack, the method comprising:
placing a first layer in a loading tray of a loading station,
wherein the first layer comprises a hole; placing a second layer on
the first layer, wherein the second layer comprises an indentation,
wherein the indentation is substantially aligned with the hole when
the second layer is placed; placing a medicament in the
indentation; placing a third layer on the second layer; and
compressing the first layer, the second layer and the third layer
in a heat press.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: placing an adhesive
on a first side of the first layer, wherein placing the second
layer on the first layer comprises placing the second layer on the
first side of the first layer.
18. The method of claim 16, further comprising: placing an adhesive
on the third layer; wherein placing the third layer on the second
layer comprises placing the third layer on the second layer such
that the adhesive contacts the second layer.
19. The method of claim 16, further comprising: printing a first
marking on the third layer, wherein the first marking comprises one
or more of a barcode, a lot number of the medicament, an expiration
date of the medicament, a name of the medicament, a dosage
pertaining to the medicament, and a name of a patient.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the first marking is printed
within the third area.
21. The method of claim 20, further comprising: printing a second
marking on the third layer, wherein the second marking comprises
one or more of a barcode, a lot number of the medicament, an
expiration date of the medicament, a name of the medicament, a
dosage pertaining to the medicament, and a name of a patient,
wherein the second marking is not printed within the third
area.
22. The method of claim 16, further comprising: placing a first
label on the third layer, wherein the first label contains one or
more of a barcode, a lot number of the medicament, an expiration
date of the medicament, a name of the medicament, a dosage
pertaining to the medicament, and a name of a patient.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein the first label is placed within
the third area.
24. The method of claim 23, further comprising: placing a second
label on the third layer, wherein the second label contains one or
more of a barcode, a lot number of the medicament, an expiration
date of the medicament, a name of the medicament, a dosage
pertaining to the medicament, and a name of a patient, wherein the
second marking is not printed within the third area.
25. The method of claim 16 wherein the second layer comprises a
plastic.
26. The method of claim 16 wherein the second layer comprises
polyvinyl chloride.
27. The method of claim 16 wherein the first layer comprises
cardboard.
28. The method of claim 16 wherein the first layer comprises a
plastic.
29. The method of claim 16 wherein an area of the first layer
surrounding the hole comprises one or more of a scoring, a cutting
and a perforation.
30. The method of claim 16 wherein an area of the second layer
surrounding the indentation comprises one or more of a scoring, a
cutting and a perforation.
31. The method of claim 16 wherein an area of the third layer
comprises one or more of a scoring, a cutting and a
perforation.
32. A method of removing a medicament from a blister pack, the
method comprising: selecting a first blister from one or more
blisters in a blister pack, wherein the first blister contains a
medicament; applying force to a first side of the first blister to
dislodge the first blister from the blister pack; and removing the
medicament from the first blister.
33. The method of claim 32 wherein removing the medicament from the
first blister comprises applying force to a second side of the
first blister to remove the medicament.
34. The method of claim 32 wherein removing the medicament from the
first blister comprises: removing the first side from the first
blister; and removing the medicament from the first blister.
35. A blister pack, comprising: a ribbing comprising a plurality of
blisters; whereby when sufficient force is applied to a blister,
the blister is displaced from the ribbing; whereby when one or more
blisters have been displaced, the ribbing provides substantially
equivalent support to any remaining blisters as the ribbing
provided prior to such displacement.
36. The blister pack of claim 35 wherein the ribbing surrounds each
blister before a blister is displaced.
37. A backing sheet for a blister pack, the backing sheet
comprising: a foil layer; a paper layer attached, on a first side,
to the foil layer; and a stiffening layer attached to a second side
of the paper layer.
38. The backing sheet of claim 37 wherein the stiffening layer
comprises cardboard.
39. The backing sheet of claim 37, wherein each of the foil layer,
the paper layer, and the stiffening layer comprises one or more of
a scoring, a cutting and a perforation.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This patent application claims priority to, and incorporates
by reference in its entirety, U.S. patent application Ser. No.
11/013,010 entitled "Universal Medication Carrier" and filed Dec.
15, 2004, which claims priority to, and incorporates by reference
in its entirety, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/565,220
filed Apr. 24, 2004.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERAL SPONSORED RESEARCH
[0002] NOT APPLICABLE
JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT
[0003] NOT APPLICABLE
INCOPRORATION BY REFERENCE OF MATERIAL ON DISC
[0004] NOT APPLICABLE
BACKGROUND
[0005] 1. Technical Field
[0006] The disclosed embodiments generally relate to the fields of
medicament storage and dispensing.
[0007] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0008] In conventional medicament dispensing systems, prescriptions
are typically filled in either thirty-day or sixty-day allotments.
With such systems, there is no accurate way to inventory
medicaments, to audit patient compliance with a pharmacist's or
physician's instructions, and/or to audit administration of the
medicament. This is due in part because medicaments are dispensed
in a lot, and not every pill or dose is separately bar coded and/or
otherwise traceable.
[0009] Medicaments can be supplied in a foil- or paper-wrapped
blister pack containing a plurality of individual unit doses. A
number of devices have been developed to assist physicians,
pharmacists, nurses or other medical personnel in administering
unit doses contained in a standard blister pack. U.S. Pat. No.
5,489,025 to Romick and U.S. Pat. No. 6,540,081 to Balz et al. are
examples of such devices. Romick discloses a medication dispenser
having a top plate with at least one aperture for receiving the
blister portion of a blister pack, a bottom plate adapted to engage
the top plate so as to confine the blister pack between the plates
and having at least one aperture in register with the blister
portion, and a bridge spanning the top plate and supported by
support members. Balz et al. discloses a dispenser for dispensing a
unit dose of a solid product contained in a blister pack. The
dispenser includes a housing, a back plate, and a dispensing tray.
The blister pack containing product is positioned between the
housing and the back plate, whereby the product is dispensed
through the back plate into the dispensing tray where it can be
acquired for use. A puncture tab is integrated into the back plate
to assist in rupturing the backing of the blister pack when
dispensing the product.
[0010] Although these devices decrease the likelihood of errors in
the administration of medication in a health care facility by
preventing the unit doses from being removed from the blister
portion of the blister pack until the foil backing is ruptured, the
subject devices suffer from a number of limitations. Primarily, the
devices are not intended for holding a plurality of different
medications and/or varying dosages prescribed as part of a complex
treatment regimen. In conventional blister pack holders,
medicaments are organized according to their respective times of
administration. As such, the existing blister pack holders are
limited in their ability to provide the flexible dosage
administration that is required for situations where the patient's
regimen is the subject of frequent dosage adjustments or the
patient is prescribed more than one medication to be administered
at varying times over the course of a day or over the course of
several weeks or months.
[0011] Moreover, conventional devices are not suited for use by a
patient in a home, assisted living facility, or other setting
remote from the support of health care professionals. As described
above, conventional blister pack holders organize medicaments
according to their respective times of administration. However,
they fail to provide a mechanism by which the administration of a
prescribed medication or dosage can be remotely adjusted in
real-time, in response to an unexpected change in a patient's
health condition. A delay of several hours to several days can
often result before a patient is enabled to administer a new dosage
or medicament. During this period, the patient may be confused as
to the correct dosing regimen and continue to take doses according
to the predetermined sequence provided in the blister pack. In
addition, because a new prescription and allotment of blister packs
is required every time a dose is adjusted, the patient must travel
to a physician's office and pharmacy. This is particularly
disadvantageous for mobility-impaired patients and is a major
source of drug non-compliance. Frequently, the patient's condition
deteriorates because the patient is unable to continue his course
of treatment.
[0012] An additional shortcoming of conventional medication holders
is that they are relatively complicated, requiring manufacture and
assembly of various moveable parts. A still further shortcoming of
conventional containers and storage devices is that they do not
provide a practical means of quickly inventorying the exact amount
of medication remaining in a prescription, and the amount of
medication consumed by a patient.
[0013] Accordingly, what is needed is a convenient device for
storing one or more types of medicaments.
[0014] A need exists for a device that permits inventorying of
medicaments within a dispensing unit.
[0015] A need exists for a device that dispenses a dose of a
medicament in an individual package.
[0016] A need exists for a device that dispenses a dose of a
medicament in an individual package including information
pertaining to the contained medicament.
[0017] A further need exists for a method of dispensing medicaments
to patients in a manner that includes a prescribed treatment
regimen.
[0018] The present disclosure is directed to solving one or more of
the above-listed problems.
SUMMARY
[0019] Before the present methods, systems and materials are
described, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not
limited to the particular methodologies, systems and materials
described, as these may vary. It is also to be understood that the
terminology used in the description is for the purpose of
describing the particular versions or embodiments only, and is not
intended to limit the scope.
[0020] It must also be noted that as used herein and in the
appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include
plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Thus, for example, reference to a "medicament" is a reference to
one or more medicaments and equivalents thereof known to those
skilled in the art, and so forth. Unless defined otherwise, all
technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings
as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.
Although any methods, materials, and devices similar or equivalent
to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of
embodiments, the preferred methods, materials, and devices are now
described. All publications mentioned herein are incorporated by
reference. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that
the embodiments described herein are not entitled to antedate such
disclosure by virtue of prior invention.
[0021] In an embodiment, a blister pack may include a first layer,
a second layer and a third layer. The first layer may include a
hole. The second layer may include an indentation that is
substantially aligned through the hole when the first layer is
aligned with the second layer. The indentation may contain a
medicament. The second layer may include a second area surrounding
the indentation. The third layer may be in contact with the second
layer and may include a third area that is substantially aligned
with the second area when the second layer is aligned with the
third layer. The second area and the third area may each include
one or more of a scoring, a cutting and a perforation. When
sufficient force is applied to the third area, the second area and
third area may be displaced from the blister pack to form a blister
containing the medicament.
[0022] In an embodiment, a method of assembling a blister pack may
include placing a first layer, having a hole, in a loading tray of
a loading station, placing a second layer, having an indentation
that is substantially aligned with the hole when the second layer
is placed, placing a medicament in the indentation, placing a third
layer on the second layer, and compressing the first layer, the
second layer and the third layer in a heat press.
[0023] In an embodiment, a method of removing a medicament from a
blister pack may include selecting a first blister containing a
medicament from one or more blisters in a blister pack, applying
force to a first side of the first blister to dislodge the first
blister from the blister pack, and removing the medicament from the
first blister.
[0024] In an embodiment, a blister pack may include a ribbing
comprising a plurality of blisters, whereby when sufficient force
is applied to a blister, the blister is displaced from the ribbing,
whereby when one or more blisters have been displaced, the ribbing
provides substantially equivalent support to any remaining blisters
as the ribbing provided prior to such displacement.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] Aspects, features, benefits and advantages of the
embodiments described herein will be apparent with regard to the
following description, appended claims and accompanying drawings
where:
[0026] FIGS. 1A-1C depict exemplary layers of a blister pack
according to an embodiment.
[0027] FIG. 1D depicts an alternate exemplary first layer of a
blister pack according to an embodiment.
[0028] FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary backing sheet for a blister pack
according to an embodiment.
[0029] FIG. 3 depicts a flow diagram for an exemplary method of
assembling a blister pack according to an embodiment.
[0030] FIG. 4 depicts a flow diagram for an exemplary method of
administering a medicament according to an embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031] As used herein, a "medicament" may include one or more of an
individual, unit-of-issue dose of prescription and/or
non-prescription medications, medical supplies, pharmaceuticals,
nutraceuticals, injectibles, medical devices, diagnostic materials
and other therapeutic products. A medicament may, where applicable,
be in liquid, solid or gaseous form. Specific examples of
medicaments may include, without limitation, suppositories,
pre-filled syringes, inhalers, lotions, suspensions, blood testing
strips, pills, tablets and caplets.
[0032] FIGS. 1A-1C depict exemplary layers of a blister pack
according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a blister pack 100
may include a first layer 105 (shown in FIG. 1A), a second layer
110 (shown in FIG. 1B) and a third layer 115 (shown in FIG. 1C).
The first layer 105 of the blister pack 100 may include a bottom
board. The bottom board may have one or more holes, such as 120. In
an embodiment, a first area 125 may surround a hole 120. In an
alternate embodiment, shown in FIG. 1D, no first area may be
present surrounding a hole 120. In an embodiment, an adhesive may
be applied to the first layer 105. In an embodiment, the first
layer 105 may include, for example, cardboard and/or a plastic.
[0033] A second layer 110 may include a plastic or PVC material
with one or more indentations, such as 130. Each indentation 130
may be placed such that the indentation aligns with a corresponding
hole of the bottom board when the second layer 110 and the bottom
board are aligned for use. The number and size of the one or more
indentations 130 may vary based on the number and size of one or
more medicaments to be contained within the blister pack 100.
[0034] Each of the first layer 105 and the second layer 110 may be
scored, cut and/or perforated to enable an individual unit dose (a
"blister") to be removed from the blister pack 100.
[0035] A third layer 115 may include, for example, a foil sheet
with an adhesive. When the adhesive of the third layer 115 and the
adhesive of the first layer 105 are heated and then cooled, each of
the third layer and the first layer may become adhered to the
second layer.
[0036] The foil sheet may be attached to a backing sheet. The foil
sheet and/or the backing sheet may be scored, cut and/or perforated
to match the scoring, cutting and/or perforation of the first layer
105 and the second layer 110 when the blister pack 100 is properly
aligned. The scoring, cutting and/or perforation of the layers may
ease removal of an individual unit dose from the blister pack.
[0037] In an embodiment, the third layer 115 may comprise a foil
sheet, a paper sheet and a cardboard sheet. Each sheet may be may
be scored, cut and/or perforated. The foil sheet may enable the
third layer to be contacted by a heat press during assembly of a
blister pack. The cardboard, or a similar material, may be used to
stiffen the third layer to enable a blister to be properly removed
from a blister pack (as described in more detail below). Additional
or alternate materials may also be used within the scope of this
disclosure as will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the
art.
[0038] In an embodiment, a blister pack may be assembled using a
loading station. A loading station may include a loading tray. The
loading tray may include a plurality of spring-loaded pegs and/or
pins, which become substantially flush with the loading tray when
compressive force is applied to a blister pack 100. In an
embodiment, the amount of force to apply to a blister pack 100
during assembly may be determinable based on the amount of
compression of the spring-loaded pegs and/or pins.
[0039] Each layer of a blister pack 100 may include one or more
guide holes 150, for example, on its outer perimeter. Each guide
hole 150 may align with a corresponding loading tray guide peg
and/or pin. The guide holes 150 may also be used to assist in
alignment of a blister pack 100 when loaded into a medicament
dispensing unit ("MDU").
[0040] FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary backing sheet for a blister pack
according to an embodiment. The blister pack may include, for
example, a barcode 205 and/or information 210 identifying the
blister pack and/or identifying a medicament. The barcode 205
and/or information 210 may be printed on, for example, the backing
sheet or a label attached to the backing sheet. In an embodiment,
if the barcode 205 and/or other information 210 identifies a
medicament, the barcode and/or other information may be printed
and/or placed on the backing sheet proximate to the location at
which the medicament is located within the blister pack.
[0041] A barcode 205 may include any electronically scannable
and/or readable indicia, such as a barcode, an RFID tag, and/or any
other marking that may be scanned and/or read by a device. The
barcode 205 may be scanned or read using an electronic scanner,
such as a barcode scanner, an optical recognition scanner or a
radio frequency identification ("RFID") scanner. In an embodiment,
the barcode 205 may uniquely describe the blister pack. In an
embodiment, the barcode 205 may include one or more segments
pertaining to features of the blister pack and/or the one or more
medicaments contained therein. For example, a first barcode segment
may pertain to a layout format for the blister pack, a second
barcode segment may pertain to an item number pertaining to at
least one medicament in the blister pack, and a third barcode
segment may pertain to a unique serial number for each item number.
In an embodiment, if more than one type of medicament is included
in a single blister pack, at least a segment of the barcode 205 may
be used to determine where a medicament of a particular type is
located in the blister pack.
[0042] The medicament information 210 may include, for example and
without limitation, a lot number of the medicament, an expiration
date of the medicament, a name of the medicament, a dosage
pertaining to the medicament and/or a patient name. In an
embodiment, the medicament information 210 may include any
information that identifies the medicament and/or its usage after
being removed from the blister pack.
[0043] In an embodiment, the barcode 205 and/or the medicament
information 210 may be printed and/or placed such that when a
blister containing the medicament is displaced from the blister
pack, the barcode and/or medicament information may be on the
blister. In an embodiment, the barcode 205 and/or the medicament
information 210 may be printed and/or placed such that when a
blister containing the medicament is displaced from the blister
pack, the barcode and/or medicament information may remain on the
blister pack. In an embodiment, if different medicaments and/or
different doses of the same medicament are included in a single
blister pack, a barcode 205 and/or the medicament information 210
may be printed and/or placed such that the blister containing the
medicament is labeled to identify the medicament and/or dosage of
the medicament when the blister is removed from the blister
pack.
[0044] Unique identifiers may be placed and/or printed on the
backing sheet to provide a key for proper orientation of the
blister pack 100 when inserted into an MDU. In an embodiment, a
first identifier 215 may be placed on a first side of the blister
pack 100 and a second identifier 220 may be placed on a second side
of the blister pack 100. The first identifier 215 and the second
identifier 220 may each be replicated one or more times on a side
of the blister pack 100. In an embodiment, when a blister pack 100
is inserted in an MDU, the MDU may scan one or more of the first
identifier 215 and the second identifier 220 to determine if the
blister pack is inserted in the correct orientation. In an
embodiment, each of the first identifier 215 and the second
identifier 210 may comprise a bar code, an RFID tag, a scannable
image, scannable text, and/or the like.
[0045] In an embodiment, a different portion of the blister pack
100, such as the first layer 105, may include one or more of a
barcode and an identifying label. In an embodiment, additional or
alternate information may be printed on the blister pack 100 within
the scope of this disclosure.
[0046] FIG. 3 depicts a flow diagram for an exemplary method of
assembling a blister pack according to an embodiment. A first layer
may be placed 305 in a loading tray. In an embodiment, an adhesive
may be applied to the first layer while in the loading tray or
prior to placing the first layer in the loading tray.
[0047] The second layer may be placed 310 on the first layer with
the indentations facing down. Each of the first layer and the
second layer may be aligned using one or more guide pins of the
loading tray. In an embodiment, an adhesive may be applied to one
or more of the upper and lower surface of the second layer 310
prior to placement in the loading tray. In an embodiment, an
adhesive may be applied to the upper surface of the second layer
310 after placement in the loading tray.
[0048] In an embodiment, one or more indentations may be
flood-filled 315 with medicaments according to standard pharmacy
practices using conventional pharmacy devices for loading blister
packs. Other methods of filling one or more indentations may also
be performed within the scope of the present disclosure.
[0049] The third layer may have one or more bar codes and
identifying labels printed and/or placed 320 on, for example, its
backing sheet. In an embodiment, one or more of the bar codes and
identifying labels may be printed and/or placed on the third layer
prior to the third layer being placed on the second layer. In an
embodiment, the printing or placement of one or more bar codes or
identifying labels may be performed after the third layer is placed
on the second layer.
[0050] When each appropriate indentation is filled, a third layer
may be placed 325 on top of the second layer. The third layer may
be aligned using the guide pins on the loading tray during
placement. An adhesive may be applied to the lower surface of the
third layer prior to placement in the loading tray.
[0051] The loading tray may then be placed 330 in a heat press.
Force may be applied 335 to the loading tray, and one or more guide
pins may be compressed to a position level with the blister pack to
ensure a complete seal of the blister pack.
[0052] FIG. 4 depicts a flow diagram for an exemplary method of
administering a medicament according to an embodiment. As shown in
FIG. 4, when a medicament is to be administered or delivered, the
desired dose ("blister") may be determined 405 from, for example,
the identifying label on the blister card. Force may be applied 410
to a portion of the third layer corresponding to the blister in
order to dislodge the blister from the blister pack. A blister may
be dislodged 410 manually or by a MDU. The medicament may then be
removed 415 from the blister by applying force to an indentation of
the blister. The removed medicament may then be administered
420.
[0053] In an embodiment, the blister pack may be suited for blister
administration by a patient in, for example, a home, assisted
living facility, or other non-clinical setting via a distribution
device. In an alternate embodiment, the blister pack may be used in
a hospital, clinic, long-term care facility or other location in
which medical personnel are typically present. In such clinical
environments, the blister pack may be stored until the patient's
scheduled dosing time. At the designated dosing time, a healthcare
practitioner may inspect the blister pack label and scan the
barcode to acknowledge the administration of the medicament. The
practitioner may extract 410 the sealed blister from the blister
pack by applying force to the third layer of the blister pack on
the desired blister.
[0054] The blister pack may also serve as a medication management
and compliance tool by ensuring accurate delivery of both custom
packaged and commercially available sealed unit dose and
unit-of-issue therapeutic products to a patient. The blister pack
may foster compliance with a prescribed treatment regimen by, for
example, ensuring that the patient remains within recommended
therapeutic levels. If the health of a patient changes or a dosing
change is required, a healthcare practitioner may adjust the
prescribed dosage in real-time without the need for a new
prescription. The healthcare practitioner may achieve this by
reviewing the stored inventory record of medicaments within the
patient's blister pack and directing the patient to take a
different medication or dosage having a higher or lower strength,
as appropriate.
[0055] The design of the blister pack may enable medicaments to be
administered to a patient in a non-consecutive order, without any
serial delivery restrictions. As such, a remotely located
practitioner may make dosing changes without any disruption to the
patient's course of treatment via a MDU.
[0056] Unlike conventional blister packs, individual blisters may
be ejected from the blister pack, and each blister may remain
sealed in a unit dose after ejection. This may permit a user to
eject a medicament from the blister pack for later use (allowing
the patient to be separated from the blister pack at the time of
medicament administration).
[0057] In an embodiment, a blister pack may include one or more
blisters surrounded by a ribbing. The ribbing may provide support
to all blisters when force is applied to a blister. In other words,
as a blister is displaced, the ribbing may support the area
surrounding the blister that is being displaced and the remaining
blisters so that the blister that is being displaced may be
properly displaced. After one or more blisters have been displaced,
the ribbing may still provide substantially equivalent support to
the remaining blisters to permit displacement of the remaining
blisters from the blister pack in the future. In an embodiment, the
ribbing may surround each blister prior to the blister being
displaced from the blister pack. In an embodiment, the ribbing may
remain when all blisters have been displaced from the blister
pack.
[0058] Conventional medication dispensing systems dispense
medicaments in a lot. In other words, such systems do not
separately encode each pill or dose. As such, the doses are not
traceable. In an embodiment, individual blisters may be labeled to
denote the medicament contained therein. Thus, delivery and
administration of medicaments may occur on a unit dosage basis in
which each dose is inventoried with its own electronically coded
identifier. This may enable a healthcare practitioner to accurately
monitor patient compliance with a prescribed treatment regimen from
a remote location.
[0059] The blister pack may be of a standard pharmacy size and may
be filled directly by standard pharmacy tools known to those of
ordinary skill in the art. For example, the blister card may be
about 9 inches by about 6 inches. The blister card may include one
or more guide holes on one or more sides. The guide holes may be
used to align the blister card in a loading tray of a loading
station. The blister card may further include one or more blisters
as described above.
[0060] It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed
and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be
desirably combined into many other different systems or
applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or
unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or
improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in
the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following
claims.
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