Sealed secure prescription vial apparatus and method

Abstract

A secure packaging unit utilizing an open top container that is filled and an intermediary section having an integral removable seal fixedly attached thereto after the open top container is filled thereby sealing the contents therein. A user is able to break out the removable seal and replace a standard lid upon the intermediary section / open top container combination thereby capping and containing the contents therein. Such a unit allows a pharmacist to fill a prescription in a manner that prevents third parties from tampering with the filled prescription between the time of filling and the time the customer removes the removable seal.

Description

PRIORITY [0001] This application claims the priority date of the provisional application entitled SEALED SECURE PRESCRIPTION VIAL APPARATUS AND METHOD filed by Jonathan K. Reynolds, et al. on Sep. 19, 2003 with application serial number 60 / 504,287.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention. [0003] The present invention generally relates to packaging, and more particularly relates to the packaging of prescriptions. [0004] 2. Background Information. We have an aging population hence a greater demand for medications. In 1998, pharmacists filled 2.8 billion outpatient prescriptions nationwide, a number expected to jump by nearly 40% to 4.0 billion by 2005. In 1998, there were 129,000 pharmacists to fill those billions of prescriptions and only 137,000 pharmacists are projected for 2005. [0005] In 2001, a report from the National Institute of Medicine estimated that mistakes are made on about 4.0% of the nation's prescriptions. That equates to 120 million errors per yea...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0025] It is preferred that the present invention be provided with a lid portion that is configured for removable attachment to the seal portion first end. Likewise, it is preferred that the open top container comprises a base, this base being generally clear in coloration for allowing an individual, camera or machine to more easily view the markings and to view and / or record the actual color of the material placed in the open top container passageway after the container is sealed.

Problems solved by technology

Many of these errors can be catastrophic, including wrongful death to patients.

These people could knowingly or unknowingly manage to alter the prescription that they received from the pharmacy and claim that an error on the part of the pharmacist resulted in a personal injury.

Studies note that errors increase sharply when filling more than 24 prescriptions per hour.

Dispensing errors are common and pharmacists are sued for mistakes such as dispensing incorrect quantities, and filling prescriptions with the incorrect drug.

However, once filled and checked by a pharmacist, filled prescriptions are no longer under the pharmacist's control.

Pharmacists shoulder the liability of support staff such as pharmacy technicians and cashiers who may accidentally alter or even choose to alter filled prescriptions resulting in loss or harm to the end consumer.

A subset of pharmaceuticals consumers commonly misuse, abuse and fraudulently administer the dispensed drugs.

For instance, a person sent to the pharmacy to retrieve a prescription for someone else, may steal a few of the pills on the way home and blame the pharmacist for the missing pills.

People can be harmed from these altered prescriptions and sue the pharmacist alleging that the prescriptions were incorrectly filled.

The currently available prescription vials are not tamper resistant and therefore do not assist in making the patient and pharmacist accountable for the contents.

Some of these vials may have tamper resistant features available for optional use, but none of them have tamper resistance built into the vial such that packaging the product is impossible without first attaching the tamper resistant features.

The known or potential problems with the current system include: a shortage of workforce in the pharmaceutical industry; errors at an unacceptable level that are expected to increase; unsecured access behind pharmacy counter—i.e. cashiers, technicians, vendors; hazardous human interface with pharmaceuticals behind counter; known high theft level by employees; many pharmaceuticals including narcotics which gram for gram are more valuable than gold (the street value for certain narcotics can reach $100 / pill); unsecured bottles (technicians, cashiers and pharmacists can alter the count of pills intentionally before the sale, no proof of count and seal on the vial that cannot be altered prior to the point of sale, seals are replaceable); customers can alter the count of pills after the sale (seals are replaceable); once an order is ready, the pharmacist has his / her name on the contents verifying the type of medication and quantity and dosage and date (these can be altered including the content prior to the sale or post sale which potentially renders the pharmacist legally liable, claims are made for incorrect counts or incorrect drug); e-mailed prescriptions are not widely used; doctors handwrite all prescriptions (many are illegible with incorrect strengths or sizes that do not exist, signatures are unclear leaving the uncertainty of the prescribing doctor and patient); and frequently no validation of patient identification at the point of sale (no validation of courier in lieu of patients presence at the pharmacy counter).

Currently no prescription vials are available to pharmacists that offer any built-in tamper resistant features.

None of these measures are intrinsic to the vials whose contents they protect.

No current method is secure against malicious or innocent misconduct by the pharmacist, the interns, the couriers, the patients, patient's family members or others with access to filled prescriptions.

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