# Patent

## Title
Patient customized therapeutic regimens

## Abstract

Methods, systems and compositions that allow for treating a patient according to a patient customized therapeutic regimen are provided. Embodiments of the invention include obtaining dosage administration information from a patient and using the same to tailor a therapeutic regimen for the patient. Embodiments of the invention further include preparing and forwarding to the patient physical pharmaceutical dosages based on the customized therapeutic regimen.

## Background
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119 (e), this application claims priority to the filing date of: U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/746,250 filed May 2, 2006; the disclosure of which application is herein incorporated by reference.


INTRODUCTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present Invention relates generally to health care and particularly to therapeutic regimens. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods and systems for treating patients according to patient specific customized therapeutic regimens that can be adjusted as a treatment protocol progresses.
2. Background
Prescription medications are effective remedies for many patients when taken properly, e.g., according to instructions. However, prescription medications are generally taken according to predetermined dosing schedules that are developed using clinical data obtained from large patient populations. As such, when a health care practitioner determines that a patient will benefit from a given prescription medication, the health care practitioner generally assigns a standard dosage protocol to the patient, such as take once daily, take two times daily every 12 hours, etc.
While standard dosing regimens are based on clinical information taken from a large number of patients, such regimens do not take into account any physiological considerations that are unique to a given patient and may impact how a given pharmaceutical medication affects a particular patient. For example, such standard dosing schedules do not take into account the impact that any other medications which the patient may be taking may have on the activity of the prescribed medication. Furthermore, standard dosing schedules do not take into account any activity of an implanted medical device, e.g., a pacemaker, that may be present and operating on the patient. In addition, standard dosing schedules do not take into account any impact that non-compliance with the dosing schedule may have. Other parameters that are not accounted for in standard dosing schedules include a patient's daily anticipated activities, how a patient is subjectively feeling, etc.
Accordingly, standardized dosing regimens are not optimal dosing regimens for at least some patients that are prescribed medications for the treatment of a condition. Taking medications according to sub-optimal dosing regimens can have a variety of unwanted effects, including sub-optimal treatment, sub-optimal compliance, toxic side effects, and even death.
Therefore, there is a need for the development of better methods of determining therapeutic regimens for patients. Of particular interest would be the development of methods for determining patient customized therapeutic regimens, where such regimens are tailored for a particular patient. The present invention satisfies this, and other, needs.
SUMMARY
The present invention allows, for the first time, the development of patient specific customized therapeutic regimens, in which doses of therapeutic interventions, e.g., pharmaceutical intervention, are specifically tailored for a given patient, where the doses can be determined based on a number of different patient specific criteria, such as the impact of other medications a patient is taking, the anticipated daily activities of the patient, and the like. The present invention also allows for the ability to modify a given therapeutic regimen over time, e.g., to account for changes unique to a given patient, such as how the patient is responding to prior treatment, how the patient has complied with prior dosing schedules, etc.
Embodiments of the invention include methods in which dosage administration data (particularly in the form of confirmatory data for administration of a medical composition), such as compliance data, is obtained from the patient. This obtained confirmatory data are then evaluated, e.g., using automated decision tools, to determine whether a change in the therapeutic regimen that has been prescribed to the patient is desired. Based on this determination, the decision tool provides a recommendation. If a change is recommended, the therapeutic regimen for the patient may then be modulated in some manner. In certain embodiments, the methods further include implementation of the revised therapeutic regimen, e.g., in the form of preparation of a customized physical dosage according to the revised therapeutic regimen and forwarding of the same to the patient. Also provided are systems and programming for performing various steps of the subject methods.



BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
FIG. 1 presents a flow chart illustrating the process for developing a patient specific therapeutic regimen, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 presents a flow chart illustrating a variation of the process shown in FIG. 1, in which the modified therapeutic regimen is implemented by production of patient-specific physical pharmaceutical dosages, in accordance to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 provides an illustration of a specific embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 depicts a system according to an embodiment of the invention for performing methods of the invention.



DEFINITIONS
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Still, certain elements are defined below for the sake of clarity and ease of reference.
By “remote location,” it is meant a location other than the location at which a referenced item is present, e.g., a location apart from a patient, such as another physical location, (e.g., office, lab, etc.) in the same city, another location in a different city, another location in a different state, another location in a different country, etc. As such, when one item is indicated as being “remote” from another, what is meant is that the two items are at least in different areas of the same room, such as in different rooms or different buildings, and may be at least one mile, ten miles, or at least one hundred miles apart.
“Communicating” information references transmitting the data representing that information as signals (e.g., electrical, optical, radio signals, etc.) over a suitable communication channel (e.g., a private or public network), for example, a Wide Area Network (“WAN”), telephone network, satellite network, or any other suitable communication channel, including the Internet, an Intranet, etc. Communicating may occur using any convenient communication module suitable for the type of communication channel used, such as a computer network card, a computer fax card or machine, or a telephone or satellite modem.
“Forwarding” an item refers to any means of getting that item from one location to the next, whether by physically transporting that item or otherwise (where that is possible) and includes, at least in the case of data, physically transporting a medium carrying the data or communicating the data, e.g., via ways described above.
The terms “system” and “computer-based system” refer to the hardware means, software means, and data storage means (e.g., a memory) used to practice aspects of the present invention. The minimum hardware of the computer-based systems of the present invention includes a central processing unit (CPU), input means, output means, and data storage means (e.g., a memory). A skilled artisan can readily appreciate that many computer-based systems are available which are suitable for use in the present invention. The data storage means may include any manufacture having a recording of the present information as described above, or a memory access means that can access such a manufacture.
A “processor” references any hardware and/or software combination that will perform the functions required of it. For example, any processor herein may be a programmable digital microprocessor such as available in the form of an electronic controller, mainframe, server or personal computer (desktop or portable). Where the processor is programmable, suitable programming can be communicated from a remote location to the processor, or previously saved in a computer program product (such as a portable or fixed computer readable storage medium, whether magnetic, optical or solid state device based). For example, a magnetic medium or optical disk may carry the programming, and can be read by a suitable reader communicating with each processor at its corresponding station.
A “memory,” “memory element” or “memory unit” refers to any device that can store information for subsequent retrieval by a processor, and may include magnetic or optical devices (such as a hard disk, floppy disk, CD, or DVD), or solid-state memory devices (such as volatile or non-volatile RAM). A memory or memory unit may have more than one physical memory device of the same or different types (for example, a memory may have multiple memory devices such as multiple hard drives or multiple solid state memory devices or some combination of hard drives and solid state memory devices).
In certain embodiments, a system includes hardware components which take the form of one or more platforms, e.g., in the form of servers, such that any functional elements of the system, i.e., those elements of the system that carry out specific tasks (such as managing input and output of information, processing information, etc.) of the system may be carried out by the execution of software applications on and across the one or more computer platforms represented of the system. The one or more platforms present in the subject systems may be any convenient type of computer platform, e.g., such as a server, main-frame computer, a work station, etc. Where more than one platform is present, the platforms may be connected via any convenient type of connection, e.g., cabling or other communication system including wireless systems, either networked or otherwise. Where more than one platform is present, the platforms may be co-located or they may be physically separated. Various operating systems may be employed on any of the computer platforms, where representative operating systems include the WINDOWSTM operating system, the SUN SOLARISTM operating system, the LINUXTM operating system, the OS/400TM operating system, the COMPAQ TRU64 UNIXTM operating system, the SGI IRIXTM operating system, the SIEMENS RELIANT UNIXTM operating system, and others. The functional elements of system may also be implemented in accordance with a variety of software facilitators and platforms, as is known in the art.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present invention provides the clinician important new tools in their therapeutic armamentarium—e.g., the ability to customize therapeutic regimens in a patient specific manner. The present invention allows therapeutic regimens to be developed and modified based on actual dosage administration information, i.e., confirmatory data for administration of a medical composition to a patient, which information can be supplemented with additional dosage relevant information, such as lifestyle information, etc. In this manner, patient specific customized optimal therapeutic regimens may be formulated by the clinician. By example, cardiac stimulating drugs can be titrated to the most appropriate dosages based on a number of factors, including actual compliance data, minimizing side effects such as cardiac muscle exhaustion and rebound effects among others, and optimizing both dosage and timing for each, individual patient.
Assessment of a range of alternate medications is made possible by the present invention without resort to awaiting overt clinical sequel of treatment, many of which can be seriously adverse. By example, positive effects would be quickly ascertainable without being obscured by more random factors. Negative responses, such as changes in blood pressure, would become clearly evident as drug related or independent above background physiologic variation. In one clinical arena, the present invention allows, in concert with other sensing devices, e.g., devices developed and owned by the assignee of the present application, the measurement and assessment of the cardiac response to those medications. These co-employed sensing devices can be those enumerated below, among others. Other sensing technology developed by some of the present inventors allows measurement of heart health and cardiac efficiency. Using these tools in concert with the present inventive methods and systems, the clinician will be able to compare the response of the heart and body to the administered pharmaceutical and make patient specific customized therapeutic regimen modifications to achieve and optimal patient specific therapeutic regimen.
In further describing the invention in greater detail, the methods are reviewed first in greater detail. Next, systems for implementing the methods are described. Finally, representative applications in which the methods find use are reviewed.
Methods
In one sense, the invention provides methods of treating a patient for a condition, where the condition may be a condition that benefits from some type of medical intervention, such as pharmaceutical intervention, nutritional/vitamin intervention, fluid intervention (e.g., dialysis), etc., where some form of medical composition is administered to a patient. The term “medical composition” is used broadly to refer a variety of different types of compositions that may be administered to a patient for an ultimate goal of somehow improving the health of the patient, where examples of medical compositions include, but are not limited to: pharmaceuticals or drugs (e.g., which may be available by prescription or over the counter), a vitamin and nutriceuticals, therapeutic fluids, such as infusates, e.g., saline, dialysates, etc., antacids, etc. For convenience of description only, the invention is now further described primarily in terms of pharmaceutical medical compositions. However, the invention is not so limited.
In practicing the methods of the invention, a first step is to obtain dosage administration data from a patient (i.e., confirmatory data for administration of a medical composition to a patient), where the patient is, in certain embodiments, on a therapeutic regimen. By “on a therapeutic regimen” is meant that the patient has been prescribed a therapeutic protocol in which the patient is administered, either self-administered or by a health care practitioner or another individual (or even the patient himself), a medical composition according to a dosing schedule, e.g., once every few hours, once a day, once every two days, once a week, etc.
In certain embodiments, the patient may be associated with an implantable medical device that is involved in administration of the medical composition, such as a cardiovascular device, e.g., diabetes care device, drug administration device, etc.
Dosage administration data that are obtained in this step of the methods is information about whether or not, as well as when, a patient has been administered (either through self administration or by another individual) a given therapeutic invention, e.g., activity of implantable device, a pharmaceutical dosage, etc. The dosage administration data are confirmatory data for administration of a medical composition to the patient. As the data are confirmatory, the data informs one that a particular composition has actually been administered to a patient. In certain embodiments, the confirmatory data are data that can only be generated when the medical composition actually contacts the patient, and therefore it is distinguishable from compliance data that may be generated from methods/systems which use a proxy for such contact, such as methods or systems that rely on patient recordation of administration, methods or systems that rely on smart packaging of medical compositions, etc. As such, dosage administration or confirmatory data employed in the methods of the invention may include pharmaceutical compliance data, which compliance data includes information on if, including when, a patient received a particular pharmaceutical dosage.
In certain embodiments, the confirmatory data are data that are produced by a first device and is transmitted to a second device, where both of said first and second devices are associated with the body of said patient. In these situations, a first device that is associated with the body generates or produces a signal (which may be a collection of individual data elements, such as bits) when the medical composition has been administered to the patient. The signal is then transmitted to a second device which receives, and may record, the signal. The second device is also associated with the body. By associated with the body is meant that the first and second devices are in contact with the body, either topically or inside of the body, e.g., ingested, implanted, etc., depending the particular nature of the first and second devices.
An example of where the first and second devices are associated with a body of patient is where the first and second devices are electrically coupled to the body of a patient. As the devices are electrically coupled to the body of the patient, the confirmatory data may be transmitted from the first device to the second device by establishing an electrical current between the first and second devices, where the body serves as the conductive medium through which the electrical current travels, and therefore provides for “Coulombic” communication between the first and second devices. Such embodiments are distinguished from devices that communicate with each other via radio frequency (RF).
Depending on the nature of the first and second devices, the electrical current may be one that is confined among the first and second devices and the body of the patient. For example, where the first device is a pharma-informatics enabled pharmaceutical dosage (described in greater detail below), and the second device is a personal health companion implanted inside of or topically present on the patient, the electrical current that is established upon transmission of the data may be confined to the first and second devices and the patient. Alternatively, the electrical current may be one that is confined between the first and second devices, wherein the first and second devices are capacitively coupled to a conductor or ground external to the patient. For example, where the first device is a smart parenteral delivery device and the second device is a personal health companion that is present on a surface of the patient, the first and second devices may be capacitively coupled to a convenient ground external to the patient and, and the confirmatory data transmitted from the first device to the second device using an electrical current established in the body of the patient.
The system of the first and second device may be viewed as one that generates confirmatory data by broadcasting an electronic signal from the first device while a medication is being administered to the patient, e.g., from the first device; conducting the confirmatory signal through the patient to a receiver associated with said patient, e.g., a personal health companion device implanted in the patient or topically applied to the patient; and recording the confirmatory signal by the second device.
To provide for improved reliability, though not necessary to practice all aspects of the invention, the confirmatory data may be obtained using a system of a first and second device that automatically generates, transmits, receives and records the confirmatory data. The phrase “automatically” refers to a situation where, apart from an initial setup, no human intervention is required for the confirmatory data to be obtained.
In certain embodiments, individually detectable smart dosages may be employed as the first devices described in the above systems which generate the confirmatory data. Examples of such smart dosages include, but are not limited to, those described in: U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,006 and published PCT Publication Nos. WO 2007/027660; WO 2007/021496; WO 2007/014084; WO 2007/013952; WO 2007/001742; WO 2007/001724; WO 2006/127355; WO 2006/104843; WO 2006/055892; WO 2001/047466; and WO 2005/020023; the disclosures of the monitoring devices and methods of these publications and the United States counterparts (e.g., priority applications) thereof, being specifically incorporated herein by reference.
Of particular interest in certain embodiments is the use of “smart” dosages that are activated upon contact with a target body location (e.g., the stomach), where activation occurs, for example, via completion of a power source. Such dosages may include identifiers associated with pharmaceutical compositions and provide information (i.e., confirmatory data) about when a patient is actually administered the dosage (e.g., by emitting a signal upon contact with a targeted physiological site, such as the stomach), such that the information obtained is not a proxy for the dosage administration but is, in fact, tied to actual administration of the dosage. Smart dosages of this type include those described in PCT application serial no. PCT/US2006/016370 titled “Pharma Informatics System” which was filed on Apr. 28, 2006 and published as WO 2006/116718 on Nov. 2, 2006; as well as the additional embodiments of such smart dosages as described in U.S. Provisional Application Ser. Nos. 60/866,581; 60/829,832; 60/887,780; 60/889,868; 60/889,870; 60/889,871; 60/894,171 and 60/894,167; the disclosures of which applications are herein incorporated by reference. Such dosages may be viewed as pharma-informatics enabled dosages.
Dosage compliance data can also be obtained using smart therapeutics systems, e.g., systems that provide specific identification and detection of beneficial agents or beneficial agents taken into the body through other methods, for example, through the use of a syringe, inhaler, infusion machine, dialysis machine, or other device that administers medicine. The smart therapeutics system can include a beneficial agent with a chip. The chip can contain information about the type of beneficial agent to be administered to the patient. Upon extracting the beneficial agent from the holding container, e.g., a vial, a signal can be sent from the vial to a chip within the syringe. The broadcasted signal can indicate the type of beneficial agent extracted from the vial. Upon injection into the patient, the information can be sent from the syringe to an information management database located in, on, or near the patient, e.g., a personal health companion device. The system can also notify the receiver about any therapies the patient is undergoing, such as dialysis. In this case, the dialysis machine, or an add-on module added to current dialysis machines, can be used to collect and transmit data about the dialysis being performed and parameters of the blood going out of and into the patient during dialysis. Upon successful detection and decoding of the transmitted signal, the receiver can activate an alert to let the nurse and/or other attending person or the patient that the receiver has successfully received information about the medication or therapy which was administered. Such systems are disclosed in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 60/819,750 filed Jul. 7, 2006 and 60/891,883 filed Feb. 27, 2007; the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference.
As indicated above, the second device may be a device configured to receive data transmitted through a body from the first device (and record and retransmit the data where desired), where the second device may be a personal health companion device that is configured to detect dosage administration, e.g., by a signal emitted by an identifier of a pharma-informatics enabled dosage formulation, such as described in pending provisional application Ser. No. 60/887,780 titled “Signal Receivers for Pharma-Informatics Systems”; the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. As mentioned above, the personal health companion may be dimensioned for implantation and or topical application to a patient, where the device is dimensioned such that however it is associated with the patient it can be associated with the patient for extended periods of time, e.g., days, weeks, months, years or longer, without causing substantial if any discomfort to the patient.
In certain of the above described embodiments, the first device and the second device are different types of devices, e.g., where the first device may be associated with an active agent, such as where the first device is a smart dosage, and the second device is not associated with an active agent.
In certain embodiments, the methods include obtaining from the patient two or more sets of a confirmatory data over a given period of time, e.g., two or more sets of confirmatory data over a period of one day, one week, one month, one year, etc., depending on the particular regimen of the patient. While the two or more sets of confirmatory data may be generated from the same first device, in certain embodiments, e.g., where the first device is a pharma-informatics enabled dosage, e.g., such as a smart dosage described above, the first and second devices may be different dosages, e.g., different pills. As such, embodiments of the methods include obtaining an additional set of confirmatory data from at least a third device, e.g., a second pharmaceutical dosage which is separate from the first pharmaceutical dosage, where the same second device is employed regardless of how many additional first, third, etc., devices are employed.
In addition to dosage administration data, additional data may be obtained from the patient as desired. Types of additional patient data that may be obtained include, but are not limited to: physiological parameter data, e.g., as may be obtained using any convenient sensing device, including the sensors and systems developed by some of the inventors of the assignee of the present application and described in co-owned applications and patents, as referenced below; lifestyle data, such as historical information about the patient (e.g., the patients activities on a given day, how the patient was feeling, etc.); anticipated activities of the patient (e.g., whether or not the patient expects to exercise, whether or not the patient is feeling well, etc.); and the like.
Following obtainment of the dosage administration (i.e., confirmatory) data from the patient, e.g., where the patient may or may not be in a remote location such that obtainment of the data includes transmitting the data from a first location to a second location (for example over the internet) where the data are then evaluated, e.g., using a system as reviewed below, to determine when a change in the therapeutic regimen is desired and provide a recommendation based on the determination. This step of the methods may include inputting the data into a decision support tool (e.g., of an appropriate system) and obtaining from the decision support tool a recommendation based on the confirmatory data as to whether a change is the therapeutic regimen is desirable. The dosage administration data are assessed to identify whether, based on the information received from the patient, such as compliance data, physiological parameters and lifestyle data, any modification should be made to the therapeutic regimen in order to optimize the therapeutic regimen for the patient in some way. The data may be evaluated by a health care practitioner, e.g., manually or through use of any convenient decision tool, e.g., such as the system described below, that may include a database, algorithm, actionable interface (e.g., in the form of a graphical user interface (GUI)), outcome measure, etc.
The resultant recommendation based on this evaluation step may then be employed, e.g., by a health care professional, to determine whether the therapeutic regimen should be modulated in some manner. The determination is then communicated, e.g., by a health care practitioner, to the patient, where the determination may be in the form of an indication that no change in the therapeutic regimen should be made or that a change in the therapeutic regimen should be made. As such, the health care practitioner may inform the patient that no change in therapeutic regimen should be made and that the patient should continue to follow the therapeutic regimen as previously specified to the patient. Alternatively, the health care practitioner, following a recommendation from the evaluation step, may also forward to the patient a modified therapeutic regimen, e.g., in the form of instructions on how to change the regimen as previously specified to the patient.
The modulation of the therapeutic regimen, when made, may take a variety of different formats. For example, the modulation may take the form of a change in a pharmaceutical dosage regimen, e.g., in the amounts of active agent taken and/or the different types of active agents taken. The modulation may also take the form of a change in the activity of an implanted medical device. In addition, the modulation may include lifestyle alteration recommendations, e.g., instructions to refrain from exercise, instructions to engage in exercise, instructions to modify diet, etc.
In certain embodiments, the methods may further include implementation of change in a therapeutic regimen. This implementation may be manifested in a number of different ways. For example, this implementation may be in the form of the preparation of one or more actual, physical pharmaceutical dosages that will be used in the therapeutic regimen as modified. The phrase “physical pharmaceutical dosage” refers to the actual pharmaceutical composition(s) that is administered at any given time, e.g., the actual one or more pills that are administered at a given administration event. In one form of implementation, a modified therapeutic regimen that includes a selection of different active agents in specific amounts is implemented by collecting different compositions, e.g., pills, of the active agents into a set and forwarding the set to the patient. In another form of implementation, a combination of two or more active agents in amounts specified by a therapeutic regimen as described above are combined into a single composition, and the composition is then forwarded to the patient. For example, a given modified therapeutic regimen determined as described above may call for the administration of a first amount of pharmaceutical X, a second amount pharmaceutical Y and a third amount of pharmaceutical Z. A single composition is made, e.g., by a pharmaceutical composition manufacturer in response to instructions from a system, as reviewed in greater detail below, that includes all three different pharmaceuticals in the amounts specified. The three different amounts may be present in different compartments of an inert carrier, combined in a capsule, etc., as desired. The compositions of these embodiments may be manufactured at any point along a given supply chain, e.g., at the pharmaceutical agent manufacturer level, at a distributor level, at a retail (e.g., pharmacy) level or even at the customer level, e.g., by using a home device that prepares customized formulations from stock components. Implementation may also include modulation of the activity of an implanted device, such as a cardiac device, neurostimulatory device, etc., as may be desirable.
In certain embodiments, additional methods and systems of monitoring or tracking individual dosages or collections of dosages may be employed in conjunction, with the methods and systems of the present invention. For example, “smart” package devices (i.e., pharmaceutical compliance packages) which record when a patient obtains a dosage from the package and thereby provides a proxy for the administration of the dosage to the patient may be employed. Examples of such “smart” packaging devices and methods are found in, but not limited to: smart drug dispensers as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,360,125; 4,768,176; 4,768,177; 5,200,891; 5,642,731; 5,752,235 and 5,954,641; the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference. Alternatively or in addition, RFID/barcode approaches may be employed to provide additional confirmation or tracking information between a source of pharmaceutical dosages and patient.
Other sources of dosage compliance data include, but are not limited to, patient data recordation, e.g., via input into a compliance recordation program, etc. Dosage administration data can also include implantable medical device activity data, such as pacemaker activity data, where such activity may be monitored using any convenient system, including the system described in published PCT Application Publication No. WO 2007/028035 titled “Implantable Zero-Wire Communications System”, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference.
Such additional sources of information may be employed in conjunction with the methods of invention, where desired.
FIGS. 1 and 2 provide flow charts of two different embodiments of the methods described above. In FIG. 1, the first step 110 of the exemplified method is to obtain dosage administration data, such as pharmaceutical compliance data, as reviewed above. Next, at step 120 the obtained dosage administration data are input into a therapeutic regimen evaluator, e.g., as described in greater detail below. Following step 120, the evaluator assesses at step 130 the input data to determine whether a change in the therapeutic regimen is desired. At decision box 140, if a change is the regimen is not recommended, instructions are forwarded to the patient to continue with the current therapeutic regimen, as shown at step 150. However, if a change in the regimen is recommended at decision box 140, a modified therapeutic regimen, e.g., in the form of a changed pharmaceutical dosage regimen and/or implanted medical device activity regimen, is developed at step 160. The developed modulated pharmaceutical dosage regimen is then forwarded to the patient at step 170. Finally, the patient proceeds by continuing to follow the prior therapeutic regimen or adopting the modified regimen, as shown at step 180.
FIG. 2 provides a modified version of the protocol shown in FIG. 1, where the method includes an implementation of the modified therapeutic regimen. In FIG. 2, the first step 210 of the exemplified method is to obtain dosage administration data, such as pharmaceutical compliance data, as reviewed above. Next, at step 220 the obtained dosage administration data are input into a therapeutic regimen evaluator, e.g., as described in greater detail below. Following step 220, the evaluator assesses at step 230 the input data to determine whether a change in the therapeutic regimen is desired. At decision box 240, if a change is the regimen is not recommended, instructions are forwarded to the patient to continue with the current therapeutic regimen, as shown at step 250. At step 250, instructions are also sent to the patient to continue with the implementation of the prior therapeutic regimen, e.g., by taking the same pharmaceutical compositions according to the same dosing schedule, etc. However, if a change in the regimen is recommended at decision box 240, a modified therapeutic regimen, e.g., in the form of a changed pharmaceutical dosage regimen and/or implanted medical device activity regimen, is developed at step 260. The resultant modified therapeutic regimen is implemented as desired, e.g., by fabricating a physical pharmaceutical dosage (as described above) at step 270. The developed modified pharmaceutical dosage regimen and implementation thereof is then forwarded to the patient at step 275. Finally, the patient proceeds by continuing to follow the prior therapeutic regimen or adopting the modified regimen, along with the implementation thereof, as shown at step 280.
Systems
Also provided by the subject invention are systems that may be used to perform on or more aspects of the methods, such as the data evaluation step, e.g., as described above. In certain embodiments, the systems include a decision tool, e.g., in the form of a processor accessing a database and running an appropriate algorithm, which may take the form of a data evaluation module, which serves as a therapeutic regimen evaluator to assess the input data and provide a recommendation of whether or not a change is desired.
In the process schematically depicted in FIG. 1, a data evaluation module is employed as a therapeutic regimen evaluator to assess the input data and generate a recommendation as to whether or not the regimen should be changed. As such, the data evaluation module performs the function of receiving the input information and generating the regimen recommendation information in response thereto.
The data evaluation module employed in the subject methods may include a collection dosage administration data (e.g., compliance data) element and regimen recommendation linked data element stored in a memory, such as a database. The data elements of the module may be organized in any convenient manner. The content of the data evaluation module may be controlled using any convenient protocol. In certain embodiments, the content may be maintained by a single entity, e.g., where the entity initially creates the content and then updates the content periodically. Embodiments of the modules include updated modules in which the content of the module has been updated one or more times following its manufacture, e.g., two or more times, 5 or more times, 10 or more times, 50 or more times, 100 or more times, 1000 or more times, etc., where the updated content may be any of a variety of different types of information.
An embodiment of a system that includes a data evaluation module is shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, system 300 includes communications module 320 and processing module 330, where each module may be present on the same or different platforms, e.g., servers, as is known in the art. The communications module includes an input manager 322 and output manager 324 functional elements. Input manager 322 receives information, e.g., sample identifier information, from a user e.g., locally or from a remote location (such as over the Internet). Input manager 322 processes and forwards this information to the processing module 330. Output manager 324 provides information assembled by processing module 330, e.g., a modified therapeutic regimen, to a user. The communications module 320 may be operatively connected to a user computer 310 by communications element 315, which element provides a vehicle for a user to interact with the system 300. User computer 310, shown in FIG. 3, may be a computing device specially designed and configured to support and execute any of a multitude of different applications. Computer 310 also may be any of a variety of types of general-purpose computers such as a personal computer, network server, workstation, or other computer platform now or later developed.
As reviewed above, the systems include various functional elements that carry out specific tasks on the platforms in response to information introduced into the system by one or more users. In FIG. 3, elements 332, 334 and 336 represent three different functional elements of processing module 330. At least one of the functional elements 332 of processing module 330 is a functionality for assessing the dosage administration data and providing a determination as to whether a change in at therapeutic dosage regimen is desired, and is conveniently referred to herein as the therapeutic regimen evaluator. Additional functional elements that may be present include, but are not limited to, elements for determining modified therapeutic regimens, etc. In certain embodiments, the systems include one or more implantable devices, which may have therapeutic (such as electrostimulatory) and/or sensory activity. Such sensors and systems include, but are not limited to, those described in various applications assigned to the assignee of the present application, where such applications include, but are not limited to: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/734,490 published as 20040193021 titled: “Method And System For Monitoring And Treating Hemodynamic Parameters”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/219,305 published as 20060058588 titled: “Methods And Apparatus For Tissue Activation And Monitoring”; International Application No. PCT/US2005/046815 titled: “Implantable Addressable Segmented Electrodes”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/324,196 titled “Implantable Accelerometer-Based Cardiac Wall Position Detector”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/764,429, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Enhancing Cardiac Pacing,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/764,127, entitled “Methods and Systems for Measuring Cardiac Parameters,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/764,125, entitled “Method and System for Remote Hemodynamic Monitoring”; International Application No. PCT/US2005/046815 titled: “Implantable Hermetically Sealed Structures”; U.S. application Ser. No. 11/368,259 titled: “Fiberoptic Tissue Motion Sensor”; International Application No. PCT/US2004/041430 titled: “Implantable Pressure Sensors”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/249,152 entitled “Implantable Doppler Tomography System,” and claiming priority to: U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/617,618; International Application Serial No. PCT/USUS05/39535 titled “Cardiac Motion Characterization by Strain Gauge”. These applications are incorporated in their entirety by reference herein.
REPRESENTATIVE EMBODIMENT
A specific representative embodiment of the above described methods and systems that may be employed in the management of a specific patient for a specific disease condition is depicted in FIG. 4. Patient 410 is a cardiovascular patient that may suffer from a variety of cardiovascular disease conditions, e.g., heart failure, hypertension, etc. Patient 410 has been implanted with a cardiovascular medical device, 420, which may include one or more of an electrical therapy element, a sensor element, including but not limited to the sensors described below, as well as a monitoring element. In certain embodiments, the monitoring element is configured to obtain, store and forward actual dosage administration information from an identifier tagged pharmaceutical composition, e.g., as described in PCT application serial no. PCT/US2006/016370 titled “Pharma Informatics System” which was filed on Apr. 28, 2006 and published as WO 2006/116718 on Nov. 2, 2006; as well as the additional embodiments of such smart dosages as described in U.S. Provisional Application Ser. Nos. 60/866,581; 60/829,832; 60/887,780; 60/889,868; 60/889,870; 60/889,871; 60/894,171 and 60/894,167; the disclosures of which applications are herein incorporated by reference. In addition, patient 410 is taking a plurality of different pharmaceuticals 430 according to a prescribed pharmaceutical dosage regimen. The pharmaceuticals 430 are identifier tagged pharmaceuticals, e.g., that include identifying IC chips that emit a signal upon contact with a target physiological site, as described in PCT application serial no. PCT/US2006/016370 titled “Pharma Informatics System” which was filed on Apr. 28, 2006 and published as WO 2006/116718 on Nov. 2, 2006; as well as the additional embodiments of such smart dosages as described in U.S. Provisional Application Ser. Nos. 60/866,581; 60/829,832; 60/887,780; 60/889,868; 60/889,870; 60/889,871; 60/894,171 and 60/894,167; the disclosures of which applications are herein incorporated by reference. Also shown in FIG. 4 is modem 440 that serves to relay obtained dosage information from the patient 410 to a remote location, e.g., a doctor's office. Modem 440 may be located at an in-home location, e.g., the bedside, and connected to Internet, e.g., via a wireless connection, so that data can be uploaded by the modem to the internet and designated address thereon automatically at a predetermined daily time, e.g., when the patient is expected to be near the modem, such as at 3 AM when the patient is expected to be asleep in their bed. Of course modem 440 may be replaced by any convenient communications element, such as a network relay station, etc. Of interest are embodiments where elements 430, 420 and 440 communicate via an implantable or topical signal receiver element (e.g., a personal health companion device) that is configured to detect dosage administration, e.g., by a signal emitted by an identifier of a pharma informatics enabled dosage formulation, such as described in pending provisional application Ser. No. 60/887,780 titled “Signal Receivers for Pharma-Informatics Systems”; the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference.
Central processor 450 includes servers that include or can access a number of different information sources, e.g., patient databases, population information, subpopulation information, patient specific information, etc. The dataset or sets present in processor 450 may be raw datasets or processed in some manner, e.g., to produce subsets or populations, e.g., categories of data. For example, compliance data from an individual patient over a period of time can be combined with data from other individuals. The combined data can be processed to identify trends or subpopulations of individuals that respond similarly under similar dosage compliance and/or other parameters, e.g., health, age, disease stage, etc. Trends or subpopulations may be identified from the raw data using any convenient protocols, including by use of data processing algorithms that can process the data automatically and identify trends or subpopulations, e.g., according to predetermined rules. The identified trends/subpopulations can then be employed in a variety of different ways, as desired. For example, information about a given population or groups of populations can be used by a health care professional to help inform a practitioner on the best way to treat a particular patient given that patients individual compliance data. For example, a health care professional, such as a pharmaceutical representative, can help nurse 470 and/or doctor 490 make informed therapeutic treatment regimen decisions for patient 410 by helping nurse 470 and/or doctor 490 to interpret the particular compliance data obtained from patient 410 in the context of a given subpopulation of patients as identified and available to the representative from datasets 450. In this manner nurse 470 and/or doctor 490 actively employ the sales representative and the knowledge provided to the sales representative from datasets 450 in making individual treatment therapeutic regimen decisions for patient 410.
Laptop 460 is an embodiment of the system 300 depicted in FIG. 3 and includes a decision support tool, such as a therapeutic regimen evaluator, as reviewed above. The decision support tool has access to a variety of different types of information, such as information provided in the database exemplified as element 450, information present in the doctor's office, e.g., patient records. In certain embodiments, the decision support tool 460 can complete prescription and/or generate E-mail alerts based on data. In certain embodiments, the decision support tool 460 is linked to a wider health or hospital information system.
Shown in FIG. 4 is nurse 470 that can review patient alerts and individual web pages, contact the patient or caregiver thereof, provide advice and/or schedule visits based on recommendations generated by the decision support tool, e.g., via phone 480.
In FIG. 4, doctor 490 performs one or more of the following tasks, e.g., reviews the patient log, adjusts electrical therapy, develops profiles, selects drug alternates, adjusts dosing, confirms that the current regimen is acceptable, etc. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, when the doctor adjusts dosing regimens, this information is forwarded to manufacturer 500. While a central manufacture is shown in FIG. 4, the dosing adjustment instructions could be forwarded to any convenient formulator, e.g., hospital or independent pharmacy, or even home formulation device. Manufacturer 500, in response to the dosing information provided by the doctor 490, makes drugs to order which are specifically tailored to the patient 410 as specified by doctor 490, e.g., within a 48 hour cycle. The manufactured physical dosage is then forwarded directly to the patient, e.g., by express mail, as depicted by element 510.
Programming
The invention also provides programming, e.g., in the form of computer program products, for use in practicing the methods. Programming according to the present invention can be recorded on computer readable media, e.g., any medium that can be read and accessed directly by a computer. Such media include, but are not limited to: magnetic storage media, such as floppy discs, hard disc storage medium, and magnetic tape; optical storage media such as CD-ROM; electrical storage media such as RAM, ROM, flash drives, micro drives; and hybrids of these categories such as magnetic/optical storage media. One of skill in the art can readily appreciate how any of the presently known computer readable mediums can be used to create a manufacture that includes a recording of the present programming/algorithms for carrying out the above-described methodology.
Utility
The present invention provides the clinician an important new tool in their therapeutic armamentarium i.e., the ability to customize therapeutic regimens in a patient specific manner. The present invention allows therapeutic regimens to be developed and modified based on actual dosage administration information, which information can be supplemented with additional dosage relevant information, such as additional physiological parameters, lifestyle information, etc. In this manner, patient specific customized optimal therapeutic regimens may be formulated by the clinician. A number of benefits result from implementation of the present invention, including but not limited to one or more of: reduced medical errors, e.g., such as those that can arise from using a standardized therapeutic regimens in a variable compliance environment; a reduction in liability, since errors will be reduced; etc.
One type of application in which the subject compositions and systems find use is in monitoring patient compliance with prescribed therapeutic regimens. By monitoring patient compliance is meant tracking whether a patient is actually taking medication in the manner prescribed to the patient. As such, the present invention provides accurate data of when a pill has been taken and which pill has been taken. This allows the precise determination of which pill was taken at a specific point in time. Such monitoring capability assures patients are taking the prescribed medication correctly. This information avoids the potential for over prescription of medications that are not actually being taken. By example, if pain killers are intended to be administered to a patient, it is possible to verify with the present invention that the patient did in fact take those pain killers in a certain period of time. This knowledge is an important tool in limiting the illicit sale of unconsumed drugs to an unintended party. In the case of cardio vascular pills, the clinician or care giver is able to verify that the amount of the drug was taken has been taken at approximately the right point and time. Thus, the true efficacy of the drug can be accurately evaluated. Proper administration and patient compliance is especially critical in Alzheimer's, psychiatric, and alcohol aversion drugs, and in the treatment of rest home residents. In the case of accidental and other overdoses situations, the intervening clinician will be able to discern how far the ingestion has proceeded, and how many pills are involved.
In more complex embodiments of the present invention, correct, timely ingestion of the drugs will automatically trigger a prescription refill signal which is forwarded to a pharmacy data system, and in some cases the refill will be automatically delivered directly to the patient's home, or released by a device in the patient's home some period of time later. This feature is particularly valuable in patients with compromised mental capacity and/or limited physical mobility.
The invention is particularly useful in complex administration regimens, such as when multiple pharmaceuticals are being taken, and confusion is more likely to occur. The inventive pills can have multiple external layers, with only correct dosage allowing dissolution and absorption of the pharmaceutical component. Specific indicators, such as electrical conduction velocity in the heart or electrolytic levels in the blood in response to pharmaceutical can also be titrated.
In certain embodiments, a patient can be alerted when the patient is in some way non-compliant with a given treatment regimen. For example, by a sound, visual, or computer reminder, if the pharmacological regimen is not being accurately adhered to, a reminder is provided. If that reminder is not accurately responded to, the system can provide an alert to family members, caregivers, or clinicians in order to remedy the gap in treatment or overdose. The device may also automatically modify the dosage and timing of the regimen to compensate for prior non-standard dosing.
One type of application in which the subject compositions and systems find use is in tailoring therapeutic regimens based on patient compliance. In such applications, data obtained about whether a patient has or has not taken a particular dosage is employed to determine future dosages and/or timing of such dosages. In certain embodiments, data concerning patient compliance is combined with additional data, e.g., sensed physiological data, to make customized changes or modifications to a given therapeutic regimen. By example, when data about dosage compliance obtained according to the invention is used in concert with other medical sensing devices, correlation between drug delivery, batch and dosage can be correlated to a physiological response. In this manner, optimal pharma-therapeutic regimens may be formulated by the clinician. By example, cardiac stimulating drugs can be titrated to the most appropriate dosages, minimizing side effects such as cardiac muscle exhaustion and rebound effects among others, and optimizing both dosage and timing for each individual patient.
Assessment of a range of alternate medications is made possible by the present invention without resort to awaiting overt clinical sequel of treatment, many of which can be seriously adverse. By example, positive effects would be quickly ascertainable without being obscured by more random factors. Negative responses, such as changes in blood pressure, would become clearly evident as drug related or independent above background physiologic variation.
In one clinical arena, the present invention allows, in concert with other sensing devices developed by some of the present inventors, the measurement and assessment of the cardiac response to those medications. These co-employed sensing devices can be those enumerated below, among others. Other sensing technology, e.g., as mentioned above, developed by some of the present inventors allows measurement of heart health and cardiac efficiency. Using these tools in concert with the present inventive device, the clinician will be able to compare the response of the heart and body to the administered pharmaceutical. The data provided by the present invention can optionally be recorded over time. The recording system records synchrony or conduction velocity of a signal going through cardiac tissue and how that is mediated by the presence of a certain medication. These unique data are made possible by the present invention.
In more standard clinical environments, these unique data allow careful selection and titration of drug administration without resort to more overt physical symptoms to ascertain contraindications, efficacy, and optimal dosage levels. The present invention provides a record for emergency room technicians or doctors when a patient is admitted to a hospital so that the patient's status can be accurately ascertained. Dosage events within the last hour or day prior to admission, and the identity of the last medication, will be immediately available. As such, future therapeutic regimens can be made based on accurate records of patient drug medication history.
The patient monitoring capacity of the external reporting apparatus is an importation function which the inventive device can provide. When coordinated with internal or external physiologic sensing data, the device can read out the physiological response of the patient to the ingestion of medication, and then transmit this information back to the clinician. The clinician can then modify therapy to optimal effectiveness, as indicated by the new data in response to the modified therapy, and so forth.
In more sophisticated embodiments of the present invention, the dosage adjustment function, within certain parameters, can be performed by an intelligence circuit in the apparatus. By example, for a blood pressure medication, the patient takes their blood pressure pill. 20 minutes later, the internal monitoring circuitry in the implantable device registers a drop in blood pressure. The circuitry quantifies this drop, and transmits it to this bedside apparatus. The apparatus then can adjust the dosage of the pill to optimally treat the patient. Similarly, when the patient is connected to an IV, the dosage can be dispensed directly into the IV fluid. In certain embodiments, the closed-loop system is provided as a fully implantable device.
Current clinical practice for drug treatment optimization is considerably more limited than that which is available by use of the present inventive device. Currently, blood pressure medication treatment is set at so many pills per day. Such a blunt dosage regime takes a long time to optimize appropriately because the feedback loop is very slow. By contrast, with the present invention, the feedback loop of physiologic response to pharmaceutical dosage is very rapid and very efficient. Ultimately, the present invention allows tailoring the drug dosages day to day, or even more finely, to account for change in activity, change in physiological conditions in the patient, and other dosage parameter.
In more sophisticated embodiments of the present invention, physiological reactions to specific dosages and time intervals would also be continually monitored. In some embodiments, the level of drug in the blood stream is monitored, allowing for individual and time of day variations in drug metabolism.
This aspect of the present invention effectively minimizes underdosing or overdosing the controlled substances, in some cases addressing these changes before they produce external symptoms apparent to the patient or clinician. The drug dosage can be automatically titrated so that, by example, the smallest appropriate level to quell anxiety due to pain, other physiologic reactions to pain, or provide steady or gradually diminishing blood levels of the drug would be dispensed. This feature of the present invention provides an automatic, appropriately gradual, weaning off of the drug, lessening the chance of serious addiction or severe, adverse withdrawal reactions.
Kits
Also provided are kits for practicing the subject methods. Kits may include one or more components of the systems as described above, e.g., smart packaged dosages, smart pharmaceutical compositions, receivers and modems, computer programming, etc.
The subject kits may also include instructions for how to practice the subject methods using the components of the kit. The instructions may be recorded on a suitable recording medium or substrate. For example, the instructions may be printed on a substrate, such as paper or plastic, etc. As such, the instructions may be present in the kits as a package insert, in the labeling of the container of the kit or components thereof (i.e., associated with the packaging or sub-packaging) etc. In other embodiments, the instructions are present as an electronic storage data file present on a suitable computer readable storage medium, e.g. CD-ROM, diskette, etc. In yet other embodiments, the actual instructions are not present in the kit, but means for obtaining the instructions from a remote source, e.g. via the internet, are provided. An example of this embodiment is a kit that includes a web address where the instructions can be viewed and/or from which the instructions can be downloaded. As with the instructions, this means for obtaining the instructions is recorded on a suitable substrate.
Some or all components of the subject kits may be packaged in suitable packaging to maintain sterility. In many embodiments of the subject kits, the components of the kit are packaged in a kit containment element to make a single, easily handled unit, where the kit containment element, e.g., box or analogous structure, may or may not be an airtight container, e.g., to further preserve the sterility of some or all of the components of the kit.
It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to particular embodiments described, as such may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of the present invention will be limited only by the appended claims.
Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that each intervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lower limit of that range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range, is encompassed within the invention. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently be included in the smaller ranges and are also encompassed within the invention, subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are also included in the invention.
Certain ranges are presented herein with numerical values being preceded by the term “about.” The term “about” is used herein to provide literal support for the exact number that it precedes, as well as a number that is near to or approximately the number that the term precedes. In determining whether a number is near to or approximately a specifically recited number, the near or approximating unrecited number may be a number which, in the context in which it is presented, provides the substantial equivalent of the specifically recited number.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, representative illustrative methods and materials are now described.
All publications and patents cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication or patent were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference and are incorporated herein by reference to disclose and describe the methods and/or materials in connection with which the publications are cited. The citation of any publication is for its disclosure prior to the filing date and should not be construed as an admission that the present invention is not entitled to antedate such publication by virtue of prior invention. Further, the dates of publication provided may be different from the actual publication dates which may need to be independently confirmed.
It is noted that, as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It is further noted that the claims may be drafted to exclude any optional element. As such, this statement is intended to serve as antecedent basis for use of such exclusive terminology as “solely,” “only” and the like in connection with the recitation of claim elements, or use of a “negative” limitation.
As will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading this disclosure, each of the individual embodiments described and illustrated herein has discrete components and features which may be readily separated from or combined with the features of any of the other several embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. Any recited method can be carried out in the order of events recited or in any other order which is logically possible.
Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the teachings of this invention that certain changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims.
Accordingly, the preceding merely illustrates the principles of the invention. It will be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the invention and are included within its spirit and scope. Furthermore, all examples and conditional language recited herein are principally intended to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventors to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents and equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure. The scope of the present invention, therefore, is not intended to be limited to the exemplary embodiments shown and described herein. Rather, the scope and spirit of present invention is embodied by the appended claims.

## Claims

1. A method of managing a therapeutic regimen for treatment of a patient, the therapeutic regimen specifying a pharmaceutical dosage of the medical composition and a dosing schedule, the method comprising:
receiving confirmatory data from a first device associated with a patient at a second device associated with a body of the patient when the first device is ingested by the patient and is activated upon contact with an electrically conductive body fluid via completion of a partial power source, wherein the first device is electrically coupled to the body of the patient, wherein the confirmatory data represents actual ingestion of the pharmaceutical dosage of the medical composition by the patient, and wherein the confirmatory data is produced by the first device and is transmitted to the second device;
receiving at the second device physiological data indicating a response of the patient to the pharmaceutical dosage of the medical composition, wherein the second device is electrically coupled external to the body of the patient;
evaluating the confirmatory data and the physiological data to determine when a change in the therapeutic regimen is desired; and
modulating the therapeutic regimen when the change is determined to be desired, wherein modulating the therapeutic regimen comprises changing at least one of the pharmaceutical dosage of the medical composition and the dosing schedule based on the evaluation of the confirmatory data and the physiological data.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising recording the confirmatory data by the second device.

3. The method according to claim 1, the first and second devices are electrically coupled to the body.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting a signal representative of the confirmatory data from the first device to the second device, wherein the signal is established by an electrical current between the first and second devices.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising confining the electrical current among the first and second devices and the body.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising confining the electrical current among the first and second devices, wherein the first and second devices are each capacitively coupled to a conductor or ground external to the patient.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising automatically receiving the confirmatory data at the second device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second devices are different types of devices.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first device comprises an active agent.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the second device does not comprise an active agent.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising transmitting a second set of confirmatory data from a third device to the second device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the third device comprises an active agent.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the medical composition is selected from the group consisting of a drug, a vitamin, saline, infusate, a dialysate and an antacid.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first device comprises an identifier associated with a pharmaceutical composition, the method further comprising producing the confirmatory data by the identifier upon contact with a target physiological site of the patient.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the evaluating comprises inputting the data into a decision support tool and obtaining from the decision support tool a recommendation based on the confirmatory data as to whether a change in the therapeutic regimen is desirable.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the evaluating further comprises assessing lifestyle information obtained from the patient.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising determining whether a change in the therapeutic regimen is to be made.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising preparing a physical pharmaceutical dosage of the medical composition and forwarding the physical pharmaceutical dosage to the patient, wherein the physical pharmaceutical dosage comprises at least one active agent.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the physical pharmaceutical dosage comprises two or more distinct compositions.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the physical pharmaceutical dosage comprises at least one composition that includes at least two active agents.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the at least one composition is fabricated in response to the modulation of the therapeutic regimen.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the at least one composition of the physical pharmaceutical dosage comprises a dosage actual ingestion compliance identifier.

23. The method according to claim 17, further comprising modulating the therapeutic regimen and communicating a modulated therapeutic regimen to the patient.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein modulating the therapeutic regimen comprises changing pharmaceutical dosage of the medical composition.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising changing an amount of a pharmaceutical agent.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein modulating the therapeutic regimen further comprises changing at least one type of pharmaceutical agent administered to the patient.

27. The method according to claim 1, further comprising forwarding the confirmatory data from the patient to a location distinct from the second device location.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the location distinct from the second device location is a remote location.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing an electrical current between the first and second devices to transmit the confirmatory data therebetween, wherein the body of the patient serves as a conductive medium through which the electrical current travels to provide for communication between the first and second devices.

30. A system for managing a therapeutic regimen for treatment of a patient, the therapeutic regimen specifying a pharmaceutical dosage of the medical composition and a dosing schedule, the system comprising:
(a) an input manager for receiving:
confirmatory data for actual ingestion of a medical composition by a patient from a first device when the first device is ingested by the patient and is activated upon contact with an electrically conductive body fluid via completion of a partial power source, wherein the first device is electrically coupled to the body of the patient, wherein the confirmatory data represents the actual ingestion of the pharmaceutical dosage of the medical composition by the patient; and
physiological data indicating a response of the patient to the pharmaceutical dosage of the medical composition from a second device, wherein the second device is electrically coupled external to the body of the patient, wherein communication from the first device to the second device is by way of a conductive current signal through a body of the patient, and wherein the second device is electrically coupled external to the body of the patient;

(b) a processing module comprising a therapeutic regimen evaluator configured to assess a therapeutic regimen based on received confirmatory data and the physiological data to determine whether a change in a therapeutic regimen is desirable and provide a recommendation based on the determination; and
(c) an output manager for providing the recommendation to a user, wherein the recommendation indicates a change in at least one of the pharmaceutical dosage of the medical composition and the dosing schedule.

31. The system of claim 30, further comprising establishing an electrical current between a first device and a second device to transmit the confirmatory data therebetween, wherein a body of the patient serves as a conductive medium through which the electrical current travels to provide for communication between the first and second devices.

32. A method of treating a patient for a condition, the method comprising:
inputting confirmatory data received from the patient into a system, the system comprising:
(a) an input manager for receiving:
confirmatory data for actual ingestion of a medical composition by a patient from a first device when the first device is ingested by the patient and is activated upon contact with an electrically conductive body fluid via completion of a partial power source, wherein the first device is electrically coupled to the body of the patient, and wherein the confirmatory data represents the actual ingestion of the pharmaceutical dosage of the medical composition by the patient, and wherein the second device is electrically coupled external to the body of the patient; and
physiological data indicating a response of the patient to the pharmaceutical dosage of the medical composition from a second device, wherein the second device is electrically coupled external to the body of the patient, wherein communication from the first device to the second device is by way of a conductive current signal through a body of the patient;

(b) a processing module comprising a therapeutic regimen evaluator configured to assess a therapeutic regimen based on received confirmatory data and the physiological data to determine whether a change in a therapeutic regimen is desirable and provide a recommendation based on the determination; and
(c) an output manager for providing the recommendation to a user, wherein the recommendation indicates a change in at least one of the pharmaceutical dosage of the medical composition and the dosing schedule; and
obtaining a recommendation from the system and treating the patient according to the recommendation.

33. A method in the form of a computer readable medium embodying a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the method of:
receiving confirmatory data for actual ingestion of a pharmaceutical dosage of a medical composition to a patient from a first device, when the first device is ingested by the patient and is activated upon contact with an electrically conductive body fluid via completion of a partial power source, wherein the first device is electrically coupled to the body of the patient;
receiving physiological data indicating a response of the patient to the pharmaceutical dosage of the medical composition, by a second device, wherein the second device is electrically coupled external to the body of the patient;
assessing a therapeutic regimen of the patient in view of the confirmatory data and the physiological data to determine whether a change in a therapeutic regimen is desirable; and
providing the recommendation to a user, wherein the recommendation indicates a change in at least one of the pharmaceutical dosage of the medical composition and a dosing schedule based on the assessing.

34. A system comprising:
a first device configured to produce confirmatory data for actual ingestion of a pharmaceutical dosage of a medical composition to a patient and transmit the confirmatory data to a second device when the first device is ingested by the patient and is activated upon contact with an electrically conductive body fluid via completion of a partial power source, wherein the first device is electrically coupled to the body of the patient;
a second device configured to receive the confirmatory data from the first device and to receive physiological data indicating a response of the patient to the pharmaceutical dosage of the medical composition, wherein the second device is electrically coupled external to the body of the patient, wherein communication from the first device to the second device is by way of a conductive current signal through a body of the patient, and wherein the second device is electrically coupled external to the body of the patient; and
a wireless communication device configured to receive the confirmatory data and the physiological data from the second device and to relay the received confirmatory data and the physiological data to a remote location.

35. The system according to claim 34, wherein the system further includes a device to process the confirmatory data and the physiological data and provide a recommendation to a user.

36. The system according to claim 34, wherein the first and second devices are configured to be associated with the body of a patient.

37. The system according to claim 34, wherein the first device comprises an active agent.

38. The system according to claim 34, wherein the remote location comprises a database.

39. The system of claim 34, wherein an electrical current is established between the first device and the second device to transmit the confirmatory data therebetween, wherein a body of the patient serves as a conductive medium through which the electrical current travels to provide for communication between the first and second devices.