A HANDLING DEVICE FOR DRUG DOSAGE UNITS

Abstract: A handling device for dosage units of drugs comprising a sheet (1, 101) of shape-stable material provided with one or more holes (2, 102), and a number of blister packs (8, 9, 10, 108, 109, 110) placed such that the blisters (11, 111) thereof project through at least some of the holes is described. It is characterized in, that each of the last mentioned holes closely embraces, at least at two opposing portions of the periphery thereof, a blister at the base (124) thereof and that the blister has one or more zones (123) laterally extended beyond the base, to overlie the closely embracing portions of the hole, which extended zone(s) are permitted to pass through the hole by flexible deformation of the blister thereby locking the blister packs in the holes. A process for preparing the device and a means therefor are also described.

Description: A handling device for drug dosage units Technical Field The present invention relates to a handling device for distribution and/or dispensing of drugs in the form of dosage units. The device is intended for use both in hospital care and in home care and is intended to secure accurate dispensing of drugs to patients in a simple, effective and economical way. Background of the invention and state of the art Definitions: By blister pack is meant a pack which normally consists of a card of plastic material which, o one side, is provided with a number of blisters for holding a tablet and which, on the other side has a meta foil, which seals the under side of the blisters. From such a pack, the tablet may be released by pressing the blister so that the tablet breaks through the foil. When hereinafter "tablets" are referred to, this expression includes other dosage units for drugs for example capsul or pills, unless the specific context clearly excludes such dosage units. On dispensing of tablets in hospital care medicine trays, disposable cups, lids, and labels are currently used. Normally, the medicine is prepared once daily after the doctor's round. In longtime care the taking out and arrangement may be done for several days at a time, whereby one tray is used for each day. Drugs intended to be taken at one and the same time are to be held together in a closed unit (disposable cup) and should be marked with the patient's data. A marked lid is put on each cup. The cup has different colouring depending on time of dispensing. Uncoloured at 8:00 A.M., Yellow at 2:00 P.M., blue at 8:00 P.M., red for other occasions. The current system has evident drawbacks relating to security, economy r and patient convenience. Primarily in home care, there are currently used boxes with rolls and columns of compartments where tablets for different times and days may be placed. The positioning of single tablets in such a device is, however, time- consuming and awkward. U.S. 4 254 871 shows a package device for strips of blister packs for drug dosage units, which device consists of a folded sheet comprising a supporting member (5) and a backing member (6) . Both members are perforated and the blister packs are intended to be placed with the blisters projecting through the holes in the supporting member. By folding and gluing together the backing member and the supporting member by means of an adhesive material, the blister pack will be retained in the device. The dosage units are intended to be taken out through the holes in the backing member. DE 2 103 694 relates to a pack for e.g. tablets, comprising several strips of the blister pack type which preferably are mounted between two perforated plates or are held in place by rails on a perforated plate. GB A 2079 250 shows a drug presentation device wherein strips of blister packs may be attached on a sheet-formed base for facilitating the taking of the right drugs at th right times. In order to release a drug, it is pressed through the foil back of the blister pack and it also has to break an opening in the base, said opening being indicated by a perforation line. For attachment of the strips on the base, gluing is suggested. The present invention has the object of achieving, among other things, the following: Increased security One wishes to identify for each tablet the name, dosage, manufacturer and batch number. Identification should follow the tablet from the manufacturer/packager until the time when the patient takes the tablet. The package should protect the tablet/capsule from contamination through the whole chain of distribution Better economy The drugs should be eligible for reuse when the prescription has been changed (total cessation currently amounts to about 2 % of the drug costs in a normal hospital). The wards may hold a smaller supply, by means of a device which enables faster dispensing from the hospital pharmacy. Facilitation of checking of expiry date in the drugstore of the ward. Patient convenience The patient should, as far as possible be taught to take his drug himself. - The staff around the patient, including relatives, should be able to check that the patient takes the correct drug and dosages. A nurse, who has not dispensed the drug, should easily be able to check that drug and dosage are in accordance with the prescription (each tablet should be marked). On leave from the hospital, e.g. for a weekend, the drug consumption for one or two days may easily be packaged and sent along with the patient. Longtime prescription: On use of the new device it should be possible to train the patient to take his drug himself, and the device with e.g. a weekly prescription should be dispensed when the patient is released from the hospital. - Anybody should be able to "load" this device for weekly prescription with a few simple manipulations without extra machines. Economy of production A simple pack should be provided which eliminates an adhesive material and base plates provided with rails and similar members. As far as possible, routine packaging technique within drug industry should be applicable. Summary of the invention The invention relates to a handling device for dosage units of drugs comprising a sheet of shape-stable materia provided with one or more holes, and a number of blister packs placed such that the blisters thereof project through at least some of the holes. According to the invention, the handling device is characterized in, that each of the last mentioned holes closely embraces, at least at two opposing portions of the periphery thereof, the base of the associated blister, and that the blister has one or more zones laterally extended beyond its base, overlying the closely embracing portions of the hole, which extended zones (s) are permitted to pass the hole by flexible deformation of the blister thereby locking the blister packs in the holes. Another aspect of the invention is a process for preparation of a handling device for dosage units of drugs whereby several blister packs are placed in at least some of the holes of a sheet of shape-stable material provided with a plurality of holes, such that the blisters of the blister pack project through the holes, said process being characterized in that the blisters of the blister pack are introduced through the lastmentioned holes, each of which, at least at two opposing portions of the periphery thereof, are shaped to closely embrace the associated blister at the base thereof, and those blisters each have one or more zones laterally extended beyond its base, in register with the closely embracing portions of the hole, by flexible deformation of the blister thereby locking the blister packs in the holes. A further aspect of the invention is a means for carrying out the process mentioned above, which means comprises a blister pack comprising a card, one or more blisters on one side of the card, which blisters have a base adjacent to the card, and an under-foil on the other side of the card. The blister packs are characterized according to the invention in that the blister above the base thereof has one or more zones laterally extended beyond the base, which extended zone(s) by flexible deformation of the blister may be introduced along with the blister through a hole in a sheet of shape-stable material provided with a plurality of holes, where such a hole may closely embrace, at least at two opposing portions of the periphery thereof, a blister at the base thereof, which portions overlie said zone(s) , thereby locking the blister packs in the holes. The invention is further described with reference to the attached drawings wherein Fig. 1 shows a sheet making part of a device according to the invention, adapted for daily dispensing and acco odating 16 dosage units. Fig. 2, 3 and 4 show blister packs according to the invention with 2, 3 or 4 dosage units respectively, which packages are intended to be attached to the sheet in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 shows a rear side of a blister pack according to the invention. Fig 6 shows a handling device according to the invention, the sheet of which is adapted for weekly dispensing with a maximum of 8 dosage units per day. Three blister packs are mounted in the sheet with a daily morning dosage, four dosages a week for lunch time and one daily evening dosage of drug. Fig. 7 shows a blister pack of a kind which makes part of the handling device in Fig. 6 and Fig. 8 is a section along the line 8-8 in Fig. 7, showing a blister in side view. In the drawings, 1 denotes a sheet for a handling device for daily dispensing. The sheet has four holes 2 in each of four zones, one zone 3 for morning dosage, one zone 4 for lunch-time dosage, one zone 5 for dinner-time dosage, and one zone 6 for evening dosage. Further, there is an area for patient identification and other data. A blister pack 8, 9 or 10 has blisters 11 each containing one tablet, such that the three blister packs have 2, 3 or 4 blisters and tablets respectively. Empty blisters are indicated.at 12 while open holes are indicated at 13. The blisters packs 8, 9, 10 may be mounted in the sheet with one end thereof, oriented towards the area 7 on the sheet 1, and an opposite orientation is likewise possible. Further, a blister pack 8, 9, 10 may be mounted with the end thereof 14, 15, 16 towards the area 7, and thereafter a second, similar or different blister pack may be mounted with the end thereo in opposed orientation, such that the blisters 11, and where appropriate 12, therein project through the holes 13 of the first blister pack and up through the holes 2 o the sheet 1. Where only one blister pack is to be mounted in each array of holes, the blister pack need not be perforated. The empty blisters may of course be replaced by holes, and overall a wide varation of the location of blisters with tablets, empty blisters and holes is possible. On the under-foil of the blister pack 17 an identification text 18 or a marking for the tablet is placed in register with each blister. The handling device for weekly dispensing is denoted 100. By 101 is denoted a sheet thereof. From the rear side of the sheet blister packs 108, 109 and 110 are mounted therein. The sheet has fiftysix holes 102 most of which are not specifically indicated in the drawing. Dosage zones for different times of the day are denoted 103, 104, 104 and 106. For dinner dos.ages at 105, no blister pack i inserted. An identification area on the sheet 101 is denoted 107. Blisters holding tablets are denoted 111 and one hole in the blister pack is denoted 113 while other similar holes are not specifically denoted. The device enables dispensing of eight tablets per day in total, but in the example shown there is dispensed two tablets twice daily during the week, and one tablet for taking on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. A blister pack 108 in Fig 8 comprises a card 120, an underfoil 121 and a blister 111 with a tablet 122, extended zones in the form of two staples 123 are placed above the base 124 of the blister and are extended in comparison therewith. hen the width of the hole 102 is 21 mm, the width of the blister 111 may suitably be 0.05 mm less, and width over the staples 21.6 mm, all widths taken along the longitudinal axis of the blister and the hole. The height of the centers of the staples above the card should be about 1.5 mm. The thickness of the sheet is suitably 0.10 - 1 mm and it is preferably made of suitable rigid plastic material, wherein the holes have been produced by punching. The material thickness of the card 120 and the blister 111 in vacuum formed plastic material is suitably about 0.25 mm. The wellknown breakable under- foil 121 may for example be made of 20 μ - foil. Each tablet is suitably marked on the underside of the blister pack 108, 109, 110 which underside consists of aluminium foil with the name, dosage and batch number of the tablet. By the design of the handling device and the sheet, many tablets may be accomodated within a small area of the sheet which facilitates the handling both for the patient and for the nurse. The requirement for identification is fulfilled with regard to the name, dosage, manufacture and batch number of the tablet. The identification is made possible as well as protection from contamination all the way from the manufacturer to the final user. In cases where a change of presepction has taken place, the change in selection of product or dosage may easily be carried out and the exchanged drug may be reused for another patient. The stock of the ward may be minimized and expiry dates in the ward stock may easily be monitored. Training of the patient to handle his tablets in the hospital substantially facilitates medication in the patient's home. Sheet 1, 101 may, according to the invention, be simply designed and without a separate holding member, rails, other holding devices or glue surfaces.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A handling device for dosage units of drugs comprising a sheet (1, 101) of shape-stable material provided with one or more holes (2, 102), and a number of blister packs (8, 9, 10, 108, 109, 110) placed such that the blisters (11, 111) thereof project through at least some of the holes, characterized in that each of the lastmentioned holes closely embraces, at least at two opposing portions of the periphery thereof, the base (124) of the associate blister, and that that blister has one or more zones (123 laterally extended beyond its base, overlying the closely embracing portions of the hole, which extended zone(s) ar permitted to pass through the hole by flexible deformatio of the blister, thereby locking the blister packs in the holes. 2. A handling device according to claim 1, characterized in that the extended zones consist of two diametrically arranged staples (123). 3. A handling device according to claim 1, characterized in that theere is one single extended zone extending around the entire blister. 4. A process for preparation of a handling device for dosage units of drugs whereby several blister packs (8, 9, 10, 108, 109, 110) are placed in at least some of the holes of a sheet (1, 101) of shape-stable material provided with a plurality of holes (2, 102), such that th blisters of the blister pack project through the holes, said process being characterized in that the blisters of the blister pack are introduced through the lastmentioned holes, each of which, at least at two opposing portions o the periphery thereof, are shaped to closely embrace the associated blister at the base (124) thereof, and those blisters each have one or more zones (123) laterally extended beyond its base, overlying the closely embracing portions of the hole, by flexible deformation of the blister, thereby locking the blister packs in the holes. 5. Means for carrying out the process according to claim 4, which means comprises a blister pack (8, 9, 10, 108, 109, 110) comprising a card (120), one or more blisters (1, 11) on one side of the card, which blisters have a base (124) adjacent to the card, and an under-foil (121) on the other side of the card, characterized in that the blister above the base thereof has one or more zones (123) laterally extended beyond the base, which extended zone(s) by flexible deformation of the blister may be introduced along with the blister through a hole in a sheet of shape- stable material provided with a plurality of holes, where such a hole may closely embrace, at least at two opposing portions of the periphery thereof, a blister at the base thereof, which portions overlie said zone(s) , thereby locking the blister packs in the holes.

Inventors: EEK ARNE TORSTEN, LOEFMAN CLAES PETER, LUNDHOLM NILS AAKE, EEK, ARNE, TORSTEN, LOEFMAN, CLAES, PETER, LUNDHOLM, NILS, AAKE
Applicants: ASTRA AB, AKTIEBOLAGET ASTRA
Application year: 1989
Main classification: A61J
IPC codes: A61J1