Prescription drug-dispensing apparatus

#This invention relates to a drug dispensing apparatus and, more particularly, to a cassette-type dispenser for dispensing strip packaged drugs. The cassette-type dispenser is used in combination with a portable cart for the dispensing of all prescriptions, controlled drugs, or other medication needed by patients in a facility such as a nursing home. All of the cassettes dispensers are color coded to indicate the time to give drugs being dispensed to the patients. The cart has separate storage facilities for liquid medication, ointments, injectable medication, or other types of drugs.

#Prior to the present invention, any types of drug-dispensing mechanisms have been devised for use by the general public and/or hospitals and nursing home facilities. Many of these dispensing mechanisms were primarily concerned with preventing a patient from taking an excessive dosage. Very little concern was paid to the ease of the dispensing of the large number of drugs that must be given in a facility such as a nursing home. The average patient in a nursing home takes between four and five different types of prescription drugs per day. Many of these drugs must be contained under at least a single lock and key, and some under double lock and key as prescribed by federal statute. Many times a problem will arise from a patient receiving too much of a particular type of medication, someone else's medication, or receiving no medication at all. Normally, these problems arise from confusion over the particular type of medication to be given, to whom it is to be given, and when it is to be given. The attendants must give numerous medications to so many different patients that confusion will inevitably occur under the prior methods of dispensing medication.

#A prior problem encountered in previous cassette-type dispensers of strip drugs is related to the large number of different sizes of pills or other medication being dispensed, plus different widths of strips on which the medication is located. Most of the prior cassette dispensers simply handle one particular size strip and one size tablet for dispensing. Also, many of the prior cassette-type packages are not designed for reuse, but are simply thrown away after using the contents of the particular package. The packaging normally has no correlation with the number of times the prescription would be given over a particular time period.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable dispensing cart for dispensing medication to a large number of individuals with the cart containing individual cassette-type dispensing units for strip packaged medication.

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cassette-type dispensing unit used in FIG. 1 for strip packaged medication.

#FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 taken along section line 3--3 with the cover in the closed position.

#Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 in combination, there is shown a cassette-type dispenser represented generally by the reference numeral 10. The casette-type dispenser 10, while it may be made from any particular substance, is molded from plastic in the preferred embodiment. The plastic may be clear for easy viewing through the dispenser 10, or it may be colored according to the preference of the manufacturer.

#As a general description of the cassette-type dispenser 10, it has sidewalls 12 and 14 that are bonded to a frontwall 16 and a rearwall 18. Both of the sidewalls 12 and 14, and the rearwall 18, are bonded to a base 20.

#The front portion of the base 20 extends beyond the frontwall 16 to form part of a dispensing tab 22. There is a space 24 between the lowermost portion of frontwall 16 and the base 20. The space 24 is approximately 1/8th of an inch or less. Also, in the lowermost portion of the frontwall 16 is located an opening 26 that is large enough for a finger to extend therethrough to pull strip medication through the opening 26 as will be subsequently described. Extending forwardly from the lowermost portion of the frontwall 16 are a pair of overlapping flanges 28 and 30. These overlapping flanges 28 and 30 connect via sides 29 and 31 to the base 20 thereby forming a portion of the dispensing tab 22. The overlapping flanges 28 and 30, in conjunction with the base 20, form a channel through which strip medication is held into position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The frontmost portion of the base 20 forming a portion of the dispensing tab 22 has a serrated edge 32 to tear individual medication packs off of the strip package. The overlapping flanges 28 and 30 are at least a quarter of an inch wide to accommodate varying sizes of strip packaged medication and still hold the strip package against the base 20 and the serrated edge 32.