Interactive medication container

An interactive medication container for organizing a plurality of particular types of medication and coordinating the consumption of the particular types of medication, said interactive medication container comprising:

• a plurality of separate and distinct medication containers, each of said containers holding one of the particular types of medication and a machine readable memory device containing prescribed dosing regimen information corresponding to the one particular type of medication in that said container;
• a console having a plurality of slots, each of said containers removably attached to one of said slots, said slots having a corresponding sensor, said sensor communicating with each said readable memory device of each said container attached to one of said slots, said console having a computer processor in communication with a timing device, a communication device and said sensor;
• and,
• wherein said computer processor is adapted to use said prescribed dosing regimen information of said containers to develop predetermined times to take the particular types of medication, each predetermined time corresponding to one particular type of medication, said computer processor using said timing device to determine when each of said predetermined times occurs and said communication device to indicate when each of said predetermined times occurs, and said communication device allows said computer processor to indicate which of said containers holds the one particular type of medication for consumption when said predetermined time occurs.

An interactive medication container for organizing the consumption of a plurality of particular types of medication, said interactive medication container comprising:

• a plurality of separate and distinct medication containers, each container holding one of the particular types of medication and including a machine readable memory device containing prescribed dosing regimen information and medication type information corresponding to the one particular type of medication in that said container;
• a console having a plurality of slots, each of said containers removably attached to one of said slots, said slots having a corresponding sensor, said sensor communicating with each said readable memory device of each said container attached to one of said slots, said console having a computer processor in communication with a timing device, a communication device and said sensor;
• and,
• wherein said computer processor uses said prescribed dosing regimen information of said containers to develop predetermined times to take the particular types of medication, each predetermined time corresponding to one particular type of medication, said computer processor using said timing device to determine when each of said predetermined times occurs and said communication device to indicate when each of said predetermined times occurs, and said communication device being adapted to allow said computer processor to indicate which one particular type of medication is for consumption when said predetermined time occurs.

An interactive medication container for organizing a plurality of particular types of particular medications and tracking the quantity of each particular type of medication, said interactive medication container comprising:

• a plurality of separate and distinct medication containers, each medication container holding one type of particular medication, and each container having a machine readable memory device containing quantity information corresponding to the quantity of medication in its said container, said quantity information including particular container information identifying a particular container holding said quantity of medication;
• a console having a plurality of slots, each of said containers removably attached to one of said slots, said slots having a corresponding sensor, said sensor communicating with each said readable memory device of each said container attached to one of said slots, said console having a computer processor in communication with a readable and writable memory device, a removal indicator and said sensor, said quantity information in each of said readable memory devices being communicated to said readable and writable memory device;
• and,
• wherein said removal indicator is operable to obtain removal information from said containers, said removal information including said particular container information corresponding to said particular container from which medication is removed, said removal indicator communicating said removal information to said computer processor, and said computer processor alters said quantity information in said readable and writable memory device to indicate that said quantity of medication in that said particular container has been reduced.

An interactive medication container for organizing and gathering patient feedback regarding the consumption of a plurality of different types of particular medication, said interactive medication container comprising:

• a plurality of separate and distinct medication containers, each of said containers holding one type of particular medication, and each of said containers having a machine readable memory device containing patient question information and medication information corresponding to the one type of particular medication in that said container;
• a console having a plurality of slots, each of said containers removably attached to one of said slots, said slots having a corresponding sensor, said sensor communicating with each said readable memory device of each said container attached to one of said slots, said console having a computer processor in communication with a readable and writable memory device, a communication device, an indicator device and said sensor;
• and,
• wherein said computer processor uses said patient question information corresponding to one type of particular medication in a particular container to communicate a question via said communication device, said indicator device being operable to obtain and correlate patient answer information to said medication information for the one type of particular medication in said particular container, and said patient answer information and corresponding medication information being recorded in said readable and writable memory device.

A method of organizing the consumption of a plurality of types of medication by a patient, the method of organizing the consumption comprising the steps of:

• providing an interactive medication container having a console and at least first and second containers, said first container holding a first type of medication and including a first information device containing dosing regimen information for the first type of medication, said second container holding a second type of medication and including a second information device containing dosing regimen information for the second type of medication, said console including a computer processor, a timing device and a communication device;
• bringing said first and second medication containers and said console together, communicating said dosing regimen information for said first and second medication container to said computer processor, and determining a first predetermined time to take the first type of medication and a second predetermined time to take the second type of medication;
• determining when said predetermined time to take the first type of medication occurs via said timing device and communicating a first message via said communication device, said first message indicating that the first type of medication is to be consumed;
• and,
• determining when said predetermined time to take the second type of medication occurs via said timing device and communicating a second message via said communication device, said second message indicating that the second type of medication is to be consumed.

A method of determining the quantity of medication for at least a first type and a second type of medication, the method of determining quantity comprising the steps of:

• providing an interactive medication container having a console and at least first and second medication containers, said first container holding a first predetermined quantity of the first type of medication and including an information device containing original quantity information corresponding to the quantity of medication in said first container, said second container holding a second predetermined quantity of the second type of medication and including an information device containing original quantity information corresponding to the second predetermined quantity of medication, said console including a computer processor and said interactive medication container including an indicator, said indicator being triggerable to communicate removal information to said computer processor, said removal information including one of either medication type and medication container information;
• bringing said first and second medication containers and said console together;
• communicating said original quantity information to said computer processor;
• selecting a selected container from which to remove medication, said selected container being one of either said first and second containers;
• triggering said removal indicator when medication is removed from said selected container;
• identifying said selected container via said one of either said medication type and said medication container information;
• and,
• updating said memory device of said console to include removal information indicating that said quantity of medication held by said selected container has been reduced.

A method of gathering patient feedback regarding the consumption of at least a first type and a second type of medication, said method of gathering patient feedback comprising the steps of:

• providing an interactive medication container having a console and first and second containers, said first container holding a first type of medication and including a first information device containing a first predetermined question and timing information, said second container holding a second type of medication and including a second information device containing a second predetermined question and timing information, said console including a computer processor, memory device, timing device and communication device;
• bringing said first and second containers and said console together;
• determining when an appropriate time occurs via said timing information and said timing device, said appropriate time corresponding to said timing information of one of either said first and second containers;
• selecting an appropriate question corresponding to said appropriate time;
• communicating said appropriate question via said communication device at said appropriate time;
• entering a response to said appropriate question via said communication device;
• and,
• storing said response to said appropriate question in said memory device.