What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:
1. An interim storage system for medicated oral dosage forms, comprising:
a) a container;
b) means for allowing a medicated oral dosage form access into said container,
but substantially preventing the medicated oral dosage form from passing
thereafter out of said container, and
c) child resistant means for permitting an adult to remove a medicated oral
dosage form from within said container despite said means for allowing access.
2. An interim storage container for medicated oral dosage forms as recited in
claim 1, wherein said means for allowing access comprises
a) a flexible membrane with slits extending radially outward from a central
point, and
b) an opening formed in said container, access to said opening being regulated
by said membrane.
3. An interim storage container for medicated oral dosage forms as recited in
claim 1, wherein said means for allowing access comprises:
a) a hinged flap; and
b) an opening formed in said container, passage through said opening being
regulated by said flap.
4. An interim storage container for medicated oral dosage forms, comprising:
a) a container having an interior of sufficient size to hold a medicated oral
dosage form within the interior, said container having an opening of sufficient
size to permit easy access of a medicated oral dosage form into said interior;
b) a removable closure locked to said container, said closure extending over the
opening of said container, said closure having an aperture therethrough, said
aperture being of sufficient size to permit access of a medicated oral dosage
form into the interior of said container; and
a one-way closure covering said aperture, said closure being capable of
permitting a medicated oral dosage form to easily pass through the aperture into
the interior of the container and being capable of substantially preventing the
medicated oral dosage form from passing back from the interior of the container
through the aperture once the medicated oral dosage form has completely passed
through the closure, whereby after a medicated oral dosage form has been
inserted through said aperture, said closure may be unlocked and removed from
said container in order to remove said medicated oral dosage form through said
opening from the interior of the container.
5. An interim storage container for medicated oral dosage forms as in claim 4,
wherein said container is opaque.
6. An interim storage container for medicated oral dosage forms as in claim 4,
wherein said container has at least one opening of such dimensions as to allow
liquid water to have access to
aid interior, whereby said interior can be washed by said water.
7. An interim storage container for medicated oral dosage forms as in claim 6,
wherein said opening is an uncovered elongated slot.
8. An interim storage container for medicated oral dosage forms as in claim 4,
wherein said one-way closure comprises a plastic membrane with slits.
9. An interim storage container for medicated oral dosage forms as in claim 8,
wherein said slits extend radially outward from substantially a single point.
10. An interim storage container for medicated oral dosage forms as in claim 9,
wherein said slits are arcuate.
11. An interim storage container for medicated oral dosage forms as in claim 4,
wherein said closure can be unlocked by applying sufficient force normal to said
closure and can be removed by simultaneously turning said closure.
12. An interim storage container for medicated oral dosage forms as in claim 4,
wherein said closure can be unlocked by orienting it in a predetermined
direction and can be removed thereafter by applying a force tending to separate
said closure from said container.
13. A method of safely using medicated oral dosage forms, comprising the steps
of:
a) providing to a patient a storage container comprising:
a container; and
means for allowing a medicated oral dosage form access into said container but
substantially preventing the medicated oral dosage form from passing; thereafter
out of said container;
b) administering a medicated oral dosage form to the patient; and
c) when the patient has received sufficient medication, inserting the partially
consumed medicated oral dosage form into said container via said means for
allowing access.
14. A method of safely using medicated oral dosage forms as recited in claim 13,
wherein said storage container further comprises child resistant means for
permitting an adult to remove a medicated oral dosage form from within said
container despite said means for allowing, and said method further comprises the
step of having an adult remove said partially consumed medicated oral dosage
form via said child resistant means.
15. A method of safely using medicated oral dosage forms as in claim 13, further
comprising the steps of:
a) having an adult remove said partially consumed medicated oral dosage form via
said child resistant means;
b) patient or adult partially consumes the medicated oral dosage form;
c) when the patient or adult has received sufficient medication, inserting the
partially common medicated oral dosage form into said container via said means
for allowing;
d) repeating steps a) through c) until the medicated oral dosage form has been
fully consumed; and
e) repeating steps (a) through (c) until the medicated oral dosage form has been
fully consumed.
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