A substrate includes a first surface area; and a second surface area with a second roughness value. In a height profile of the substrate along a cutting line crossing the first surface area and the second surface area, a height of the substrate along a first section of the height profile is larger than the height of the substrate along a second section of the height profile. In the height profile an absolute value of a height difference between a point of maximum height or an averaged height, respectively, of the second section and a point of minimal height or an averaged height, respectively, of the first section defines a depth value. A ratio of the depth value and the second roughness value is between 2 and 35. A marking element extends across the first surface area and the second surface area.

A system and a method for medication adherence management with which a medicament container is held by a holding apparatus, a detector device wirelessly recognizes an opening and closing activity of the medicament container, and a data processing device or control device reads and processes data of the detector device.

A medication container encoding, verification and identification method is provided that includes receiving data characterizing a medication, generating an identifier encapsulating the data and applying an identifier to a medication container such that it is automatically readable by a medication device. Related apparatus, systems, methods and articles are also described.

An automated medication dispensing unit for a medical response vehicle (MRV) is provided. The unit includes a base medication dispensing unit for containing medication; a portable medication dispensing unit removeably secured to the base medication unit and containing an initial supply of medication; and a controller electronically coupled to the base medication unit and the portable medication dispensing unit which controls access to the respective base medication dispensing unit and the portable medication dispensing unit. In addition, the controller is configured for inventory management of the base medication dispensing unit and the portable medication dispensing unit. The controller may be an electronic mobile device. A method for dispensing medication from an MRV and a system for dispensing, restocking, and reordering medication are also provided.

Example embodiments relate to medication compliance alert devices. An example embodiment includes a method. The method includes capturing information about a medication label associated with a medication. The method also includes analyzing, by a first computing device, the information about the medication label to extract medication information. Further, the method includes generating, by the first computing device, a medication schedule for a corresponding patient associated with the medication. The medication schedule includes a dosage strength and dosage frequency. In addition, the method includes prompting, by a second computing device, the corresponding patient to take an amount of the medication corresponding to the dosage strength at a predetermined time according to the medication schedule. Still further, the method includes receiving, by the second computing device, an indication that the corresponding patient has taken the amount of the medication corresponding to the dosage strength.

The invention relates to methods for decreasing adverse events associated with pirfenidone (5-methyl-1-phenyl-2-(1H)-pyridone) therapy. The invention discloses an optimized dose escalation scheme that results in the patient having increased tolerance to adverse events associated with the administration of pirfenidone. The invention also discloses a starter pack that may be used in conjunction with the dose escalation scheme.

A method and apparatus for dispensing objects from automated storage and retrieval systems such as medications is disclosed which may also include a singulator to assure singulation (retrieval of singular objects). The singulator may be an imaging system to confirm and/or identify the objects being dispensed and/or a variable orifice dynamically adjustable to a specific object or pill size, and through which only a single object or pill is allowed to pass. The system may further include a flexible probe so as to reduce the size of the system where the movement of the probe relative to or while retrieving objects is accomplished by advancing/retracting a flexible tube. The method and apparatus may further include an imaging system.

A medication dispensing system is disclosed, having an interactive vial having a controllable lock for containing medications prescribed for a patient; a processor contained in the vial; a computer program stored in a computer readable medium the computer program comprising instructions for execution by the processor, the computer program comprising: instructions to read patient data for the patient from a data base stored in the computer readable medium; instructions to authorized dispensing of the medication from the vial; and instructions to upon reading an authorization value of YES, unlock the vial to allow access to the medication from the vial. A method for using the system is disclosed.

The present disclosure provides a system of gender specific pharmaceuticals. The system includes a first package of a pharmaceutical for use by a male and a second package of a pharmaceutical for use by a female. The first package includes a pharmaceutical for use by a male and a first label coupled to the first package, wherein at least one of the first package and first label includes a male specifier and a recommended male dosage. The second package includes a pharmaceutical for use by a female and a second label coupled to the second package, wherein at least one of the second package and second label includes a female specifier and a recommended female dosage.

A system for organizing materials is disclosed. The system has a material organization module, comprising computer-executable code stored in non-volatile memory, a processor, an object recognition imaging device, and a user interface. The material organization module, the processor, the object recognition imaging device, and the user interface are configured to use the object recognition imaging device to determine spatial data and image data, use the image data to display an actual image of a container including a plurality of compartments on the user interface, and display one or more computer-generated edible material images that are superimposed, based on the spatial data, on at least one of the plurality of compartments of the actual image of the container.