METHOD OF, AND APPARATUS FOR, CONTROLLING THE DELIVERY OF A MEDICATION

摘要

A method of controlling the delivery of a medication to a patient to alleviate a condition, including a control device (20) and a pump (30), the control device (20) enabling the patient to select a predetermined quantity of medication from one of a possible number of selections (21), each of which is equivalent to a predetermined quantity of medication, the selection initiating the operation of the pump (30) which controls the delivery of the said quantity of medication characterized in that the patient can, over a period, repeatedly operate the control device (20) to maintain the medication at a variable and adaptive value, optimum to maintain control of the condition. Where the medication is an analgesic, the method can maintain pain control close to the envelope of the patient's pain curve. A handset (20) with selections (21) from mild to severe pain is provided to enable the patient to select the required dosage of analgesic.