Convertible closure system for custom dispensing of prescription pharmaceuticals

1. A method of customizing the dispensing of a prescription pharmaceutical for a customer in a pharmaceutical container, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a quantity of a pharmaceutical closure system, the system comprising:

a non-child resistant cap shaped to screw on and off the container in a non-child resistant mode to allow ready removal of the closure system when only the non-child resistant cap is installed on the container;

a child resistant element that is separate from the non-child resistant cap and is configured so as to be able to be permanently assembled with the non-child resistant cap, the child resistant element including a plurality of internal tabs spaced around an interior wall of the child resistant element, each of the plurality of internal tabs including an angled surface leading to a substantially flat surface, the angled surface for facilitating the child resistant element to traverse an external wall of the non-child resistant cap until the substantially flat surface engages a bottom surface of the non-child resistant cap to permanently convert the non-child resistant cap to a child resistant cap for preventing unwanted shelling, wherein the child resistant element when assembled with the non-child resistant cap in a child resistant mode is configured to provide an obstacle to removing the closure system from the container;

determining whether the customer wants the child resistant cap or the non-child resistant cap on the container for the prescription of the customer;

dispensing the prescription pharmaceutical in the container having only the non-child resistant cap when the customer does not want the child resistant cap;

permanently non-reversibly converting the non-child resistant cap to a child resistant cap for preventing unwanted shelling by assembling the child resistant element with the non-child resistant cap and dispensing the prescription pharmaceutical in the container having the assembled child resistant cap when the customer wants the child resistant cap.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container for containing the pharmaceuticals is void of any locking projections extending from the container for contacting the child resistant element.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining step is performed at the pharmacy.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying the non-child resistant cap to the container before the permanently non-reversibly converting step.

5. A method of customizing the dispensing of a prescription pharmaceutical in a pharmaceutical container, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a quantity of a pharmaceutical system, the system comprising:

a non-child resistant cap shaped to screw on and off the container and including thereon warning indicia that the non-child resistant cap is not child resistant, and

a child resistant element that is separate from the non-child resistant cap and is configured so as to be able to be permanently non-reversibly assembled with the non-child resistant cap, the child resistant element including a plurality of internal tabs spaced around an interior wall of the child resistant element, each of the plurality of internal tabs including an angled surface leading to a substantially flat surface, the angled surface for facilitating the child resistant element to traverse an external wall of the non-child resistant cap until the substantially flat surface engages a bottom surface of the non-child resistant cap to permanently non-reversibly convert the non-child resistant cap to a child resistant cap and to cover the warning indicia on the non-child resistant cap,

determining whether a customer wants the child resistant cap or the non-child resistant cap on the container for the prescription of the customer;

dispensing the prescription pharmaceutical in the container having the non-child resistant cap when the customer does not want the child resistant cap; and

permanently non-reversibly converting the non-child resistant cap to the child resistant cap for preventing unwanted shelling by assembling the child resistant element with the non-child resistant cap such that the child resistant element covers the warning indicia on the non-child resistant cap and dispensing the prescription pharmaceutical in the container having the child resistant cap when the customer wants the child resistant cap.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising applying the non-child resistant cap to the container before the permanently non-reversibly converting step.

7. A method of reducing pharmacy costs, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining at a pharmacy containers for containing prescription pharmaceuticals;

providing a pharmaceutical cap system at the pharmacy for dispensing prescription pharmaceuticals, the cap system comprising:

a non-child resistant cap having a threaded interior sidewall shaped to screw on and off the container and having a top and an external sidewall, the external sidewall having an edge that extends continuously around the circumference of the external sidewall, and

a child resistant element separate from the non-child resistant cap and being configured so as to be able to be assembled with the non-child resistant cap to convert the non-child resistant cap to a child resistant cap, the child resistant element having a child resistant element top, an interior sidewall depending from the top and including a plurality of spaced apart internal tabs, the tabs being spaced equidistantly from the top of the child resistant element, each tab having a first surface that is angled to facilitate the interior sidewall of the child resistant element traversing the external sidewall of the non-child resistant cap and a second surface that engages the edge of the non-child resistant cap when the child resistant element is assembled with the non-child resistant cap, wherein the child resistant element when assembled with the non-child resistant cap will rotate on and relative to the non-child resistant cap in a first mode of operation in which an obstacle is not performed to the child resistant cap, and wherein the child resistant element when assembled with the non-child resistant cap will rotate with the non-child resistant cap in a second mode of operation in which the obstacle is performed to the child resistant cap in addition to a rotating motion to unscrew the cap from the container;

determining whether a customer wants the child resistant cap or the non-child resistant cap on the container for the prescription pharmaceuticals of the customer;

dispensing the prescription pharmaceuticals in the container having the non-child resistant cap when the customer does not want the child resistant cap;

permanently non-reversibly converting the non-child resistant cap to the child resistant cap at the pharmacy for preventing unwanted shelling by positioning the child resistant element co-axially with respect to the non-child resistant cap and sliding the interior sidewall of the child resistant element over the external sidewall of the non-child resistant cap until the second surfaces on the tabs pass beyond the edge of the non-child resistant cap when the customer wants a child resistant cap; and

dispensing the prescription pharmaceutical in the container having the child resistant cap when the customer wants the child resistant cap.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the edge of the non-child resistant cap comprises a bottom of the non-child resistant cap.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the child resistant element is incapable of being attached to the container absent being assembled with the non-child resistant cap.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the container for containing the pharmaceuticals is void of any locking projections extending from the container for contacting the child resistant element.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising applying the non-child resistant cap to the container before the permanently non-reversibly converting step.