Method and apparatus for initiating a medicine control action

1. A method for initiating a medicine control action, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a processor deployed in a communication network, a first control signal to cause an endpoint device to disable at least one functionality of the endpoint device, wherein the first control signal is transmitted in accordance with a pill consumption schedule of a user of the endpoint device;

receiving, by the processor from the endpoint device, at least one picture, the at least one picture comprising an image of one or more pills and an image of a respective prescription bottle of each one of the one or more pills;

receiving, by the processor from the endpoint device, food information of a food item;

determining, by the processor, the medicine control action is required in response to the receiving the at least one picture and the receiving the food information, wherein the determining comprises:

identifying the one or more pills in the at least one picture via a medication database; and

comparing the food information to information in a food database to identify a negative interaction between the food item and the one or more pills;

establishing, by the processor, a data connection with the endpoint device in response to the determining;

initiating, by the processor, the medicine control action over the data connection to the endpoint device, wherein the medicine control action comprises a warning message sent to the endpoint device indicating that the food item has the negative interaction with the one or more pills; and

transmitting, by the processor, a second control signal to cause the endpoint device to enable the at least one functionality of the endpoint device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining further comprises:

comparing, by the processor, the one or more pills to a pharmaceutical database to identify whether a drug interaction problem exists.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the medicine control action further comprises a warning message to the endpoint device to notify the user of the drug interaction problem.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medicine control action further comprises a prescription refill order based on a number of pills of the one or more pills falling below a refill threshold based on the at least one picture.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medicine control action further comprises a warning message sent to the endpoint device indicating that there is a problem related to a wrong type of pill or a wrong dosage based on the at least one picture.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the respective bottle includes a scan code used to identify the one or more pills based upon a comparison to a scan code database.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor deployed in a communication network, cause the processor to perform operations for initiating a medicine control action, the operations comprising:

transmitting a first control signal to cause an endpoint device to disable at least one functionality of the endpoint device, wherein the first control signal is transmitted in accordance with a pill consumption schedule of a user of the endpoint device;

receiving, from the endpoint device, at least one picture, the at least one picture comprising an image of one or more pills and an image of a respective prescription bottle of each one of the one or more pills;

receiving, from the endpoint device, food information of a food item;

determining the medicine control action is required in response to the receiving the at least one picture and the receiving the food information, wherein the determining comprises:

identifying the one or more pills in the at least one picture via a medication database; and

comparing the food information to information in a food database to identify a negative interaction between the food item and the one or more pills;

establishing a data connection with the endpoint device in response to the determining;

initiating the medicine control action over the data connection to the endpoint device, wherein the medicine control action comprises a warning message sent to the endpoint device indicating that the food item has the negative interaction with the one or more pills; and

transmitting a second control signal to cause the endpoint device to enable the at least one functionality of the endpoint device.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 7 , wherein the determining further comprises:

comparing the one or more pills to a pharmaceutical database to identify whether a drug interaction problem exists.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 8 , wherein the medicine control action further comprises a warning message to the endpoint device to notify the user of the drug interaction problem.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 7 , wherein the medicine control action further comprises a prescription refill order based on a number of pills of the one or more pills falling below a refill threshold based on the at least one picture.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 7 , wherein the medicine control action further comprises a warning message sent to the endpoint device indicating that there is a problem related to a wrong type of pill or a wrong dosage based on the at least one picture.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 7 , wherein the respective bottle includes a scan code used to identify the one or more pills based upon a comparison to a scan code database.

13. An apparatus for initiating a medicine control action, the apparatus comprising:

a processor deployed in a communication network; and

a computer-readable storage device storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

transmitting a first control signal to cause an endpoint device to disable at least one functionality of the endpoint device, wherein the first control signal is transmitted in accordance with a pill consumption schedule of a user of the endpoint device;

receiving, from the endpoint device, at least one picture, the at least one picture comprising an image of one or more pills and an image of a respective prescription bottle of each one of the one or more pills;

receiving, from the endpoint device, food information of a food item;

determining the medicine control action is required in response to the receiving the at least one picture and the receiving the food information, wherein the determining comprises:

identifying the one or more pills in the at least one picture via a medication database; and

comparing the food information to information in a food database to identify a negative interaction between the food item and the one or more pills;

establishing a data connection with the endpoint device in response to the determining;

initiating the medicine control action over the data connection to the endpoint device, wherein the medicine control action comprises a warning message sent to the endpoint device indicating that the food item has the negative interaction with the one or more pills; and

transmitting a second control signal to cause the endpoint device to enable the at least one functionality of the endpoint device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the determining further comprises:

comparing the one or more pills to a pharmaceutical database to identify whether a drug interaction problem exists.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the medicine control action further comprises a warning message to the endpoint device to notify the user of the drug interaction problem.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the medicine control action further comprises a prescription refill order based on a number of pills of the one or more pills falling below a refill threshold based on the at least one picture.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the medicine control action further comprises a warning message sent to the endpoint device indicating that there is a problem related to a wrong type of pill or a wrong dosage based on the at least one picture.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the respective bottle includes a scan code used to identify the one or more pills based upon a comparison to a scan code database.