|
 Packaging Can Educate
Patients
by Daphne Allen
Fifty years ago, the state of the art
in prescription drug packaging was the amber vial. Today, the state
of the art is . . . still . . . an amber vial.
Bruce Painter of Wal-Mart offered such an observation during his
keynote presentation at Showcase 2006. The event was organized by
the Healthcare Compliance Packaging Council (HCPC),
hosted by Honeywell, and sponsored by Pharmaceutical
& Medical Packaging News. As pharmacy merchandise
manager, Painter explained that Wal-Mart's goals are to
"aggressively drive costs out of healthcare while still improving
the quality of care." Painter's presentation has been posted on the
Internet at www.unitdose.org/showcase2006.htm.
 Wal-Mart has narrowed
in on noncompliance. "Two-thirds of patients pick up their
prescriptions, and only 70% of those are compliant," Painter said.
"Many refill prescriptions two days late-that is one less
prescription refill per year."
Ironically, the low-cost leader has turned to a more-expensive
alternative to the amber vial-"consumerized packaging." Wal-Mart
brought unit-dose-packaged Clonidine to patients using blisters from
UDL Laboratories, and "Pharmacists and patients just loved it," he
said. Warfarin was next-Wal-Mart dispensed it from Taro
Pharmaceuticals in Track Packs from American Health Packaging. (The
Track Pack was recognized by the HCPC as the 2004 Compliance Package
of the Year and Wal-Mart's Clonidine package is a variation of the
MeadWestvaco DosePak design that won Compliance Package of the Year
in 2000.)
Painter said that consumerized packaging for all maintenance
medications needs:
- Drug name and strength
- National Drug Code and bar code
- Lot number
- Manufacturer name and logo
- Quantity
- Days of the week
- Refill reminders
- Resource for additional information, like a Web site
- Side effects
- Storage requirements
- Special requirements
- Recyclability
The benefits are numerous, he said. Compliance will improve, and
"patients will have increased satisfaction with therapy."
Pharmacists will resolve some "space and inventory concerns" he
said, and "they will increase the number and timing of refills,"
among other things.
Finally, manufacturers would see "increased demand and stability
success, and be given the opportunity to brand more than before."
Now, "the branding stops at the pharmacy. It could go home with the
patients."
"We must work together to improve patient care with packaging,"
said Painter. "A knowledgeable patient is a healthier patient. And
patients are pretty smart. If we can educate them, they will pick it
up quickly."
As packagers, you can play a role in such education. Let the
package be your blackboard!
Daphne
Allen
Editor | 
