Aging population raises the question, bottles or blister packs?

Children are taught at a young age that a hospital, doctor’s office or dentist’s chair is a safe place to be. I don’t always agree. And I’m not just saying that because I still cringe at the thought of going to the dentist. My conclusion is based on a simple fact; people make mistakes, even medical professionals. Read about how packaging prescribed medications in blister packs instead of bottles may be the key to keeping patients safer, healthier and happier.

Bottles over blister packs
The U.S. pharmaceutical industry packages vitamins, supplements and other over the counter goods in packer bottles of all sizes. Most Americans have seen blister packs before, small plastic shells enclosing pills or gum with a sheet of metal or paperboard backing, but users still prefer bottles.

When paired with child-resistant caps bottles are a fine packaging solution for prescribed medications. But although the kids are safe, elderly individuals often struggle with the safety closure. Due to the popularity of blister packs throughout the world, this issue is predominantly limited to those living in the United States.

It is estimated that 80% of all medications in the U.S. are packaged in bottles, while the other 20% are offered in blister packs. The bottles and blister packs percentages are nearly reversed when reflecting medical packaging throughout the rest of the world (Lobby for Blisters).  

Blisters on the rise, for a good reason
U.S. retailers and consumers are slowly but surely catching up with the rest of the world when it comes to packaging prescribed medications. The demand for blister packaging is rising. Though such a move could be expensive (blister packs are slightly more costly than bottles), for some the benefits greatly outweigh the costs.  

Blisters have better adherence rate than bottles
It doesn’t really matter who you are, sometimes it’s just difficult to remember to take your medications. Studies have proven that patients using prescriptions packaged in blister packs are more likely to follow through with the regimen and future refills than those taking the same medication from bottles. And to boot, the prescriptions are not only safer from the sneaky hands and mouths of children, but are a convenient alternative to child-resistant caps for the aging baby boomer generation.  

Are blisters a new safety feature?
People, both young and old, sort through a dozen plus prescriptions every day. Every now and again a pill for evenings makes its way into the daytime doses, and duplications are often spotted here and there. Luckily, most of these errors are noticed before tragedy strikes, but that’s not always the case. Believe it or not, sometimes even medical professionals forget whether they’ve distributed the proper prescriptions to the right patients. Imagine the convenience and safety associated with personal blisters packs, prepackaged by the pharmacy and filled with the appropriate medications for any individual’s needs (the same way they toss the pills into bottles, except in this case they organize all of the patient’s prescriptions in daily blisters).

The concept of universal design is based on the idea of creating something that can be experienced by everyone. With sick and disabled communities, and a growing senior citizen population it is important to consider the safety and usability of packaged products, especially bottles full of life-saving prescriptions. Is it time for the U.S. to give blister packs a whirl?   

What’s your vote? Given the choice would you have your prescriptions packaged in blister packs or bottles? Tell us in the comments!