Prescription Packaging Innovations- What's New in Medication Safety

Nothing is more important than ensuring medication safety. Whenever you dispense a prescribed medication, you want to do everything possible to help the patient consume it safely. Child-resistant packaging of oral prescription drugs, which began in the 1970s, resulted in an estimated 45% reduction of child mortality due to the consumption of oral prescription drugs. That’s why pharmaceutical and prescription packaging needs to be carefully considered and continually innovated.

The latest advancements aren't just about aesthetics. They are a lifeline for patient well-being. Pharmacies are at the frontline of healthcare, and your role in medication safety cannot be overstated. Besides, staying informed of the latest prescription packaging innovations is necessary to stay ahead of the curve.

Your patients deserve nothing less than the best. These innovations are designed to deliver just that. So, without further ado, let’s explore what is new in prescription packaging.

A. Traditional Medication Packaging

Traditional prescription packaging has been a mainstay due to its reliability and functionality. However, many innovative features have enhanced their user-friendliness.

• Child-Resistant/Senior-Friendly Packaging: This is an essential innovation. These designs ensure safety for children while allowing easy access for older adults who may have difficulty with complex opening mechanisms.
• Tamper-evident Packaging: Tamper-evident features are now a standard in traditional prescription packaging. This advancement provides patients with the assurance that their medication is secure.
• Metered Dose Airless Dispensers: Metered dose airless dispensers are best suited for topical medications. These dispensers or pumps deliver a specific amount of cream or ointment. It ensures accurate dosing and minimizes waste.
• Reversible Caps: Reversible cap vials can be child-resistant or non-child-resistant. These are particularly beneficial for families with different age groups or patients with changing needs.
• Standardized Vial Sizes: The standardized vial sizes, with multiple color options, streamline the packaging process and reduce the need for numerous cap sizes. These vials simplify dispensing. They also help in easy visual identification for patients.
• Bottle Adapters: Bottle adapters help mitigate contamination risks. These adapters dispense medication hygienically. That, in turn, helps safeguard patient health.

B. Recent Trends in Prescription Packaging

Prescription packaging is undergoing a transformative wave. And the recent advancements are not merely cosmetic. They are redefining safety and accessibility, putting patients at the forefront.

As you can imagine, the integration of technology extends beyond aesthetics. Tech-integrated prescription packaging improves your efficiency. For example, RFID tracking helps fortify your supply chain. It allows you to monitor your inventory. In other words, you can contact your pharmacy supplier before running out of stock. It also boosts security and reduces counterfeiting risks.

Similarly, interactive packaging can bridge the gap between prescription information and patient engagement. Today, prescription packaging also uses interactive labels for real-time information. You can get vital information such as manufacturing date, expiry, and medication safety through QR codes and other interactive options. Besides finding the required information, your patients can use it to learn about your latest offers and services.

C. Try to Improve Prescription Medication Safety

Yes, cutting-edge features are transforming medication packaging. But when implementing these, you should focus on improving prescription medication safety. Some of the technologies you can use are:

• Barrier Technologies: These keep your medication safe from moisture, air, and contaminants.
• Light-Sensitive Packaging: As the name suggests, this prescription packaging protects light-sensitive medications. It prevents degradation and maintains optimal efficacy.
• Temperature-Sensitive Packaging: This packaging is especially crucial for biologics and sensitive drugs. It keeps medications effective by controlling temperature variations.

Make sure to utilize these prescription packaging methods to assure your patients of their well-being. Besides, it would be a step up for your pharmacy, where medication safety is not just a goal but a guarantee.

D. Focus on Patient-Centric Prescription Packaging Innovations

Your prescription packaging needs to be as patient-centric as possible. It should be safe, convenient, and customizable. These simple steps would help you stand out as a patient-centric pharmacy.

You can:

• Customize the packaging to patient-specific dosages. It will minimize errors.
• Design your prescription packaging for easy opening, handling, and information retrieval. It will help patients with disabilities.
• Use clear and intuitive visuals/labeling. It will help your patients manage their medications independently.

Even using traditional prescription packaging you can get creative with ways to improve your patients’ understanding and adherence through things like visually clear labeling, careful consideration of what materials are provided with exit bags, and more. These patient-centric innovations foster a sense of empowerment in your patients.

E. Comply with the Latest Regulations and Industry Standards

While your prescription medication packaging should be patient-centric, you will also need to consider the regulations and industry standards. You absolutely cannot deviate from these.

You should:

• Regularly check regulations governing prescription packaging. Be sure your packaging material complies with the latest regulations, whether plastic bottles or vials, and even storage requirements.
• Find ways to standardize your packaging practices, especially if you have more than one store/outlet. It will help establish benchmarks for consistency and safety.
• Join hands with healthcare providers, regulatory bodies, and pharma companies to create a standardized approach to prescription packaging.

F. Understand the Challenges and Considerations

Of course, next-gen prescription packaging comes with its set of challenges. You need to address these aspects for effective implementation. Like most other pharmacies, you will also face the following challenges.

• Cost Implications: Adopting new technologies will cost money. But, you will need to balance prescription medication safety and cost implications.
• Training and Education: Introducing innovative prescription packaging is a collaborative effort. Healthcare professionals, pharmacists, and patients need extensive training and education to adapt seamlessly. The sooner you bridge the knowledge gap, the more successful your transition will be.
• Environmental Sustainability: Lastly, you must consider the environmental impact of next-gen prescription packaging. Your innovative solutions need to strike a balance between safety and sustainability.

G. Future Outlook

The integration of technology is set to redefine prescription packaging. In fact, cutting-edge technologies like smart sensors, augmented reality labels, RFID trackers, and artificial intelligence (AI) are already making huge strides. Many pharmacies, hospitals, and healthcare providers use RFID technology to identify and track patients and monitor their prescription medication.

Similarly, RFID-based cloud engines are transforming pharmacies and their inventory management. This technology is helping pharmacies to immediately identify which drugs are in short supply. It also provides visibility into anesthesia, specialty pharma, and consignment workflows.

In the future, the technology surrounding prescription packaging will ensure more medication adherence, reduced errors, and improved patient outcomes. That, in turn, would help reduce re-hospitalizations and relapse. In short, the future impact of this transformation is boundless.

Conclusion

The healthcare industry has always been at the forefront of innovation. The prescription packaging niche is no exception to this trend. In fact, from RFID-based tracking to interactive QR codes, we have seen several new steps in the direction of improving medication safety. Yet, this development hasn’t been without its challenges, which include cost, awareness, and education. But the future of tech-integrated prescription packaging looks bright.

Are you a pharmacy looking for a reliable prescription packaging supply? You’ve come to the right place. We are a trusted pharmacy supplier. Start browsing our inventory or call (800) 878-2822 now.