Dual function of blister packaging

It can be difficult for patients using pills in a bottle to determine whether they have taken their medication as prescribed. Furthermore, security features on the outer packaging may be lost if drugs are removed or repackaged.

Blister packaging can help reduce medication errors.

One solution is blister packaging, which when well designed and protected has the potential to influence the patient’s behaviour in both taking the proper medication and authenticating the drug. Blister packaging has shown to improve patient adherence and reduce medication errors. It also improves health outcomes, according to a recent study conducted by Ohio State University, US.

However, while blister packaging is used in more than 85% of solid oral prescription drugs outside the US, less than 20% of drugs in that country are dispensed in this manner.

Patient benefits
Blister packaging can have a major impact on patient adherence. By simply looking at the package, the patient can determine from the labelling whether they have remembered to take their medication. Clear blister packs allow patients to become familiar with the size, shape and colour of their medication. This is a first-line security benefit, as suspicious characteristics, adulteration or tampering can often be quickly recognised.

Superior performance
Honeywell Aclar® clear packaging films provide superior barrier performance, which lowers the total cost of ownership compared with foil packaging products. Aclar is used by nearly all major pharmaceutical companies to protect their drugs.

A polychlorotrifluoroethylene film, AclarprotectsdrugsAclarprotectsdrugs protects drugs by locking out moisture, and provides up to ten times the barrier protection of other transparent films, such as PVC and polypropylene. This crystal-clear film is biochemically inert, nonflammable and chemical-resistant. It has also performed extremely well under the accelerated International Conference on Harmonization testing, increasing speed to market.

Safe and secure
Blister packaging improves the overall integrity and safety of the drug supply chain, as prescriptions remain in their primary packaging from manufacturer to patient. This is enhanced by evolving anti-counterfeit technologies and features, which can be incorporated into each blister pack so that drugs remain protected, even if they are removed from their original bulk or outer packaging. Secure blister packaging improves the efficacy of an overall anti-counterfeiting solution by making it significantly more difficult to separate product security features from the actual prescription.

Honeywell helps customers consider multiple types of solutions when selecting anti-counterfeiting features and technologies. Overall, the benefits from a security solution primarily fall into three key categories:

• Recognition – providing confidence to an end user that the item is genuine
• Authentication – providing a rights holder validation that the item is genuine
• Identification – providing traceability of the item up and down the supply chain

It is clear that no single technology or feature can accomplish all targeted safety and security benefits. In response, ‘layering’ has become an industry standard to protect items and ensure patient safety. The right solution is a function of many variables, including, but not limited to, the types of problems that a rights holder wishes to address, such as enforcement strategy, supply chain dynamics and budget. Safety and security technologies are a key component of a comprehensive anti-counterfeiting strategy.

Honeywell, an industry leader in packaging and security technologies, is developing novel ways to incorporate security features into and on blister packaging. Part of Honeywell’s mission is to build a world that is safer and more secure. Aclar film, combined with Honeywell authentication technologies, is an ideal solution for protecting medications.

Company profile
Honeywell is a long-standing provider of security technologies, which support the company’s overall mission that includes building a world that is safer and more secure. The company recently introduced customised authentication technologies used to help protect high-value documents and products, such as consumer goods, bank cheques, equipment components and legal documents from counterfeiting. For more information, visit: www.honeywell.com