"Our hope is that this seal of approval will offer manufacturers a way to acknowledge their awareness of the benefits of better packaging, and simultaneously increase general understanding of the role that packaging can play in improved pharmaceutical compliance," says HCPC chairman Daniel Gerner. To earn an HCPC seal, pharmaceutical packaging must 1) have a feature that relates dosage units to different times and/or different days; 2) be portable; 3) provide a value-added service for the patient; 4) be designed to show evidence that each dose has been removed; 5) have a mnemonic feature incorporated into its design; and 6) be accompanied by a detailed instructional sheet--intended for distribution to the patient--that encourages compliance and discusses proper usage of the medication as well as the disease state for which it has been prescribed. For more information, call HCPC at 202/434-4268.
