during medical therapy, many due to confusing prescription drug packages, labels and design. A variety of speakers at the hearing-representing the Harvard School of Public Health, the National Patient Safety Foundation of the American Medical Assn., and others-called on drug makers to assist hospitals in redesigning their drug delivery systems to reduce drug dispensing errors and improve safety. Two measures frequently recommended were these: Dispense all drugs in a unit-dose format and expand the use of bar codes. More news on drug packaging comes from a recent study by FIND/SVP (New York, NY). It projects that in 1998, 34% of the money spent by U.S. drug manufacturers on packaging materials will be spent on blister-packs (see chart). Blow-molded plastic containers come in second at 28.6%. The FIND/SVP study is based on information gleaned from annual reports, patents, on-line data bases, government statistics, and other sources. The study estimates that sales of all drugs in the U.S., including both prescription and over-the-counter varieties, will jump 7% in 1998 to $3.1 billion. The FIND/SVP study is available for $1곚 by calling 212/807-2637.
