Pharma and packaging companies co-operate on compliance issues
A group of top pharmaceutical packaging companies and drug manufacturers has established a not-for-profit organisation to promote packaging initiatives that encourage patient compliance worldwide.
A group of top pharmaceutical packaging companies and drug manufacturers has established a not-for-profit organisation to promote packaging initiatives that encourage patient compliance worldwide.
The European Health Care Compliance Packaging Council (European HCPC) was instigated by Tassilo Korab of packaging company Teich, with the board elected last June and its first meeting held in May 2004. The 11 founder companies are: Aerni Leuch, Alcan, Amcor, Brecon Pharmaceuticals, Cardinal Health, Honeywell, IMA, Novartis Pharma, Prodieco Pharmaceutical Components, Teich and Uhlman PacSysteme.
According to figures highlighted by Stora Enso at a recent pharmaceutical packaging seminar, 125,000 lives are lost annually in the US alone due to patient non-compliance with medicine regimens. 'Poor adherence to drug regimes, particularly when treating life-threatening illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, HIV and cancer, was a problem observed everywhere,' said the organisation's chairman Thomas Dries, healthcare market manager at Honeywell Speciality Films.
'It has been proven that user-friendly drug packaging - one of the key initiatives this organisation will promote - is an effective and often low-cost way of encouraging compliance. Recent evaluations have shown that with anti-malarial drug therapy, for instance, over 80% of patients using a numbered blister pack completed their treatment, in contrast to just 65% of those receiving drugs loose,' he pointed out.
Planned initiatives include a project with the University of Vienna examining issues concerning the elderly patient and pharmaceutical packaging, and an interdisciplinary compliance conference next year.
Full membership is open to any business involved in drug packaging manufacture, pharmaceutical packaging material supply, machinery for producing, printing or laminating pharmaceutical packaging, and contract packers. Companies, partnerships or individuals undertaking commercial, educational or scientific activities to promote the organisation's aims are eligible for associate membership.
