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Opioids, Cannabis Pose New Challenge for Patient Adherence

Despite the packaging community’s efforts to address medication nonadherence, it remains a critical concern. Could opioids and medicinal cannabis exacerbate the challenge of patient compliance?

Timer Caps are marketed in different sizes and used by CVS, Rite Aid and other pharmacies across North America.
Timer Caps are marketed in different sizes and used by CVS, Rite Aid and other pharmacies across North America.

The packaging community continues to unveil innovative package designs striving to make it easier for patients to adhere to medication regimens. Yet, nonadherence remains a serious issue, as evidenced by a new HealthPrize Technologies research paper reporting pharmaceutical firms are forfeiting about $637 billion annually due to medication nonadherence. And that doesn’t include the 125,000 annual deaths from nonadherence, a figure cited by the World Health Organization.

With the growing opioid epidemic and the expanding legalization of medicinal cannabis, packaging’s task to improve adherence could become even more formidable.

“Once you've taken an opioid, your cognitive ability to do anything is impaired,” says Larry Twersky, CEO of TimerCap LLC, makers of iCap—a smart Capwith built-in Bluetooth technology that connects with smart mobile devices. Using Medisafe Connect, the technology alerts a patient when it’s time for a medication dose and records which med the patient took and at what time. It records and tracks a patient’s adherence progress, employing audio alarms and text message reminders.

The company’s focus is on engaging current healthcare challenges “at the intersection of technology and pharmacy.”

Twersky says patients receiving opioid treatments can encounter “problems with their whole drug regimen, because as soon as they're impaired, the ability to take every one of their medications is at risk. So maybe they’re not only taking opioids to address the pain, but they may have high blood pressure and other complications. Taking opioids could put those patients at further risk because they might not know if they took a medication or not. These are complicated regimens, and we need to help manage them better so that the patient can stay healthy. Too often, we blame patients for the nonadherence.”

Twersky believes nonadherence is also becoming problematic for those taking cannabis for medicinal purposes. “A patient can go to three dispensaries and get as much cannabis pain medication as they need. Then we hear communities say, ‘Hey, our opioid addiction has gone down,’ when it's really transferred to non-tracked medication, such as cannabis.

“I still believe we need more effective compliance packaging,” he says. “In Colorado, where cannabis is approved for addressing some medical conditions, car accident fatalities have doubled. How do these people who are impaired know when to get into a vehicle after they’ve been given a medication for cannabis? It’s not printed on a label how long before they can drive. And the patient might not remember the last time they took it. That's why we advocate the use of our TimerCap. At least you know the last time you took it.”

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LAST CHANCE TO SAVE! New Tech for Life Sciences at PACK EXPO Southeast