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MeadWestvaco Corp. today announced that its Dosepak Express™ child resistant, adherence packaging has earned commendation from the Arthritis Foundation's Ease-of-Use program, as a user-friendly product for the 46 million people in the United States living with arthritis.
Dosepak Express is the first blister-designed, adherence packaging to receive the Ease-of-Use designation from the Arthritis Foundation. It has already been tested by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and received a 100 percent rating on senior opening protocol tests, as well as the CPSC's highest child resistance rating.
“Considering that one out of every five adults in the U.S. has some form of arthritis, it is imperative that MWV deliver packaging options that meet the needs of this significant healthcare population, while maintaining the safety feature of the highest level of child resistance,” said Dr. Ted Lithgow, president, MWV Healthcare. “The Ease-of-Use designation from the Arthritis Foundation is meaningful to MWV because it underscores our goal to create products that make a patient's daily medication routine easier.”
To receive the Arthritis Foundation's Ease-of-Use commendation, Dosepak Express went through a series of rigorous tests at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, an independent lab that analyzes the use of products for people with functional limitations due to the effects of arthritis. The study participants, who have moderate-to-severe arthritis, determined that Dosepak Express' design made the product easy-to-use. Six out of eight participants stated they would recommend Dosepak Express products to a friend with arthritis.
“Many everyday tasks, actions as simple as dispensing medications, can be difficult for people with limited function due to arthritis,” said Rick Bell, Group Vice President of Cause Development with the Arthritis Foundation. “The Arthritis Foundation gladly recognizes products that make these tasks easier and that allow people to maintain their sense of independence.”
Launched in April 2009, Dosepak Express features an outer protective paperboard carton, blister pack and leaflet or insert into one integrated pack. The product is designed with a calendar or dosing instructions and an easy push-through blister to help patients remember which pills to take and when (e.g. night or day tablet).
