Problems for rheumatic patients in opening dispensed drug containers

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Geriatric Medicine
• Pharmaceutical Packaging

Background:

• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) commonly affects hand function.
• Difficulty opening medication containers can impact treatment adherence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the ability of rheumatoid arthritis patients with hand involvement to open various medication containers.
• To compare patient performance with normal controls.
• To identify optimal packaging for patients with RA.

Main Methods:

• 50 rheumatoid arthritis patients with hand involvement and 50 healthy controls were tested.
• Participants attempted to open several types of reclosable tablet containers and unit dose packs.
• Ease of opening was recorded for each container type.

Main Results:

• Child-resistant containers, especially clic-loc, were most difficult for both groups.
• Smaller containers were harder to open than larger ones.
• Only 54% of RA patients could unwrap suppositories; blister packs and screw-capped bottles were easiest.

Conclusions:

• Child-resistant packaging poses significant challenges for rheumatoid arthritis patients with hand impairment.
• Drug dispensing for RA patients should prioritize easily accessible packaging.
• Consideration of container design is crucial for medication accessibility in patients with hand involvement.