There are two basic options in providing end users of medications with the product. One is to provide the medication in bulk, which can be used for both prescription and over-the-counter medications. The other option is to use unit dose packaging, which is particularly important for hospitals as well as patient use.
The Types
The difference between unit dose packaging and bulk packaging are relevant for both medical health professionals as well as patients. With each medication in a specific dose that is pre-measurement and separate from other medications, there is much less risk of errors in measuring the dose or in verifying if the medication has been dispensed.
To understand how this works for patients is relatively simple. In marketing strategies for pharmaceutical companies, the safety, portability, and management of medications can be stressed as the packaging advantages.
Single dose packaging can include a variety of different options. These can include different types of blister packs, cards or strips along with pre-filled vials for liquid medications.
Medical Facilities
The medical staff is always under pressure to distribute patient medications and to track and record all medications dispensed. In many cases, hospital pharmacies receive bulk supplies of medication and then use outside sources to produce unit dose packaging.
Many of the top pharmaceuticals are now choosing to supply hospitals with pre-packaged blister packs as a marketing tool. Not only does this save time and cost to the hospital pharmacy, but it also makes supply chain management and drug tracking less complicated.
In the use of the hospital dose packaging, there is a decrease in the risk of human error in the administration of the meds. Additionally, meds are kept in their sterile, individual packaging until being administered to the patient. Nurses also have the ability to double-check medications before providing them to the patient, something that is much more complex when medications are not in the original packaging.
