Posted by Terry8 on June 17, 2011, at 14:17:42
In reply to Does anyone know..., posted by zonked on June 17, 2011, at 9:25:40
I'd always had the vaguely cynical idea that it had something to do with American pharmacists wanting to be seen as still having something to do with the magical compounding process (even if it is just counting pills into a bottle) rather than being perceived as very educated store clerks. I figured Europe was more forward-thinking, somehow. It's always annoyed me that when I have a long-term supply of a medication that I stop taking, I can't donate the remainder to a charity health organization. Again, I have some vague notion not really based on fact that if we used the blister packs here, it would be okay to donate unopened meds to needy health clinics because they'd be clearly untampered with. (Maybe there are more complex restrictions I don't really understand, though.) But you piqued my curiosity, and I found an interesting explanation (just one fellow's opinion) here:
http://www.healthcarepackaging.com/archives/2009/03/is_a_tipping_point_near_for_un.php
(Under the section "History challenges unit-dose packaging")
One other thought: there seems to be some subtle move toward the European pre-packaged system in the US, or at least for some on-patent drugs. When I'd pick up a month's supply of Pristiq or Provigil, they'd come in a ready-to-dispense white bottle of 30, with the manufacturer's name on it. The pharmacist would just slap the dispensing sticker on top; no amber bottle filled from a giant pharmacy bottle. (But perhaps this only applies to RXs with silly names starting with P.)
poster:Terry8
thread:988503
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20110610/msgs/988545.html