HCPC Symposium and Compliance Packages of the Year

The Healthcare Compliance Packaging Council's Annual National Symposium on Patient Compliance is scheduled for May 16-17, 2006, at the Hyatt Regency Penn's Landing in Philadelphia. The symposium will also honor the four outstanding packages listed here. The 2006 program is particularly strong with topics about improving package design (visit www.unitdose.org). Sessions will include:

• "Future Trends in Pharmaceutical Packaging"
• "Reducing Medication Errors through Better Pharmaceutical Packaging"
• "Can Understanding Patient Motivation and Decision-Making Lead to Improved Rx Packaging?"
• "Considerations for Unit-Dose in Pharmacy"
• "The Future of Pharmaceutical Detailing"

Compliance Package of the Year

Med-Ic Digital Package

This package has and embedded RFID tag for tracking medication compliance and a digital tag that records the time each capsule is removed from the blister package. The Med-Ic Digital Package has proven invaluable for clinical trial operators.

First Runner-Up

Seasonale

Designers met the challenge to to supply three months worth of contraceptive pills in a single case. Compliance is critical to the regimen and the package is organized as a calendar to meet that need.

Second Runner-Up

Altace® 10mg Compliance Package

This anti-hypertensive drug is supplied in a 30-count package in the Dosepak format, an F=1 rated MeadWestvaco patented design, which incorporates a press, hold, and pull technique to access the capsules.

Innovative Design

Sharp's Advantage Pak®

(not yet licensed)

This is an F=1 rated child-resistant, senior-friendly package. The unique three-step opening process is: 1) Push in the large button to puncture the laminated card; 2) pull back the tab; 3) push the tablet through the foil.