Are you among the millions of patients who from time-to-time struggle with opening the caps on medication containers -- trying to line up the arrows, or attempting to push and twist at the same time? Why are those challenging tops used anyway? The answer to that question rests with a federal law known as the Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970. This statute established a national requirement that such closures be used when prescription medication to be taken orally is dispensed to the patient. The goal was to reduce the potential for children to be poisoned after gaining access to medication containers. And that statute has worked extremely well – it is frequently cited as the best example of a piece of public health legislation that has fully achieved its goals. The number of childhood poisonings caused by kids getting into prescription containers and ingesting the tablets or capsules has plummeted, the best measure of success. It is important to bear in mind the goal of this legislation and these sometimes challenging requirements – protecting the lives of our children. In light of that, perhaps a little inconvenience can be borne more readily. For more details, contact Joseph L. Fink III, Professor of Pharmacy Law and Policy, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy.
