Quantifying the Ease or Difficulty Older Persons Experience in Opening Medication Containers

Abstract

To compare the difficulty experienced by older persons in using various medication containers, 50 noninstitutionalized women and men over 60 years of age were timed while opening 15 containers. Pill and liquid medication bottles with and without child-resistant closure mechanisms were tested. In addition, other types of medication packaging were evaluated, such as nitroglycerin patches. All subjects could open each of the non-child-resistant containers, though none of the child-resistant containers could be opened by all participants. For child-resistant containers, dramatic differences were observed in the proportion of subjects who could open the various designs and in the amount of time required. Subjects' comments and observations of subjects' efforts provided possible reasons for some of these differences. The results suggest that when child-resistant containers are used, consideration of the type of medication container can significantly reduce inconvenience to older persons. Containers without child-resistant mechanisms provide the best option for elderly people when access by small children is not an issue.

Older adults' satisfaction with a medication dispensing device in home care

“…With regard to medication management, usability barriers for older adults related to child-resistant containers and drug packaging are well documented[55,56]. Hayes et al developed and tested a 7-day pillbox for monitoring medication adherence (“MedTracker”), reporting that 37 of 38 older adult participants (mean age 82.2) found the system easy to use[57].…”

A Study of Medication-Taking and Unobtrusive, Intelligent Reminding

“…14,17,18 The widely used Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS, Aardex Ltd.) provides excellent information about adherence, but has several shortcomings. The MEMS cap is difficult to open for arthritic hands, [19][20][21] and it does not accommodate the use of pill boxes for sorting medications into daily doses, 22 as are commonly used by the elderly 23 or when taking multiple drugs. 22 MEMS also does not report adherence in real-time, so rapid intervention cannot take place.…”

Child-resistant and tamper-resistant packaging: A systematic review to inform tobacco packaging regulation

“…All but one study took place in the United States (Keram and Williams, 1988; Lovegrove et al, 2013; Massey and Shulman, 2006; Meyer and Schuna, 1989; Mrvos and Krenzelok, 2007; Rodgers, 1996; Rodgers, 2002). The non-US study took place in Germany (Muhlfeld et al, 2012).…”

“…The non-US study took place in Germany (Muhlfeld et al, 2012). Four studies involved structured observations, where researchers assessed participants’ ability to open different types of packaging, using a test protocol (Keram and Williams, 1988; Lovegrove et al, 2013; Meyer and Schuna, 1989; Muhlfeld et al, 2012). The remaining four studies had an interrupted time series design, where the interruption was a policy or regulation related to special packaging (Massey and Shulman, 2006; Mrvos and Krenzelok, 2007; Rodgers, 1996; Rodgers, 2002).…”