How Pharmaceutical Packaging Affects People with Disabilities

People with disabilities often face many challenges and barriers within the health care system. These include communication, transportation and environmental barriers, which can result in less than adequate care. More specifically, patients with disabilities have challenges using pharmaceutical products. The first step towards improving patient care is to learn more about their abilities and preferences. This is essential to understanding the current limitations of pharmaceutical packaging in order to design more accessible packaging for the future.

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According to the Canadian Pharmacists Journal, approximately 14% of Canadians have a disability, and at least one-third of those are older than 65 years.

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Statistically, older adults are taking more medication compared to any other demographic. Considering this information, there is a large proportion of people that are not benefitting from general-use and non-intuitive packaging.

Good packaging design considers its target user’s capabilities. This means that one universal type of packaging should not be used for most or all cases. Companies that produce pharmaceutical packaging must incorporate the accessibility needs of their target user into their design.

Packages That Are Difficult to Open

Proud EL and Morris ME conducted a study regarding skilled hand dexterity in Parkinson’s disease. They found that the most difficult package to open for someone with Parkinson’s was a small needle capsule with a twist-off cap. Due to its small size, the instructions on the side of the package were also very hard to read for the participants. There was very little room to grip the capsule, making them rely mostly on their fingertip strength and dexterity to remove the lid.

Another item that was difficult to open for those both with or without Parkinson’s was a child-resistant bottle cap that used a “push down and twist” action. This is the most common type of pharmaceutical packaging seen in almost every home. Though child-resistant caps are essential safety features, they can make the package less user-friendly for seniors. Participants found that considerable strength was required for the push-down action, which became more difficult when combined with the twisting action.

How to Improve Accessibility in Pharmaceutical Packaging

Based on the study above, we learned that it is important to minimize the use of finger strength and dexterity by providing larger grip areas. Small packages can be improved by making the entire package larger to provide more area to grip onto. Another option is to change the locking mechanism to avoid the need for users to use their fingertips. As an alternative, an opening tab or gripping surface can be designed to be opened with a lateral pinch grip. This is when you grasp an object between the thumb and side of your index finger (an example is how you hold your house keys). This method is much easier because it is supported with the whole hand, making it stronger than using a precise fingertip pinch.

When it comes to containers that use child-resistant caps, a large-diameter cap can allow users to use a lateral pinch grip, which causes fewer difficulties. This can be combined with a ridged outer edge surface to provide more grip. The ideal way to make these containers more accessible is to use a cap that avoids the requirement of two actions performed simultaneously (such as the push down and twist action). However, compared to the “push down and twist” caps, the “squeeze and twist” cap is a great alternative. It allows users to support the action with their whole hand and uses a lateral pinch grip rather than using a weaker fingertip grip.

Conclusion

Accessible packaging development is an investment to manufacturers. Successful packaging designs result in satisfied customers and lead to increased sales and improved brand identity. Products that are known for being accessible for people with disabilities and for being easy to use are likely to be favoured by consumers who have difficulties opening and using packaging. As we age, the number of people who have difficulties with packaging will continue to increase, meaning a larger margin of consumers will be unable to access their medical products.

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References

Davis, M. (2017, May 25). Accessibility of medical packaging: Learning from people with impairments. Retrieved November 17, 2020, from https://www.healthcarepackaging.com/markets/pharmaceutical/blog/13289085/accessibility-of-medical-packaging-learning-from-people-with-impairments

Rutter, B. (2020, June 17). How ergonomic packaging helps improve pharma compliance. Retrieved November 17, 2020, from https://www.packagingdigest.com/pharmaceutical-packaging/how-ergonomic-packaging-helps-improve-pharma-compliance

Wakeham, S., Heung, S., Lee, J., & Sadowski, C. (2017, July 7). Beyond equality: Providing equitable care for persons with disabilities. Retrieved November 17, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5684977/