Usability evaluation and proposals for paediatric liquid medication containers

Japan’s universal health system allows free access to medical institutions and medical costs for children are often fully covered. While this is a good system, people are not always aware of the concept of self-medication and are less inclined to buy medication over the counter. The negative impacts of this can be inaccurate administration of medicine for people and their children. Professor Mikio Murata is a licensed pharmacist working on a project to investigate and research pharmaceutical containers, devices and packaging and drug delivery devices. The work will lead to improved containers, benefiting those administering and receiving medication. As paediatric prescriptions are often prepared by mixing different liquids and then dispensed by adding water to a measuring cup using markings on the liquid container, the process for a parent administering medicine to their child is cumbersome and it can be difficult to accurately measure medication. There is a need to decipher if the devices in use are fit-for-purpose and if there is a need for new methods for administering certain medicines to ensure the safety of patients. Further issues relate to the regulation of drug prices, with costs including necessary administration devices and packaging. This means pharmaceutical manufacturers may be reluctant to change packaging or containers after they have been launched due to the production line modifications that would be needed. Additionally, cost is often prioritised over user convenience as the cost of liquid and ointment containers used in pharmacies is borne by the pharmacy.