The Society used to recommend in the MEP that all solid dose and all oral and external liquid preparations were dispensed in reclosable child resistant containers unless:
(i) the medicine is in an original pack or patient pack such as to make this in advisable
(ii) the patient has difficulty in opening child resistant containers
(iii) a specific request is made that the product shall not be dispensed in a CRC
(iv) no suitable CRC exists for a particular liquid preparation
(v) the patient is assessed as requiring a compliance aid.
However, this guidance does not feature in the latest edition of the MEP.
In one pharmacy I worked, staff were told not to place a CRC onto antibiotic liquids as the original bottle and top were classed as a complete system and the child-resistant lids weren't approved tops for the bottles.
When I questioned the manager about this I was referred to an article in the PJ (
Child-resistant packaging).
So, what do we do...replace the non-CRC lid with a clic-loc type...or leave the original closure...or pour the mixture into an amber glass dispensing bottle with a CRC. If you choose the latter option - what happens to the patient leaflet...these are usually attached to the bottle and trying to remove them usually rips them.
It's so complicated...why don't they just make them with child-resistant tops!?!?!
