Although putting medication in blister packs isn't a new idea many short-term medications are distributed in such packages most long-term medications are not packaged that way. (Birth control pills are one exception.)
The study included 88 adults who were 65 and older. All of the participants had hypertension, indicated by a blood pressure reading of 140/90 or higher, and were treated with lisinopril (brand name Prinivil) during the study.
More than half (48) of the participants were randomly assigned to receive a 28-day supply of medication in the blister package, while the rest of the patients (40) received a traditional bottle of loose tablets. The study lasted nearly two years, and participants were enrolled for 12 months each. During their time in the study, the patients saw their physician once every six months and their pharmacist about once each month for refills.
The researchers gathered information from pharmacy records that showed how often participants refilled their prescriptions. The researchers also collected blood pressure readings and information about the onset of diseases associated with hypertension from the patients' medical records.
Results showed that 14 percent more participants who received their medication in a blister pack with the pill calendar format had their prescriptions refilled on time. Also, the researchers noted that 48 percent of the patients in this group had lower diastolic blood pressure after 12 months, compared to only 18 percent of the patients who received their medications in a bottle.
While a few patients complained that the blister packaging was too difficult to open, no other adverse events were noted.
"If people can tell whether or not they have taken their medication on a particular da
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Contact: Philip Schneider
Schneider.5@osu.edu
614-292-1514
Ohio State University
16-May-2005