Action long overdue on drug labelling
Online posting: April 15, 1997
Published in print: May. 15, 1997 (CMAJ 1997;156:1383)
Re: Drug packaging, by Dr. D. John Doyle, CMAJ
1997;156:764-5 [letter]
I would like to add some comments about Dr. Doyle's letter, in
which he made some excellent recommendations. As a family
physician who has been in practice for about 28 years, I am faced
with many situations in which unnecessary confusion concerning
drugs arises. Surely in this era of computerization it cannot be
that difficult to include more useful information, such as that
suggested by Doyle, on labels of prescription drug bottles. I
would also add the expiry date of the drug, which the pharmacist
can easily obtain from the drug's original container.
Perhaps the most useful recommendation is to include the
generic name, perhaps in an abbreviated form, as well as the
strength, on each tablet or capsule. This would be useful because
many patients transfer medications to different containers. There
are few more frustrating times in my office than those involving
a new elderly patient with a pill dispenser filled with pills and
capsules of every size, shape and colour!
Because our population is aging, meaning we will see an
increase in "polypharmacy," I am certain that we could avoid
numerous adverse drug-induced reactions through better drug and
container labelling. I sincerely hope there is enough
communication between the pharmaceutical companies, physicians
and pharmacists to begin to address these vital issues. Action is
long overdue.
Noel A. Rosen, BSc, MD
North York, Ont.
noel.rosen@utoronto.ca
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