Foil packs and packaging

[GrannyE]

Anyone else have a problem with the actual packaging? I put my meds into 7 day holders and getting the tablets out of the foil packs is a problem for my arthritic hands. I also have problems with getting at pill/medicine/bleach bottles where one has to either squeeze or push down and turn. I often say to my husband that I will be surrounded in old age by all sorts of meds, food packets, jars, tins etc and be unable to get into any of them. They are not only child proof but me proof.

Why don’t manufacturers of the foil packs print the days of the week on them? That would work if you need either 1 or two pills a day.

[Hidden]

I know it must be frustrating for anyone with problems such as yours but I’m sure understand the reasons behind it. There are all sorts of gadgets available which help disabled folk which might help. I’m sure manufacturers are required to do everything possible to keep their products safe and secure but you could always contact your pill makers and offer your suggestions.

[Love100cats]

What a relief to read your post! I thought I was the only one struggling. What also annoys me is that after fighting to get the little blighters out of the foil a little circle of foil gently falls to the floor to a spot I can't reach. My husband has one tablet that comes in a little brown bottle like they used to. Why can't we have them all like that?

[Surreychica_1 in reply to Love100cats]

I know what you mean. You could use a pair of scissors just to snip the side!

[Denise- in reply to Love100cats]

I struggle getting tablets out of the foil and sometimes end up chasing round the table or floor as they eventually fly out. It's almost as good as a work out 😂😂😂

[meadfoot]

I totally agree the older I get the harder it is too fiddle with packaging.

[CDreamer]

I totally agree regarding the difficulty of getting pills out of foil packaging and the irony......when we need them the most!

Be aware though that you shouldn’t be transferring some drugs out of their original packaging - especially if gel coated as humidity can affect many pills and then that can affect their efficacy. Do ask your Pharmacist which are safe and which not. Gel coated Dabiagatran is one not to - I learned from experience!

Many pharmacists - especially the small Independant ones offer a weekly/monthly ‘filling’ service into weekly/monthly boxes if you struggle - at least ours does - but I think they do keep some in foil packaging when required.

[GrannyE in reply to CDreamer]

I will bear that in mind in the years to come. At the moment it is just difficult but not impossible. Thanks

[pottypete1]

I really understand the problem. In addition to the problems with having non dextrose sausage fingers.

My eyesight also isn’t brilliant and I keep on having to fish out of my daily pill box the little circular pieces of silver foil before I swallow them with the tablets.

My mother in law is very unwell and confused. Before they diagnosed terminal cancer they stopped all tablets because she was in danger of over or under dosing.

During the many conversations we had with the doctors we were told that it is possible for the pharmacy to prepare what are called “Blister Packs”.

These packs contain every tablet that the patient has to take on each occasion - morning, noon or evening. This means that the patient does not have to deal with putting the tablets in a day box.

This option, if available in your area, might be worth Investigation.

Pete

[GrannyE in reply to pottypete1]

Thanks. I hope it does not come to that.

[IanMK]

I used to think this years ago when we visited my in-laws with 2 very young children. We always had to be super vigilant for them finding pills on the floor etc.

Now I have meds of my own that I put into my pill box every Saturday morning I find it incredibly frustrating with the very small pills and I don’t have problems with my hands or fat fingers. Why do the tablets have to be so small? Can’t they add more filler? Sometimes the capsules break open when pushing them out of the blister pack resulting in an unusable capsule.

[Love100cats in reply to IanMK]

I've been told to half my Losartan! Every night I'm in the kitchen chasing a very small, very hard pill over the counter top with a very sharp knife. It's too small to break and too hard to cut plus it has a shiny surface which doesn't help. I did go and talk to my pharmacist thinking as he dispensed them he would offer a solution but he just shrugged and said that's the way they are!!!!!😖

[dexter8479 in reply to Love100cats]

Hi, it’s an issue, right enough. Check via Google if your drug is produced at all in your new dosage. Some pharmacists maybe aren’t as helpful as others, and he couldn’t be bothered to check, perhaps? Some drugs for whatever reason are more expensive in other dosages, and maybe there’s an element of that? If your dosage does exist in a single tablet, get your GP to put that size on your scrip, and if you get hassle from that pharmacist, find another (it might have to be ordered, but a good pharmacist will do that for you without an issue). I take a pill that I react completely differently to, depending on the manufacturer. My GP said immediately that it was a common thing, not the drug itself, but the fillers used, and was happy to specify that I had to have the one in the red box. All failing that, you can buy a little machine called a pill splitter which isn’t totally fantastic, but does the job reasonably well, and is certainly better than pills skidding across your counter with sharp knives! You can get one on either eBay or Amazon for a couple of pounds, or I’m pretty sure you can get one from a pharmacy very readily...maybe a more helpful one? Hope this helps.

[LindaDaisy in reply to Love100cats]

You can buy pill cutters. I’m surprised the pharmacist didn’t mention it. What dose are you taking?

[Love100cats in reply to LindaDaisy]

I'm taking 25 and I'm assuming that it doesn't come in that size but I used to have lozenge shaped Losartan which was easy to break. New chemist! Hadn't seen this bloke before. Will try again. Thank you.

[LindaDaisy in reply to Love100cats]

They do that drug in 25mg but there might be a supply issue. If you have a word with your pharmacist and it is freely available then ask your doctor to issue a new prescription.

[GrannyE in reply to LindaDaisy]

Pill cutters are not brilliant. It is very difficult to cut the pills exactly in half and sometimes they just crumble but thanks for the suggestion.

[IanMK in reply to Love100cats]

I got a pill cutter when I needed half a tablet but it was all but impossible to get 2 halves. Usually the tablet just crumbled.

[GrannyE in reply to IanMK]

Yup. Been there. Done that

[GrannyE in reply to Love100cats]

Oh dear. I too have tried to cut pills in half and it is not an easy one. We had a pill cutter but even then I did not get proper half pills. The only thing to do is to laugh and make the best of it.

[Love100cats in reply to GrannyE]

Will do! 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

[Tricia239]

I totally agree, it drives me mad. I live on my own and sometimes have to wait until someone visits and then ask them to open, say, a bottle of bleach. The gadgets don’t work for things you have to press and turn. I know I am very ‘old school’ in this respect but my children always knew not to touch pills or household cleaners etc. Alternatively they, the pills, should be put out of reach. Sometimes with foil wrapped pills I puncture the foil with a pointed knife because it’s the only way I can break the seal. It’s all very well being child safe but they are wrinklie frustrating!!!

[GrannyE in reply to Tricia239]

Stabbing foil packs with a sharp knife sounds dangerous to me esp so if you are on blood thinners!

It seems I have struck a chord with many of you. There must be thousands of us out there with similar problems.

Just thought of another thing. I have problems opening many milk/fruit juice tabs stuck to the top of the bottle after having triumphantly opened the actual bottle top only to be confronted with the pull off bit. Oh well could be worse.

[Tricia239 in reply to GrannyE]

No need to worry, I don’t stab, I gently poke the foil and my knives are so blunt they would barely cut warm butter! And yes, those pull off tabs just add further frustration. I would love to know the stats of A&E visits directly related to opening packaging. A neighbour of mine sustained a nasty injury attempting to open a pizza!

[LindaDaisy]

Ask your pharmacist about dossette boxes. If you explain your problem with your arthritis I’m sure she or he will recommend a dossette box. If they are unhelpful then change your pharmacy.

[Ohdea]

Hi I hate the blister packs too because I often cut my fingers on the sharp edges when pulling the strips from the box - I wish my tablets came in bottles but like you say bottles bring a different problem - trying to get into them!

[7Helena]

I have severe arthritis and have exactly the same problem opening anything as well as pills. I know that there are all sorts of gadgets but having tried many different ones I am loth to buy yet another useless gadget which as well as the unopened treatments I am already surrounded with. I do persevere in getting the vaious AF necessities and my Warfarin and eventually manage. I end up with tablets broken into pieces which I can't swallow. So wasteful of NHS esources I know ! I'm hoping to find some suggestions here in answer to your post.