Transcript Medical Ergonomics and Drug Delivery Systems

Medical Ergonomics and
Drug Delivery Systems
D. John Doyle MD PhD FRCPC
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Revision 1.6 April 2004
18 Slides
Drug Delivery Ergonomics
 Concerned
with the safe and efficient
delivery of drugs from supplier to
consumer.
 Suppliers:
drug distributor, warehouse, drug store,
pharmacy storage area, medicine cabinet, hospital
satellite pharmacy, medical offices, clinics etc..
 Consumers: patients (IV, IM etc.), hospitals,
clinics, medical offices, narcotics cabinet etc...
Top Ten
Drug Ergonomic Principles
Package labeling
 Special markings
 Product identifiability
 Generic name
 Trade name
 Drug dose (tablets)

Concentration and
volume (liquids)
 Product strength label
predominance
 Safety against cuts
(ampules and vials)
 Address special needs

Drug Ergonomic Principles
1
Package labeling should be clear
and unambiguous, with sufficiently
large fonts and good print contrast

Drug Ergonomic Principles
2
Special instructions or warnings
should be highlighted and prominently
displayed on the packaging.
 “May
be sedating; avoid heavy machinery or cars”
 “Shake well before use”
 “The trade name of this product has confused
individuals - be sure you have the right product”
 “Not suitable for olympic athletes”
Drug Ergonomic Principles
3
Product Identifiability
 Tablets
should have unique markings to
allow product recognition.
 All products should have a product code
 All products should have a lot number
 All products should have an expiry date
 All products should indicate the suggested
route of administration
Drug Ergonomic Principles
4
The generic name of the drug
should be prominently displayed
on the drug label
Drug Ergonomic Principles
5
The drug brand name, if
displayed, should not expected to
result in the drug being
misidentified.

( Note: not all drugs will have a brand name (e.g.
atropine); co-labeling of drugs with both the brand name
and the scientific name is encouraged.)
Drug Ergonomic Principles
6
For tablets and other oral dosage
forms, the dose of each tablet
should be clearly stated (but not
necessarily as tablet markings).
Tablets should be marked with a
unique identifier.
Drug Ergonomic Principles
7
Labels for drugs in liquid form
should clearly indicate the
concentration and volume.
Drug Ergonomic Principles
8
The strength of the product should
have predominance over the
number of units in the package.
Drug Ergonomic Principles
9
The drug packaging should not
present a safety hazard to users.
(e.g., glass ampoules that totally
disintegrate when opened)
Drug Ergonomic Principles
10
Address special needs issues
– Child-proof containers
– Limited vision patients
– Patients with arthritis
Additional Suggestions
 Label
adhesives should be colorless
 Bar codes, if used, should not interfere with
label legibility
 There should be a high level of contrast
between the print and its background (don’t
use transparent glass as the print
background)
Violations of Sound Drug
Ergonomic Principles
Hard
to read drug ample labels
(ambulance letter; case reports)
Unlabelled syringes
Difficult to find generic drug name
Confusing brand names
(line extension practices)
Line Extention
AIM:
Build on a well-known drug names
to achieve instant recognition for newly
launched products
Benadryl ALLERGY FORMULA is
diphenhydramine
Benadryl DECONGESTANT/ALLERGY
formulation has added pseudophedrine
Violation of Ergonomic Principle Five
Challenges Awaiting
Disseminate
information about
ergonomic principles of drug delivery
Support research into further reducing
drug errors
Internet accessible anonymous central
reporting for drug error incidents, with
links to other interest groups
Elimination of confusing brand names
Drug Ergonomic Principles
The End