From Mr G. Keep, MRPharmS
SIR,—I am writing to support Mr Gentle’s comments with regard to APS packaging (PJ, August 14, p240).
Having recently retired and undergone heart surgery I have changed from being a dispenser to a consumer of medication. My local pharmacy dispenses APS products against generic prescriptions and generally I find them quite satisfactory. The colouring is, however, very confusing, mainly because the colours used are quite pale. A pale blue is very similar to a pale lilac if looked at very quickly or in poor light.
Sadly, patients do not always read the label every time before taking their medicine. Recently my wife nearly took my frusemide in mistake for her own medicine — codeine phosphate. The colours of the two APS packs are identical, ie, pale lilac.
G. Keep
Tonbridge, Kent