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Letters to the Editor
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Generics
Generic companies do help pharmacists
From Mr A. W. Acott, MRPharmS
In response to Ian
Morgan’s letter (PJ, 2 April, p391), I should
like to clarify a few points from the perspective of Alpharma.
With respect to the adoption of International Non-proprietary Names (INNs),
readers should be advised that the new INN replaces the British Approved
Name (BAN) on the labelling; it does not appear “somewhere on the
packet in small letters”. Timescales for adoption of BAN to INN
changes are such that the regulatory requirement to apply for labelling
changes had a deadline of 1 December 2004. Allowing for the regulatory
assessment process (up to three months) and supply chain implementation
(up to a further six months), it is possible that some of the new packaging
may not yet have filtered into the pharmacy. All Alpharma’s affected
products have been updated and will appear in the field shortly if they
have not already done so.
We anticipated the potential for disharmony in the nomenclature used
in prescribing and dispensing software that Mr Morgan describes and the
confusion that this might cause the profession and the consumer. As a
result Alpharma has provided its pharmacy customers with preliminary
advice since early 2004 on this topic and subsequently pads of tear-off
leaflets for pharmacists to give to patients receiving affected Alpharma
medicines. Additionally the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory
Agency and the British National Formulary have, among others, provided
guidance.
In designing generic medicines packaging, numerous important factors
are taken into consideration. Mr Morgan should be pleased to hear that
Alpharma consulted key pharmacy customers and the MHRA on the redesign
of its cartons, so as to limit confusion between similar packs as well
as optimise the size and position of the box for dispensing labels (with
no crucial information obscured). Indeed, we have since had positive
feedback about the new livery. It must be accepted, however, that consumers
do not want their medicines packaging to be unnecessarily oversized (especially
if they receive several packs of each medicine) for storage reasons and
this also minimises environmental waste. Pharmacy dispensaries find space
is at a premium since the introduction of the patient pack in the 1990s,
so a balance must be struck as to what is an appropriate size of carton
for each product.
I accept all generics companies are not the same, but hope to convey
that Alpharma is a proactive generics company and it welcomes ongoing
feedback on the design of its packaging.
Andy Acott
Head of Medicines Development
Alpharma Ltd
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The
Pharmaceutical Journal