Annoying Prescription Bottles

S

snowdays

New Member
Hello! I'm a college student studying industrial design, my thesis project is on improving pharmaceutical packaging and I'm interested to hear from this community, does aging make prescription bottles harder to read or use? If you do have a health condition (for ex, arthritis, etc) does it become challenging to open a bottle with childlock? What are your personal struggles with your current medication packaging and how do you overcome them? Let's have an open discussion on these issues!
 

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Hi welcome to the senior forum.. thanks for asking this question, what do you intend doing with your findings ?

Yes it;s very difficult to open childproof locks on medicine bottles, jars, cleaning fluid bottles, even without suffering from arthritic problems, because as we age we lose strength and grip...however with the added complication of arthritis in our fingers it becomes nigh on impossible ..
 
Hi! thanks for your reply, this is just a research experiment i'm doing to kickstart my thesis project in hopefully designing an alternative for the current bottle :)
 

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hollydolly said:
sadly it's not a fun subject for us...:oops:
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Sorry to hear that, I meant it in an open discussion type of way and not a boring survey type of research but I'll choose my words carefully, I hope this thread can help raise the issues of medication intake in your community.
 
Glad to see someone is interested in this!
snowdays said:
does aging make prescription bottles harder to read or use?
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Yes, both. Larger and simpler writing would be a big help.
snowdays said:
does it become challenging to open a bottle with childlock?
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Absolutely! I have been able to get my pharmacist to not use these, they put more accessible lids on mine. But this only works for prescription things and only if I keep reminding them. I can understand protecting children, but we need something more workable. And I am only 69 without any sever impediments, I am sure it's worse for older and less mobile folks.
snowdays said:
how do you overcome them?
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I keep a pair of big pliers nearby and generally destroy the troublesome lids the first time. After that I cover the bottle as well as possible, not much child protection in that...

I keep a magnifying glass handy for those hard to read labels. Bigger lettering and more clear concise messages would really help.
 
I hate the childproof lids. Arthritis makes them hard to open. I have asked my pharmacy to put the non child proof lids on...somethimes they forget.
I once had a pharmacy that had "reversable" lids. You just had to flip them over to get the non childproof. So, both options with one lid. Would like that to be a standard...
 
Marie5656 said:
I hate the childproof lids. Arthritis makes them hard to open. I have asked my pharmacy to put the non child proof lids on...somethimes they forget.
I once had a pharmacy that had "reversable" lids. You just had to flip them over to get the non childproof. So, both options with one lid. Would like that to be a standard...
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I have never heard of this type of lid, thanks for your suggestion, i'll look into it.
 
Other then the name of the medication and the MG and the way the physician wants us to take the medication, pharmacy #, and RX # the writing on the bottle is impossible to read. Like where it says important information for interactions and things you may experience from taking the drug. The writing is so small for that I can't even read that important information. If it is so important well why not make it larger and in bold?
 
Larger print is definitely needed. I asked for non child proof lids on mine, those are easier to open but need my bifocals to read information and sometimes I need a magnify glass..
 
Becky1951 said:
Larger print is definitely needed. I asked for non child proof lids on mine, those are easier to open but need my bifocals to read information and sometimes I need a magnify glass..
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There’s not much info on the outside of my bottles, it’s the printed info sheet inside that is impossible. Maybe this is what you’re referring to.
 
The reversible lids are the best idea.

What I have done for myself is to take an empty pill bottle and peel off the label. I then cut off the name of the pill from the label and tape it onto the bottle with scotch tape. I then cut the locking part off of the bottle with wire cutters. I put the new pills in that bottle except I keep 10 in the other bottle. I take from the modified bottle and when it is empty I know it's time to re-order while I dump the 10 into the modified bottle.
 
snowdays said:
Hello! I'm a college student studying industrial design, my thesis project is on improving pharmaceutical packaging and I'm interested to hear from this community, does aging make prescription bottles harder to read or use? If you do have a health condition (for ex, arthritis, etc) does it become challenging to open a bottle with childlock? What are your personal struggles with your current medication packaging and how do you overcome them? Let's have an open discussion on these issues!
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I don't right now, but seniors whose hands are so crippled and bent out of proportion, it would be impossible to even try to open one of those bottles. I hope they come up with a different container for meds so those that literally cannot open them would be able to get to their meds in a different container. Some seniors lose strength in their hands, are crippled by arthritus, etc.
 
My Pharmacy uses the reversible lid type bottles. Other than the print size I am satisfied with them. My only issue with the plastic bottles is disposal. I would like to recycle them if possible. I keep meaning to check locally to see if there is a facility that takes #5 plastic. Off I go.......
 
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