The International Medication Safety Network (IMSN) recently released its position statement that urges the global health industry to create safer packaging and labeling for vaccines.
In the statement, IMSN encourages pharmaceutical companies, health care professionals, professional organizations, technology vendors, and regulatory/standard-setting organizations to act. These leaders need to develop measures that will help vaccines become safer and more effective.
There are recommendations included in the statement, such as using packaging that makes it easier for patients to understand and create individual doses. The new packaging should also offer unit doses that align with the method of administration.
There are specific standards issued by the World Health Organization, under the leadership of the Organization Vaccine Presentation and Packaging Advisory Group (VPPA), that encourages companies to provide expiration dates for the vaccines.
The statement also calls for better differentiation between the formulations for adults and for children. This will make it easier for pediatricians and other health care workers when they administer the vaccines.
Lastly, the companies should renovate vials so they can feature labels that are bigger and therefore easier to read. In addition, the labels should include fonts that are larger and easier to read.
