A doctor is hoping that the results of a new study will lead to safer packaging being created for medication with pharmaceutical labels worldwide.

Dr Randall Bond from Cincinnati Children's Hospital is to present the findings of his research at a Protect Initiative meeting in Georgia next week.

His team discovered that in the US, more children are now being admitted to hospital after accidentally overdosing on prescription drugs.

Sedatives, opiates for pain relief and cardiovascular drugs were the types most often taken by children, with some resulting in significant harm.

"We need to improve storage devices and child-resistant closures and perhaps require mechanical barriers, such as blister packs," Dr Bond states in his report.

Back in May, the US Food and Drug Administration also said accidental overdoses in children are becoming increasingly common, but said the problem often arises when parents are unsure of how much of a prescription drug to give to their offspring.

Dr Karen Weiss recommended clearer pharma labels and that parents speak carefully to pharmacists before giving out medicines.
Bespoke fix-a-form labels may help manufacturers to outline clear dosage instructions and prevent overdoses.

Denny Bros Ltd, 16 September 2011