Medicine Boxes

How much attention do we pay to the medicine box when we buy medicine? We conducted an online survey, and the results of the survey showed that most people are still very concerned about the medicine box. 66.7% of people will look at the medicine box every time they buy medicine, 26.7% will occasionally look at the medicine box when they buy medicine, and another 5.6% of people who buy medicine rarely or hardly read the medicine box. In terms of the purpose of looking at the medicine box, 86.7% of the people are to know the information of the medicine for safe use of the medicine, and 6.7% of the people are because they are afraid of buying counterfeit medicines.

The most concerned about the medicine box is the date of manufacture and expiry date, medicine indications and usage and dosage. Some people are concerned about the main ingredients, brands, and manufacturers of medicines, and only a few people are concerned about the medicine approval number. Some people don't pay much attention to the medicine approval number, and may mistake health care products for medicines.

Six major messages that cannot be ignored on the medicine box:

1. Medicine name

medicines have two names: generic name and commercial name. The generic name refers to the name of the active ingredient of the medicine, and the commercial name is the trademark name registered by the pharmaceutical company for the medicine.

The generic name of a medicine is the name prescribed by the national medicine standards, which is the generic name of the medicine with the same ingredient or the same formula, which is mandatory and binding. Therefore, all medicines on the market must be marked with their generic names. The same medicine can have many different commercial names, and many medicines with the same generic name but different commercial names. Distinguish between the generic name and commercial name of the medicine can avoid side effects caused by repeated use of the medicine.

2. Medicine indications

Different medicines are aimed at different causes and diseases. Patients buy medicines to see the indications of the medicines so that they can use the medicines for the symptoms.

3. Medicine expiry date

When buying medicines, you must pay attention to the expiry date of the medicines to prevent you from taking expired medicines.

4. Medicine usage and dosage

If the patient buys OTC medicines from a pharmacy, they should use the medicines strictly according to the instructions on the medicine box. For the medicines prescribed by the doctor, you should also pay attention to the usage and dosage marked on the medicine box by the doctor with a pen. Generally, what doctors indicate is consistent with the instructions on the medicine box, but some doctors will make appropriate adjustments according to the patient’s condition, age, and physical health. At this time, the doctor’s indication shall prevail.

5. Medicine approval number

Each specification of each medicine has an approval number, which is equivalent to a person's ID number.

6. Proprietary logo for medicines

In the upper left or upper right corner of the front of the medicine box, there is usually a proprietary logo of the medicine, indicating the type and safety of the medicine.

There are 3 types of special medicine logos, which are non-prescription medicine logo, external medicine logo and special management medicine logo.

Non-prescription medicine logo: OTC is the abbreviation of OverTheCounter. It refers to medicines that consumers can buy directly from pharmacies or pharmacies without a doctor's prescription, and are medicines that can be used safely without the guidance of medical professionals. OTC is divided into two types, red and green. Red "OTC" means Class A non-prescription medicines, and green "OTC" means Class B non-prescription medicines. Class B over-the-counter medicines have high safety and low adverse reactions, such as vitamin supplements, multivitamin tablets, etc., which can be sold in pharmacies, supermarkets, hotels, department stores and other places; Class A non-prescription medicines should be taken as directed by a doctor. For example, some common cold medicines are only allowed to be sold in pharmacies. Patients can choose medicines according to their own condition. If the condition is mild, green OTC can be selected from similar medicines, but if the condition is severe, it is time to choose red OTC, because green OTC is safer, but the medicine is weaker.

The above are the six major items that need to be paid attention to when designing and printing medicine boxes. At the same time, the manufacturer, medicine ingredients, storage methods, adverse reactions and contraindications must also be indicated.

Medicine ingredients: Most people don’t pay much attention to the medicine ingredients, because the medicine ingredients are more professional and most people can’t understand them, but some special people are allergic to special medicine ingredients, such as some people are allergic to ethanol, so you should pay special attention when buying medicines. The ingredients of the medicine, so as not to cause allergic reactions when taking the medicine.

Storage method: If the medicine is stored poorly, it will affect the expiration date of the medicine. Choose different storage environments according to different medicines. In general, medicines should be stored in a dry, clean, dark, and cool place.