Japan's Consumer Safety Investigation Commission calls for child safe medicine packs
In 2014, nearly 8,500 children under five needed medical treatment after swallowing medicines by mistake
The Consumer Safety Investigation Commission in Japan is asking the government to make it a requirement that medicine manufacturers introduce child-resistant packaging.
In a report to the country’s ministry of health, labour and welfare, the commission stressed the risks posed by the tendency of young children to put things into their mouths. Moreover, older children mimic adults and can swallow medicines that are not in secure packaging.
In 2014, there were 8,433 cases of children in Japan aged under five receiving treatment after ingesting medicines by mistake. Of that total, 849 experienced vomiting or drowsiness.
The report proposes that packaging should 'require an increased level of strength to open', such as sheet-style packages with blisters that require a degree of strength to remove tablets. Alternatively, bottles should have 'caps that must be simultaneously pressed down and turned'.
A third proposal is for blister packs to have an exterior sheet that must be peeled off before the medicine can be accessed.
