Current evidence in the stability of medicines in dose administration aids: implications for patient safety.

Introduction: As the elderly population and polypharmacy are increasing, it is predicted that interventions to enhance medication adherence, as dose administration aids (DAA), will grow. One of the limitations of repackaging medicines into DAA is to assure the stability of medicines, and, therefore, their quality, efficacy and safety.

Areas Covered: This article collects and summarises data of all the stability studies of repackaged medicines into DAAs.

Successful withdrawal from high-dose benzodiazepine in a young patient through electronic monitoring of polypharmacy: a case report in an ambulatory setting.

Background: Dependence on high-dose benzodiazepines (BZDs) is well known and discontinuation attempts are generally unsuccessful. A well established protocol for high-dose BZD withdrawal management is lacking. We present the case of withdrawal from high-dose lorazepam (>20 mg daily) in an unemployed 35-year-old male outpatient through agonist substitution with long-acting clonazepam and electronic monitoring over 28 weeks.

Assessing the stability of lamotrigine dispersible/chewable tablets when stored in blister punch cards.

Objectives: To determine the stability of lamotrigine dispersible/chewable tablets (DCTs) when stored in blister punch cards (BPCs).

Methods: Lamotrigine 100 mg DCTs were randomly repackaged into a US Pharmacopeia Class A 1 week cold-sealed BPC. Chemical and physical stability were evaluated over a 60 day period, in controlled conditions corresponding to Climatic Zones I/II (25 °C ± 2 °C; 60% ± 5% relative humidity).

Stability of enalapril repackaged into monitored dosage system.

A monitored dosage system (MDS) is a professionally prepared blister-type repackaging system used to improve medication adherence. The objective of this study was to determine the stability of enalapril tablets, a widely prescribed drug, commonly used by the elderly but potentially unstable in MDSs. No degradation of enalapril tablets repackaged into MDSs was observed during the 60 day study period.