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Excessive Paper Packaging in Pharmaceutical Samples

Excessive Paper Packaging in Pharmaceutical Samples. Martin Donohoe, MD, FACP. Excessive Paper Packaging in Pharmaceutical Samples. Samples utility large, colorful single use packages

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Excessive Paper Packaging in Pharmaceutical Samples

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  1. Excessive Paper Packaging in Pharmaceutical Samples Martin Donohoe, MD, FACP

  2. Excessive Paper Packaging in Pharmaceutical Samples • Samples • utility • large, colorful single use packages • Paper packaging constitutes up to 50% of the 180 million tons of garbage Americans produce each year, and represents the fastest growing segment of garbage production

  3. Excessive Paper Packaging in Pharmaceutical Samples • Only 25-30% of paper is recycled; most ends up in landfills • Available landfills space decreasing • 1978 - 14,000 available landfills • 1990 - 5,000 • result - garbage exportation by states

  4. Excessive Paper Packaging in Pharmaceutical Samples • Purpose: determine the relative amounts of packaging and pills in pharmaceutical samples in a university general medicine clinic (three 8x3x3 ft. cabinets) • Methods: weight and volume measured for all components of one of each sample type

  5. Excessive Paper Packaging in Pharmaceutical Samples • Results: • 92 packages contained 665 pills (7.2  6.2 pills/package, mean  SD) • paper packaging constitutes 65% of overall package weight • pill volume/paper product box volume = 0.0132

  6. Excessive Paper Packaging in Pharmaceutical Samples • Results (cont.):

  7. Excessive Paper Packaging in Pharmaceutical Samples • Conclusions: • Pharmaceutical samples contain a very high ration of packaging to pills • Large packages may contribute to increased brand recognition and prescribing, but also take up excessive space in overcrowded clinics and constitute a wasteful use of paper products derived from trees, a precious natural resource

  8. Excessive Paper Packaging in Pharmaceutical Samples • The future • The Paperboard Packaging Council predicts that U.S. medicinal carton use will grow 5%/yr. Over the next four years. • Increased development of cartons with curves, metallic coatings, holograms, and barrier coatings (all less recyclable)

  9. Excessive Paper Packaging in Pharmaceutical Samples • Solution • awareness of problem/context • pressure on industry (worked successfully with compact disc packaging)

  10. Contact Information Public Health and Social Justice Website http://www.phsj.org martindonohoe@phsj.org

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