§ Mr. Spellerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government relating to the packaging of analgesics and the anticipated recommendations from the International Standards Organisation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. VaughanRegulations require all solid dose forms of aspirin and paracetamol, intended for retail sale, to be in opaque or dark tinted child-resistant containers. 'The containers are required to be either unit packages—bubbles, blisters, or other sealed units—selected with a view to their resistance to opening by children, having the dosage units separately enclosed, or reclosable containers complying with British Standard 5321 as amended by AMD 2077. The British standard relates to the methods of testing for child safety.
The regulations allow pharmacists to supply the products in conventional containers if specially requested.
Pharmacists and dispensing doctors are encouraged to supply all solid dose dispensed medicines in child-resistant containers, unless the patient particularly requests a conventional container or if he is likely to have difficulty in opening and reclosing a child-resistant variety, or where the manufacturer's original pack is so designed that transfer to a child-resistant container would be unnecessary.
It would be unwise to anticipate any recommendations from the International Standards Organisation, but it may 295W be that a standard for the testing of the child resistance of unit packaging will be proposed. The British Standards Institution is already considering the sort of testing which might be possible in drawing up a British standard.