Novartis study quantifies adherence benefits Of DiovanHCT Shellpak

Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News staff

The Healthcare Compliance Packaging Council has reported on a new study by Novartis Pharmaceuticals and Xcenda demonstrating improved patient adherence with compliance-prompting packaging.

Published in recent weeks in the Dovepress Patient Preference and Adherence journal, the study tracked hypertensive patients receiving a single pill combination of valsartan-hydrochlorothiazide. Adherence rates for 4600-plus patients receiving the drug at Walmart pharmacies in the DiovanHCT Shellpak reminder package were studied over 11 months. These were compared with adherences rates for an additional 4600-plus patients who did not receive the reminder packaging over the same period of months.

The study is available from the HCPC website, www.hcpconline.org.

Among the study findings:

Patients with the reminder package exhibited an 80% medication possession ration versus 73% for    those without the reminder package

 Those receiving the package had a 13% higher proportion of days covered.

 Patients receiving the DiovanHCT pack refilled their prescriptions four days earlier on average than the other patients.

 Patients with the reminder pack were more likely to continue their therapy over the long term.

 “It is exciting to note that a major pharmaceutical manufacturer and a major retail pharmacy have teamed up to provide patients a tool that will assist them in becoming more adherent,” commented Walt Berghahn, HCPC Executive Director.

“ The fact that they have publicized this information in an open access journal signifies that compliance-prompting packaging is finally being widely recognized as an efficient method of improving adherence and, as a result, improving patient outcomes. We are pleased to add this new study to our recently released whitepaper and will continue to report on compliance-prompting packaging research for the benefit of the industry.”

The HCPC white paper reports on over two decades or research studies demonstrating improved patient adherence with calendarized, compliance-prompting packaging.

Contract packaged by AndersonBrecon for Novartis, the DiovanHCT Shellpak consists of 30 tablets in a push through calendarized blister. Tablets are laid out with color coded days and weeks, with reminders for refilling the prescription. Labeling is clearly featured on the Shellpak exterior with a designated area on the back label for the patient prescription label and an adhered prescription insert. The front of the pack features an extended content booklet label and a photograph of the pill.

The DiovanHCT Shellpak is offered in four strength combinations with a unique color for each strength and a photograph of the unique tablet design for each strength.

The package was cited as the 2010 HCPC Compliance Package of the Year by a panel of independent judges.