Indications of Tenenbein for Selecting Unit Dose Packaging of a Medication

 

When unit dose packaging for a medication may be desirable:

(1) There is a person at risk for drug overdose in the household:

(1a) a young child

(1b) a depressed person at risk for suicide

(2) Overdose of the drug is associated with a high morbidity and mortality.

(3) If there is a young child in the household and an adult bypasses childproofing features of a medicine container (leaves open, transfers to unprotected container, other).

 

Additional indications:

(4) If the medicine deteriorates in an improperly closed container and the container is left open.

(5) The patient's drug dose is met by the unit dose.

(6) The price of the unit dose packaging is not excessive.