The UAE Ministry of Health (MOH) along with Globalpharma, part of Sanofi Company, has launched a first of its kind ‘innovative advanced medicine pack’, to aid visually impaired people.

The new medicine pack has been designed to improve treatment outcomes by making disease information easily accessible, empowering visually impaired people and preventing drug counterfeit, said a statement.

Dr Amin Hussein Al-Amiri, assistant undersecretary for Public Health Policy and Licensing, UAE Ministry of Health; Professor Dr Tawfiq bin Ahmed Khoja, director general of the executive board, Health Ministers Council, GCC; Khalid Bin Kalban, managing director and CEO, Dubai Investments; Dr Al Sayed  Omar, assistant undersecretary of the Ministry of Health Kuwait for Medicines and Medical Equipments; and Patrick Aghanian, head of Middle East Zone for Sanofi UAE, unveiled the new pack as part of the UAE Innovation Week celebration.

Al-Amiri said: “We aim to enhance the health of people in the UAE through comprehensive health programs and meaningful partnerships. Through this important collaboration with Sanofi, our country now becomes one of the first in the world to implement this truly innovative ‘advanced medicine pack.”

“We hope to apply this new packaging design for all other medicines for the benefit of all residents in the UAE,” he said.

The pack has been designed to facilitate improved patient adherence to treatment regime. The ‘intake chart’ on the new pack will aid patients with a clear visualisation of the intake schedule and link with food and daily routine, said the statement.

The new pack will allow the visually impaired to recognise their medicines, avoid medication errors through braille calligraphy available both Arabic and Latin, and become more independent while managing their condition, it added.
 
Additionally, it will also allow patients to scan the QR code on the box using a smartphone and instantly access educational materials in English and Arabic. It will also carry a 2D data matrix technology, providing full traceability of the medicines for patients’ safety. This technology automatic detects counterfeit and expired goods, it stated.
 
“Managing and treating illnesses is a complex and often challenging process.  We work to make patients’ lives better, and demonstrate this in various ways, through product innovation and delivery systems, amongst others.”

Aghanian said: “The new innovative advanced medicine pack is part of our continuous efforts to improve treatment outcomes and patient experience.”

“Collaboration and partnerships that are founded on common goals and shared priorities help us deliver on these commitments,” he said.

A visually impaired person, Naser Mohamed Nourani, said: “The advanced medicine pack will empower us to manage our treatment regime with limited dependency on others. I am very glad that the concept is now locally available and positive that it would go a long way in meeting the unique healthcare needs of people like me.” – TradeArabia News Service