AmeriStar Winners Chosen

TricorBraun won an award for its bellows nasal wash.

The Institute of Packaging Professionals has announced this year's winners of its annual AmeriStar awards. A total of 35 winners were selected from nearly a hundred entries by a panel of 20 judges. Six of the winning entries came from manufacturers of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and health and beauty aids.

Ease of use was paramount in the group of pharmaceutical category winners. Merck & Company, Inc. (White House Station, NJ), was recognized for the innovative design of its Ocumeter Plus Ophthalmic Dispenser, submitted by Arthur L. Lifshey, Sr. Fellow. The package is in-tended to replace LDPE bottles, offering users a higher-barrier package that makes it easier for consumers to hold and to control dispensing. TricorBraun (Clifton, NJ) won for its Bellows Nasal Wash, submitted by Scott Danheiser. The bellows feature in this package eases use and helps the user control dosage.

In the medical device category, the SimpleJect Auto-Injector system, submitted by Craig Lester, marketing manager of Amgen (Thousand Oaks, CA), also received accolades for ease of use. The drug-delivery device eases self-injection for patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. It is supplied with a comprehensive instruction book to help users ease into self-injection. And the Tome Family Clamshell system from Boston Scientific Corp. (Natick, MA), entered by Kim Riley, eliminates multiple packages across a product line, presenting all the instruments needed in a tray that also secures items during medical procedures.

Sleek design reigned in the Health and Beauty Aids category winners. Frederick Halden Simonsen submitted Procter & Gamble Co.'s (Cincinnati) Tampax Discreet, Durable Wrapper with Easy-to-Open Tabs product. The new package offers consumers both style and privacy. And finally, the packaging for Gillette Series Men's Personal Care Products from Anthony Pannozzo for Herbst Lazar Bell Inc. (Chicago) continues the artistic approach adopted by the Gillette Mach III Turbo Shaver, featuring molded-in crescent forms.

The winning products were displayed during Pack Expo International 2002 in Chicago and were recognized during a reception on November 6.

Two AmeriStar winners were also recognized in this year's WorldStar awards. Both the Ocumeter Plus Ophthalmic Dispenser and the SimpleJect Auto-Injector received WorldStar awards and are nominated for the President's Award. A ceremony is scheduled for April 1, 2003, in Barcelona. Visit www.packaging-technology.com/wpo/index.html for details.