Can Packaging Help Address Microbial Resistance?

Concern about microbial resistance is increasing globally given the prevalence of drug-resistant organisms. To address the potential threats of antimicrobial resistance, the European Union (EU) and the United States have been working together through the Transatlantic Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (TATFAR). The group has been gathering feedback from enterprises, organizations, authorities, and citizens, and the last day it will accept comments is 17 December 2010. Your feedback will help TATFAR draft a report for the EU-US Summit of 2011 and potentially could help guide policy development.

TATFAR consists of government representatives from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the United States and from the European Commission, European Union agencies, and representatives of the EU member states holding three successive Presidencies. Information about the TATFAR is available at: http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/activities/diseaseprogrammes/TATFAR/Pages/index.aspx.

Quoting statistics from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), TATFAR reports that "each year infections caused by resistant bacteria result in 25,000 deaths and in healthcare costs and productivity losses totalling €1.5 billion in the EU."

TATFAR fears "the possibility of a future with fewer and less effective antimicrobials." It hopes that the following strategies could stave off health threats:

• Appropriate therapeutic use of antimicrobial drugs in the medical and veterinary communities.
• Prevention of both healthcare- and community-associated drug-resistant infections.
• Strategies for improving the pipeline of new antimicrobial drugs.

Please visit http://ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/ipm/forms/dispatch?form=tatfar to provide your own comments.

Packaging and labeling could play a role in each of these strategies. User-friendly packages complete with detailed directions for patients can ease product use, increasing the chances that products are used correctly. In addition, compliance-style packaging can guide patients throughout complex antimicrobial regimens while prefilled syringes and needle-free drug-delivery systems can eliminate some of the discomfort associated with parenterals.

Single-use packaging and drug-delivery components may also be able to help control infections, reducing the need for antimicrobials.

Finally, emerging drug entities often require new strategies to improve product stability, such as moisture and oxygen control, high-barrier materials, and cold-chain solutions. Molecules may be sensitive in nature, but with packaging's help they could reach patients throughout the supply chain.

If you are involved in packaging and can envision ways packaging can help TATFAR realize its goals, please provide your comments by 17 December. Every voice counts!

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