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Information design for patient safety - design guidance for the packaging of prescription medicines: secondary packaging (all types) and primary packaging (blister packs only)

Published by the National Patient Safety Agency and The Helen Hamlyn Research Centre, 2005

The book, authored by Thea Swayne, maps the journey of a medicine pack, from the manufacturing plant to patients’ bins, looking at the problems each group of people in the supply chain had using the packs in real situations.

Thea also interviewed patients in their homes to find out the day-to-day obstacles they encountered when dealing with their medicines.

These difficulties were then used as a basis for examples of effective use of design for medicine packs. For instance, the book recommends that a 70 x 35mm white space be left for the dispensing label, that the generic name and strength be repeated above this space and on at least three non-opposing faces and that on all the packaging emphasis should be placed on the generic, rather than brand, name. Advice on clear typography and judicious use of colour differentiation is also included.