The present invention relates to a packaging kit for packaging and consumer friendly dispensing of one or more primary packs.
In the field of pharmaceutical packaging, unit dose drug formulations are primarily packed in primary packing and then these primary pack(s) are further packed in secondary/outer packs either as single or as a bunch of primary packs. Improvement in the quality of packaging and easier and safe dispensing of packed material remains the main matter of concern in the field of pharmaceutical packaging. Keeping these two aspects in priority, several advancements have been made in packaging of primary packs containing drug formulations. Innovative and advanced cartons have been designed in the art to improve the quality of packaging that provide easier and safe dispensing of the primary packs comprising drug formulations.
Cartons for packaging of a single primary pack comprising drug formulations are well known in the art. For example US 6,092,663 disclose a book type carton with slidable pull out tray for holding and displaying an article, the carton including a base carton and a tray. The carton comprise opposed top and bottom spaced apart panels, and opposed first and second side panels. A cover flap is hingedly connected to the base carton. The tray has an open top compartment and is slidably mounted between said top and bottom panels and between said side panels and being spaced apart from at least one of said side panels.
Packaging kits having slidable tray for packing single primary packs comprising drug formulations have been developed in past. These kits further have child resistant characteristics. This type of package system provides an easy and safe dispensing of packed drug formulations. For example BURGOPACK and PHARMA PAK SHR provide child resistant carton packages with slidable tray for a single blister/strip. BURGOPACK packaging design presents the products (packed in blister) in a sliding tray, it uses sliding mechanism to dispense the packed dosage form. PHARMA PAK SHR is a semi rigid blister reclosable package. This package consists of an outer carton containing a sliding tray with an affixed blister card. The package is opened by first pushing the end of the sliding tray inward then squeezing the package through two circular holes on each of the package side. The inner tray is then pulled out using a tab attached to the sliding tray. EP 1337438 discloses similar packages for blisters/strips. EP '438
discloses a packaging kit which comprises a tray section whose extraction from a pocket section is prevented by a pivotable spring tab limited by a catch tab.
Cartons for packaging of bunch of primary packs comprising drug formulations were also developed in the art. US patent no 4,767,022 disclose a dispensing apparatus for individually packaged non-prescription drugs. The system comprises a housing having openings in the top and front walls thereof receive a plurality of vertically disposed magazines. The magazines each comprise a packet receiving tray member and a removable sleeve which partly encloses the tray member.
The developments in the packaging of primary packs comprising drug formulations disclosed above undoubtedly helped in improving several aspects relevant for overall packaging design and quality. However the problems associated with packaging of bunch of primary packs comprising drug formulations together in a carton/secondary pack, remain untouched. One of them is the problem associated with dispensing of a single primary pack from a bunch of primary packs, packed together in a carton/secondary pack. Mostly the primary packs comprising drug formulations have been packed as a bunch, directly in a carton/secondary pack. In such conventional cartons where the primary packs are loosely contained within the pack, there are always chances of falling off or loosing the primary packs due to loose open ends. So there remains a need to develop a packaging system for bunch of primary packs comprising drug formulations, which increase the patient compliance by an easy dispensing of a single primary pack from a bunch without falling off others.
In order to overcome the problems associated with conventional carton/secondary pack as disclosed above, a packaging kit has been developed. The packaging kit of the present invention comprise a sliding tray in which one or more primary packs comprising drug formulations can be kept and dispensed easily without any chance of falling off other primary packs kept therein.
Hence in one general aspect there is provided, a packaging kit for drug formulations packed in primary packs comprising outer carton and one or more sliding trays.
In another general aspect there is provided, a packaging kit for drug formulations packed in primary packs comprising outer carton and one or more sliding trays, wherein the kit is made up of single sheet-form blank.
In another general aspect there is provided, a packaging kit for drug formulations packed in blister(s)/strip(s), comprising outer carton and one or more sliding trays.
In another general aspect there is provided, an improved method of dispensing of drug formulations packed in blister(s)/strip(s) by using a packaging kit comprising outer carton and one or more sliding trays.
In another general aspect there is provided, a method of an improved dispensing of drug formulations packed in blister(s)/strip(s) by a packaging kit comprising one or more sliding trays, wherein the tray(s) may be pulled out for dispensing of the primary blister(s)/strip(s) and then be pushed back in.
Drug formulations are generally packed in primary packs. These primary packs are further clubbed to be packed in an outer carton with desired consumer information and convenience. A common problem associated with this type of conventional packaging of primary packs comprising drug formulations, is the inconvenience that occurs during the dispensing of a single primary pack by pulling it out from a bunch of such primary packs packed in a carton. If a consumer or a retailer tends to pull out a single primary pack from a conventionally designed carton, then always there are chances of falling of primary packs which were not intended to be pulled out. The packaging kit of the present invention provides the consumers and retailers an easier and novel way of dispensing primary packs comprising drug formulations. Present packaging kit provides one or more inbuilt sliding trays. Each tray may keep one or more primary packs comprising drug formulations. Consumers or retailers can simply pull out a sliding tray and can take a single primary pack by without disturbing other primary packs kept in the same tray or other trays. In this way the kit provides a remedy to the dispensing problems associated with conventional carton packages comprising bunch of primary packs.
The packaging kit may also be used for packaging and dispensing of single or combination of drug formulations which has to be dispensed following a special dosage regimen for the treatment of diseases which require long term or cyclical therapy.
In one of the embodiment the packaging kit is designed from a single sheet-form blank made up of a suitable packaging material selected form the group consisting of paper, laminated paper, plastic, organic or inorganic polymeric or copolymeric material such Polyvinylchloride (PVC), Polyethylene polymers, polyolefin's, nylon, Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH), Polyvinylidene Chloride (PVDC), Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Polypropylene (PP) and the like.
Single sheet-form blank is die-cut and scored (perforated) as shown in Fig. 1. It mainly comprises a part of sheet which forms one side of outer carton (1), another part of one-piece sheet which forms another side of outer carton (1'), and a part of one-piece sheet which forms inbuilt sliding tray (2).
Perforation present at the sheet, works as a tamper evident joint between the sliding tray and outer carton. Inbuilt sliding tray may be detached from the carton by cutting it through the perforations.
Different parts of the die-cut and scored (perforated) sheet is further folded in specific sequential way through the fold markings made between each part of the sheet. This process of simple folding ultimately leads to the finally designed pack as shown in Fig. 2. Packaging kit as disclosed in Fig. 2 comprises outer carton (1), sliding tray (2) and the perforations (3) formed between outer carton and sliding tray which makes it tamper evident.
This aspect of the packaging kit offers flexibility to run on semi-automatic machine and is production friendly. Despite of the unique design, these cartons are easily stackable and may be shipped and stored flat to minimizing transportation cost and ware house space.
The packaging kit may be used in dispensing of primary packs comprising drug formulations, kept in the sliding tray of the kit, in easier and safe way without falling off
other primary packs. The dispensing of primary packs may be done by desealing of tamper evident section of outer carton by tearing it through the perforations using hand, pulling out a sliding tray, taking out the desired primary pack comprising drug formulation kept in the tray, and pushing back in the sliding tray.
Opened packaging kit following the procedure as disclosed above is shown in Fig. 3. has outer carton (1) and sliding tray (2), which has been pulled out of the carton after desealing of tamper evident perforations (3) made between outer carton (1) and sliding tray (2).
In another embodiment more than one sliding trays may be designed in the packaging kit, and the kit may be made more advanced and more useful by including more sliding trays. In yet another embodiment, the sliding trays may be marked with appropriate marking to make it easily identifiable for packaging and dispensing of specific drug formulations. Separate trays may be used to keep specific doses of a single or combination of drug formulations, to be given for particular time of dosage regimen, and each dose may be dispensed at time simply by pulling out the specific tray having specific dose. In this way improved patient compliance and high safety in dispensing may be achieved by using the packaging kit of present invention.
The primary packs for drug formulations as used herein includes a primary package for drug formulations which include but not limited to blisters, strips, sachets and the like. The primary pack may be made up of any materials e.g. polyethylene polymers High Density Poly Ethylene, Low Density Poly Ethylene, or mixture thereof), Poly vinyl chloride, Poly ethylene tetraphthalate, (single layer or multilayer), paper or laminated paper, any organic or inorganic, metallic or non metallic materials and the like.
The term "drug formulations" as used herein includes any pharmaceutical dosage forms such solid dosage forms e.g. tablets, capsules, lozenges, troches and the like, semisolid dosage forms e.g. creams, ointments, suppositories, pastes, and the like, liquid dosage form e.g. syrups, tinctures, solutions, mouth washes, gargles, throat paints, and the like. These drug formulations may primarily be packed in primary packaging such Blisters, strips (for solid drug formulations) or sachets (for semisolid
and liquid drug formulations). Two or more sachets containing liquid or semi solid drug formulations may be attached through perforations on primary pack sheet.
While there have been shown and described what are the preferred embodiments of the invention, one skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications in the packaging kit and process of manufacture thereof may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as it is defined by the appended claims.

WE CLAIM:
1. A packaging kit for drug formulations packed in primary packs, comprising
(i) outer carton, and
(ii) sliding tray.
2. The packaging kit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the kit is made up of single sheet-form blank.
3. The packaging kit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the kit comprises more than one sliding trays.
4. The packaging kit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the kit material is selected form the group consisting of paper, laminated paper, plastic, organic or inorganic polymeric or copolymeric material.
5. The packaging kit as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the sliding tray contains one or more primary packs comprising drug formulations.
6. The packaging kit as claimed in claim 5 wherein primary pack is selected from the group consisting of blisters, strips, and sachets.
7. The packaging kit as claimed in claim 1 wherein drug formulation is selected from the group consisting of solid, semisolid or liquid dosage forms.
8. The packaging kit as per claim 1 dispense the primary packs kept in, by pulling the sliding tray out and then pushed back in after dispensing the primary packs.
9. A method of dispensing of drug formulations packed in blister(s)/strip(s) by using a packaging kit comprising an outer carton and one or more sliding trays.
10. A packaging kit for drug formulations packed in primary packs as described and illustrated in the figures herein.