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docbuxton
06-26-2007, 19:25
Hello all,
I am looking for some info on pill packs. I have been making them myself with a food saver and was recently told about a company you can send your OTC meds to and have packaged. I searched this site and yahooed with out luck. Does anyone have the company info?

Doc B

52bravo
06-27-2007, 03:30
try to look on LF there is post on that.

docbuxton
06-28-2007, 19:47
The other corpsman from LF called me and will be e-mailing the info to me. If anyone needs it, let me know.

Doc Buxton

haztacmedic
06-29-2007, 21:24
Please Pm me with the details on that.
HTM

NousDefionsDoc
06-29-2007, 22:12
Why don't you just post it?

swatsurgeon
06-30-2007, 06:35
What is the intended purpose of the pill packaging. The vacuum pack (food saver) system is usually very good. Are you trying to isolate each pill and preserve them due to potential exposure to the elements?
Just interested........

ss

jevo1976
06-30-2007, 12:45
What I did with my Combat Pill Packs was put them in a small 2 x 2 ziplock bag, and then cover that with 100 mph tape, with the tape protruding 1/4 of an inch or so from the bag on each side. I then cut a small notch on the tape so that it is more easily opened. I know it's not exactly vacuum sealed, but it does protect the contents from light, and it is fairly durable when crammed into a blowout kit. I would be curious to know how quickly the elements denature the efficacy of the pills - should anyone have that information. The biggest problems over there IMO is protecting the contents from heat and pressure, which is difficult to do when conducting daily operations in temperatures that reach 145 degrees. Oh, that and your 18F and 180A taking the Celebrex and Tylenol for pain and not telling you. :D Changing the pills out every couple of months should help to alleviate the first issue. Just my .02.

docbuxton
07-01-2007, 05:01
What is the intended purpose of the pill packaging. The vacuum pack (food saver) system is usually very good. Are you trying to isolate each pill and preserve them due to potential exposure to the elements?
Just interested........

ss



my goal is to seal a standard dose of any OTC med for now and have them to hand out to my guys. It is time consuming with my food saver and I heard of the easy way of sending them out and getting it done for me. I was told they will seal each med with the standard dose and then package them in a pill pack. Stand by for a little bit. I will post the company info and how to do it. It would be a great thing to have (space saver, less noise, etc)

Doc Buxton

Doczilla
07-01-2007, 12:02
Why reinvent the wheel? The most common OTC meds are already available in single-dose packs from the manufacturer. They are individually wrapped, labled, with expiration dates, and protected from light with opaque wrappers. Supply companies such as Moore Medical carry them in large boxes. Many other meds come in blister packages which can be cut into single doses.

Oral drugs at hospital pharmacies come in single blister packages (with labels and bar codes to reduce errors). You may look into getting them this way as well, as they are waterproof and if needed, packed in dark plastic to protect from light.

'zilla

jevo1976
07-01-2007, 12:45
Why reinvent the wheel? The most common OTC meds are already available in single-dose packs from the manufacturer. They are individually wrapped, labled, with expiration dates, and protected from light with opaque wrappers. Supply companies such as Moore Medical carry them in large boxes. Many other meds come in blister packages which can be cut into single doses.

Oral drugs at hospital pharmacies come in single blister packages (with labels and bar codes to reduce errors). You may look into getting them this way as well, as they are waterproof and if needed, packed in dark plastic to protect from light.

'zilla

Doczilla. While it is true that these drugs are available from the manufacturer in the packaging that you describe, we don't typically have a choice or a say in how these meds are distributed to us at the team, squad, platoon level, etc. You may actually get some in the blister packages, yet most others come in a 200 ct or 500 ct bottle, so at times you have to do your own thing when it comes to packaging. That may be docbuxton's dilemma.

Kind of a funny aside regarding the pill packs. Prior to deploying they issued us hair straightners to heat seal the foil packaging to make the pill packs. I remember my teammates laughing at me when they told me that the B-team medic had dropped off a hair straightener while I'd been gone. (My being bald created some good jokes that day.) Of course then I had to sign for the darn thing. And do you think I took up valuable pallet space with a hair straightner on the deployment?? Not so much. I wonder how much money was spent (wasted) purchasing a hair straightener for every team going over for that deployment. :)

docbuxton
09-13-2007, 19:37
I'm still waiting for the info. Need the company you can send the meds to and they will seal the stuff. The other guy didn't get back to me. Anyone have info ?

doc B

linedoc
09-14-2007, 03:55
Another vote for dime bag and duct tape. Even though I go light on the sickcall meds on foot, I like to take the small bottles and dispense as usual on long stays as I take an additional bag to go with my trauma bag.

Eagle5US
09-14-2007, 10:23
I'm still waiting for the info. Need the company you can send the meds to and they will seal the stuff. The other guy didn't get back to me. Anyone have info ?

doc B
Dude...you are making this harder than it needs to be.
Unless you are on a team...you ought to be watching all meds that your guys are taking anyway.
Just do the right thing...see your guys on sick-call when they need to be seen, and dispense meds as they should be dispensed.
Sending off to a company to package up 300 ea of individual ibuprophen is wasteful of time, money and everything in between...and it makes you look lazy.

Eagle

Needle D
09-14-2007, 11:58
I believe he is looking for the "war wound therapy" pill packs that concious pts can take if wounded, not the bag of motrin for an achy back.

FYI the war wound ones contain
Tequin-Gatifloxin-400mg
Mobic-15mg
Tylenol-1000mg

I will check, I may have some in the TM room. If not i will check with BN med and see if they have the ordering information.

Eagle5US
09-14-2007, 12:13
I believe he is looking for the "war wound therapy" pill packs that concious pts can take if wounded, not the bag of motrin for an achy back.

FYI the war wound ones contain
Tequin-Gatifloxin-400mg
Mobic-15mg
Tylenol-1000mg

I will check, I may have some in the TM room. If not i will check with BN med and see if they have the ordering information.
These are no longer used in theater....haven't been for over a year now:munchin

Eagle

52bravo
09-14-2007, 16:59
so you dont use the combat pill pack no more? - this is not meant to be use in sickcall it used in TCCC.

or is just that you dont use Gatifloxin - and now use moxifloxin?

Eagle5US
09-14-2007, 23:58
my goal is to seal a standard dose of any OTC med for now and have them to hand out to my guys. It is time consuming with my food saver and I heard of the easy way of sending them out and getting it done for me. I was told they will seal each med with the standard dose and then package them in a pill pack.

Doc Buxton

OTC meds...not RX meds

re: Combat Pill Packs-
These are no longer used in theater....haven't been for over a year now:munchin

Eagle

Again...
These are no longer used in theater...haven't been for over a year now.

Eagle

52bravo
09-15-2007, 03:10
is there a reason for US, has stop the combat pill pack?

is it only Iraq? or A-stan to?

Needle D
09-15-2007, 10:01
As of March we were still using them in Afghanistan. When i attended SOCMSSP in May they were still teaching them. I have not seen anything come down from Group or Bn med saying that we were not to be carrying them anymore. I will check with them on Monday to see if this has changed.

Eagle5US
09-15-2007, 10:17
As of March we were still using them in Afghanistan. When i attended SOCMSSP in May they were still teaching them. I have not seen anything come down from Group or Bn med saying that we were not to be carrying them anymore. I will check with them on Monday to see if this has changed.

I have no information on A-Stan.

As with every other thing in the Army...Group guys don't count :D
Unconventional folks may have different guidelines due to any number of reasons....not the least of which include remote placement or inability to reach advanced medical care in a timely fashion. Or just for the fact that they are special and have the best hair.:cool:

In Iraq, they have not been used (conventional forces) since at least Sep 06 when I arrived. There is little to no use for them as folks who are injured are generally at a LVL II (or better) facility in an incredibly timely manner.
Even MiTT and NPTT team medics are restricted from all medications that are not OTC by the MND-I SGN's Office and are mandated to utilize ADTMC now for their protocols.

Eagle

52bravo
09-15-2007, 10:33
sounds reasonably for iraq - also think the COTCCC see it more for a SHTF option.