It’s a common irritation. You open up a new packet of paracetamol or ibuprofen and it happens every time – the leaflet is wrapped around the tablets. But it turns out that this is no coincidence – and there is a sneaky way to avoid it.
Steve Brownett-Gale, who is an expert at pharmaceutical packaging firm Origin, explained that research showed more than half of Brits – 56 per cent – are on prescription medication. Further, one in eight of us will take a painkiller every day. As a country, 1.08 billion prescription items were dispensed last year alone, reports Gloucestershire Live.
Steve said: “But despite the huge volume of medication being dispensed and consumed each day, most people shockingly don’t know the correct way to open medication packets. One Redditor under r/BritishProblems voiced their frustration for opening pill packets only to always find the medication leaflet wrapped around the blister pack, making it difficult to remove and re-insert their medication.
“However, they aren’t alone. Other commenters on the post, which garnered over 6.5k votes, replied with similar grievances. One commented ‘I do this every single time with my medication. It drives me nuts’, while another described the experience as ‘The bane of my life at work’.”
How to open paracetamol or ibuprofen tablets the right way
Steve revealed a savvy tip for those struggling with tricky medication packaging: “It may feel like a coin flip, but it doesn’t have to be. A little-known trick is to look out for the medication’s expiry date printed or engraved on one of the carton’s flaps. Whichever side this is on, it’s the opposite flap that you’ll need to open to get leaflet-free access to your medication.
“Medication packaging is actually strategically designed to try to make you open it the ‘wrong’ way first. For safety reasons, packaging designers will try to get patients to engage with the Patient Information Leaflet by encouraging them to remove it from the packet, making it more likely that you’ll look through this important information.”
He went on to explain that the design is intentional: “For this reason, it’s common that the correct opening of the medication packet is where you’re less likely to suspect. People also tend to instinctively open the packet with the leaflet side up as its weight makes it feel like the logical choice, misleading you into thinking that’s where the medication is.”
Steve concluded, urging patience when accessing medication: “While getting the wrong end of the pill packaging can be annoying, it’s important not to get frustrated and throw away the leaflet and packaging altogether. The information provided in the leaflet can be crucial for understanding dosage instructions, potential side effects and other important details about your medication. Discarding it without review could lead to misunderstandings or even potential health risks.
“However, following this hack will help ensure you never have to struggle with accidentally crumpling the leaflet when trying to reinsert blister packets, making your medication routine smoother and more hassle-free.”