Stability of chronic medicines in dosage administration aids. How much have been done?

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of chronic diseases is increasing in Asia, therefore compliance to the medications is of utmost importance to slow disease progression and improve outcomes. Dosage administration aids (DAAs) serve as important tool to improve the compliance of patients. However, there is a dearth of data on the stability of chronic medications in DAAs. Furthermore, data presented by our Western counterparts may not be applicable to us because of our extreme humidity and temperature. In this study, we aim to summarize the data available in the literature on the stability of chronic medications in DAA. METHODS: We performed a literature search using electronic databases and related keywords. RESULTS: In total, 24,336 articles were retrieved and 21 articles were found to be relevant to our topic. This commentary stratified drugs according to their treatment categories and key stability conclusions, DAA and conditions used and recommendations were presented. CONCLUSION: Due to the lack of specific data, pharmacists have to exercise their professional judgment with the help from professional guidelines when using DAA in repackaging medication. Manufacturers and regulators can play a greater role in filling the gap needed to provide pharmacists with necessary information to fulfill their function.