Individually packaged OTC Meds in Canada?

November 5, 2010 10:02 AM

Is there some (legal?) reason why I can't seem to find individually-packaged OTC medications in Canada (eg. acetaminophen, ibuprofen, aspirin...)? What are some alternative ways to package small amounts of meds for a backpacking first aid kit?

Here's probably way more details than you need, about my question above:

When I was living in the US not so long ago, I purchased a small first aid kit to use for backpacking. One thing that it had was several small paper/foil packages of common OTC drugs (ibuprofen, aspirin, etc). Having these seemed to be a common feature of similar first aid kits found in the US. The drugs were wrapped in individual doses (ex. a small paper pack of 2 tylenol) and all these small packs were individually labelled with what the drug was for, dosage information and an expiry date. They were like these.

When I used this kit backpacking a few times, I found that these medications were by far the thing in the kit that I was most likely to use, and I found them very handy - eventually using most of them.

However, now living in Canada I can't find any refills for my kit! All the websites selling first aid kit refills in the US won't ship any of the individually packaged meds to Canada. All of the Canadian first aid kit refill sites don't sell individually packaged meds. I can't find any boxes of them at drug stores here either. All that I can find here is various sized bottles of meds, which I don't like for this purpose for several reasons outlined below.

So, what I'm asking is:

1. Is there some specific reason I can't get individually packaged OTC medications in Canada? Ex. is there a legal reason? Or is it just some availability thing? Or is there somewhere I can get them?

and

2. What are some ways that I could re-package small amounts of pills for use in my backpacking first aid kit, keeping in mind that the reasons I liked the individually packaged pills were:

a) Clearly labelled (including drug name, dosage info, usage, warnings and expiry date.

b) Stopped the pills from rattling around as they would in a bottle (undesirable while backpacking), and protecting them from hitting each other and breaking up.

c) Packed much smaller (and lighter!) than having several small plastic bottles of different drugs.

d) Being pre-wrapped in the correct dose is easy to deal with when cold/wet/wearing gloves

posted by Diplodocus to health & fitness (14 answers total)

For #2: Minimus.biz ships to Canada and carries "trial size" stuff, like OTC drugs. They even have sets, like this one, with a bunch of common OTC trial sizes.

All I could find on their shipping page about international restrictions was, "For international shipments, all duties, fees, licenses, taxes, and adherence to local laws, regulations and customs, and any other such international issues are the sole responsibility of the customer."
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 10:16 AM on November 5, 2010

I'm in Canada and I've certainly seen what you're talking about here, but of course can't think of precisely where. (Bad rural restaurants and tiny convenience stores have them at the cash sometimes, but I think that sort of display is increasingly rare.) And they are on the expensive side for regular use like this.

But very easy to DIY here -- you could use Glad Press'n Seal, or you could go to a discount store or craft shop and buy the 1" square zip-lock bags that are sold to crafters for little beads etcetera and to drug dealers for drugs. A Sharpie or a pen and sticker would sort the labelling issue.

I keep pills in my purse in a tiny screw-closed aluminum container; I got mine from Lee Valley, but dealextreme.com will send you one for $1.55, shipping included. They pack in tightly enough to not rattle around.
posted by kmennie at 10:21 AM on November 5, 2010

I am too lazy to buy separate trial-size bottles of each drug, so I put individual doses of pills in those tiny little ziplock baggies (you can usually find them at craft stores and big-box stores), and write information on the outside of the baggies in Sharpie. Then I put all the baggies into a sandwich-sized baggie and put that in the first-aid kit.

Advantage: Way cheaper than trial-size
Disadvantage: More work, and you probably can't write small enough to write more than drug, dose, and expiration date -- if you need the usage and warning info, it might not be the best plan.
posted by kataclysm at 10:22 AM on November 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

I just snip the larger plastic and foil blister packs. There's usually enough print left on the foil to know what's what.
posted by Ahab at 10:25 AM on November 5, 2010

Sew your own packages shut using some paper, thread, and a sewing machine (Paper can be sewed!) You can print out your own labels, and make infinite amounts of packets.

If you want official packaging, try going to your doctor or local mediclinic for a checkup and asking them for a few packets. They have tons.
posted by lizbunny at 10:26 AM on November 5, 2010

*more waterproofed option: add a layer of wax paper on the outside before sewing. Easy to tear open.
posted by lizbunny at 10:28 AM on November 5, 2010

If you have a heat sealer or know of a local store that does have one (off the top of my head, I think I've seen these at big-box office supply stores in their print centres), you could get some plastic, make your own little pill-packets and Sharpie in the information on the plastic.

Failing that, maybe paper coin envelopes cut to size with the information written on the front? If you worry about waterproofing, you could always wrap the bottom of the envelope with duct-tape.
posted by zennish at 10:33 AM on November 5, 2010

I've seen them in Pennsylvania and Michigan in supermarket/Walmart aisles where they have travel-size shampoos and laundry soap and stuff like that. No idea why that wouldn't translate over to Canada.
posted by skyl1n3 at 12:18 PM on November 5, 2010

They make zip-lock pill bags, little tiny ones, for just stuff like this, often with a space that's designed to be written on. See here. (I know, you're in Canada, but this is basically what you're looking for anyway.)

I really doubt you need the warnings and such since we're talking about common OTCs and your personal use. You could just keep an index card with that info for each drug in the kit if you need it. (Possibly laminated with packing tape.) It'd be easy to write something like 'Ibuprofen 200mg x2' on one little packet, then the date that you packaged it.

You could get multiple colors of Sharpies and make it simple to pick out what you want quickly: The writing on ibuprofen is red. Tylenol, blue. Benadryl, green. Whatever.
posted by gracedissolved at 12:23 PM on November 5, 2010

In case it helps, in a drugstore I'd expect to find the travel-size OTC meds beside the travel-size shampoo and toothpaste, rather than beside the full-size OTC meds. If nothing else be sure to check with the pharmacist.
posted by mendel at 2:05 PM on November 5, 2010

Check the pharma companies' websites for sample offers. I got a tiny little pack of Tylenol this way, when they came out with some new form, that sounds like exactly what you need. A quick browse of Tylenol and Advil sites didn't turn anything up running at the moment, but you never know.
posted by mariokrat at 3:28 PM on November 5, 2010

Look at the convenience store, not the drugstore. They'll have cylindrical canisters holding ten or so advil or tylenol.

PS lizbunny -- if you're sewing paper you're probably ruining your needles.
posted by custard heart at 4:48 PM on November 5, 2010

Canadian pharmacies regularly make up blister packs of prescription medication (at no charge in Canada Safeway at least). I think they would provide that service for OTC drugs, although probably for a fee.
posted by Neiltupper at 2:50 AM on November 6, 2010 [1 favorite]

A chap stick tube is the perfect pill container. Put the chap stick all the way to the top and pull it out. Pop off the bottom. Use scissors to nip off the stick the chap stick was on. Pop the bottom back on. Holds ten round pills (Ibuprofen). Does not rattle. Easy to print off a label.
posted by anaelith at 5:43 AM on November 7, 2010