Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 26 November 2015: Under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Abdul Rahman Bin Mohammed Al Owais, UAE Minister of Health, the UAE Ministry of Health (MOH) and Globalpharma – A Sanofi Company jointly launched a first of its kind ‘innovative advanced medicine pack’ today. With the aim of fulfilling unmet patient needs, the new medicine pack is designed to improve treatment outcomes by making disease information easily accessible, empowering visually impaired people and preventing drug counterfeit.

His Excellency Dr. Amin Hussein Al-Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Policy and Licensing, UAE Ministry of Health; His Excellency Professor Dr. Tawfiq bin Ahmed Khoja, Director General of the Executive Board, Health Ministers Council, GCC; His Excellency Khalid Bin Kalban, Managing Director and CEO, Dubai Investments; His Excellency Dr. Al Sayed  Omar, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health Kuwait for Medicines and Medical Equipments; and Mr. Patrick Aghanian, Head of Middle East Zone for Sanofi UAE unveiled the new pack as part of the UAE Innovation Week celebration.

Innovative Healthcare Solutions

“We aim to enhance the health of people in the UAE through comprehensive health programs and meaningful partnerships. Through this important collaboration with Sanofi, our country now becomes one of the first in the world to implement this truly innovative ‘advanced medicine pack,” said His Excellency Dr. Amin Hussein Al-Amiri. “We hope to apply this new packaging design for all other medicines for the benefit of all residents in the UAE.”

Improving Treatment Adherence

The pack has been designed to facilitate improved patient adherence to treatment regime. The ‘intake chart’ on the new pack will aid patients with a clear visualization of the intake schedule and link with food and daily routine.

“Managing and treating illnesses is a complex and often challenging process.  At Sanofi, we work to make patients’ lives better. We demonstrate this in various ways – through product innovation and delivery systems, amongst others. The new innovative advanced medicine pack is part of our continuous efforts to improve treatment outcomes and patient experience,” said Patrick Aghanian. “Collaboration and partnerships that are founded on common goals and shared priorities help us deliver on these commitments. We have worked with the UAE Ministry of Health to introduce this novel pack that aims to empower patients and bring about a meaningful difference in their lives,” he said.

Empowering Visually Impaired Patients

The new pack will allow the visually impaired to recognize their medicines, avoid medication errors through braille calligraphy available both Arabic and Latin, and become more independent while managing their condition.

“The advanced medicine pack will empower us to manage our treatment regime with limited dependency on others. I am very glad that the concept is now locally available and positive that it would go a long way in meeting the unique healthcare needs of people like me,” expressed Mr. Naser Mohamed Nourani, a visually impaired person.

Technological Innovation and Anti-Counterfeit Measures

Moreover, it will also allow patients to scan the QR code on the box using a smartphone and instantly access educational materials in English and Arabic. It will also carry a 2D data matrix technology, providing full traceability of the medicines for patients’ safety. This technology automatic detects counterfeit and expired goods.