Safe Rx’s locking medication vial looks to secure meds
Safe Rx — maker of locking prescription vials — began with anesthesiologist and father of two Sean Serell, who recognized the potential danger of having medication laying around the house. Also noting the way pilfered drugs contributed to the opioid epidemic, Serell decided to create a vial based on a bike lock. Drug Store News spoke with Safe Rx chief commercial officer Andy Cipra to discuss how the company is reducing unintended access to medication with its products.
Drug Store News: What does the company offer in terms of retail products?
Andy Cipra: Currently, Safe Rx Locking Medicine Bottles are available in two sizes. The 18-dram or small bottle is available in amber and blue. It’s one of the most commonly used sizes in the pharmacy and [is] designed for the pharmacist to use to dispense new prescriptions. The 60-dram or large bottle was developed to secure a smaller traditional bottle inside. The Safe Rx Locking Medicine Bottle offers a unique safe storage solution that is convenient to use both at home and on the go. We have options for pharmacies to buy in bulk and fill prescriptions in the Safe Rx Locking Medicine Bottles for the patient, as well as retail products that can be sold over the counter, stocked on the shelf and included in displays.
DSN: Why should retailers carry the bottles for their patients?
AC: Offering Safe Rx Locking Medicine Bottles to patients is a simple, yet highly impactful action pharmacies can take to help stem the opioid crisis and differentiate themselves in the community by providing an inexpensive safe storage solution. In 2016, the last full year of available data, more than 64,000 people died from opioid and drug addiction, and more than 900,000 teenagers started abusing drugs for the first time. It affects all communities, including upper- and
lower-income areas, urban and rural communities, and the problem impacts millions of families each year.
However, we are doing little to prevent our teens from that first encounter of misusing prescription. Most of the current emphasis is on treatment, which can cost about $15,000 a year per person, which is often too late in the vicious cycle of abuse. Safe Rx Locking Medication Bottles offer an important step to preventing the problem, and gives the pharmacy an educational opportunity to discuss the dangers of these drugs and the importance of safe storage.
DSN: Where should they be placed in the store, and how should they be merchandised and marketed?
AC: Safe Rx is working with new retail customers to provide a turnkey approach to offering Safe Rx locking medicine bottles, with programs that include pharmacy starter kits, point-of-sale materials, discounted product for the first 90 days, and a pharmacist training plan. With each participating pharmacy location, Safe Rx also provides several media kits with a sample press release that allows retailers to reach out to local news media, community groups and government officials to recognize the retailer’s work to be part of the solution
DSN: What does the future look like for the company in terms of new products and promotional initiatives?
AC: The future looks very exciting — we continue to believe we can make a huge impact on reducing pilfering and saving lives. As a new company, we are getting great feedback from consumers, community leaders, parents, safety and prevention experts, doctors and pharmacists. We lock so many things up today — jewelry, guns, even our phones — so the idea of a simple, inexpensive solution to lock up everything from pills to vitamins is really resonating.
Andy Cipra is the chief commercial officer at Safe Rx.
Drug Store News: What does the company offer in terms of retail products?
Andy Cipra: Currently, Safe Rx Locking Medicine Bottles are available in two sizes. The 18-dram or small bottle is available in amber and blue. It’s one of the most commonly used sizes in the pharmacy and [is] designed for the pharmacist to use to dispense new prescriptions. The 60-dram or large bottle was developed to secure a smaller traditional bottle inside. The Safe Rx Locking Medicine Bottle offers a unique safe storage solution that is convenient to use both at home and on the go. We have options for pharmacies to buy in bulk and fill prescriptions in the Safe Rx Locking Medicine Bottles for the patient, as well as retail products that can be sold over the counter, stocked on the shelf and included in displays.
DSN: Why should retailers carry the bottles for their patients?
AC: Offering Safe Rx Locking Medicine Bottles to patients is a simple, yet highly impactful action pharmacies can take to help stem the opioid crisis and differentiate themselves in the community by providing an inexpensive safe storage solution. In 2016, the last full year of available data, more than 64,000 people died from opioid and drug addiction, and more than 900,000 teenagers started abusing drugs for the first time. It affects all communities, including upper- and
lower-income areas, urban and rural communities, and the problem impacts millions of families each year.
However, we are doing little to prevent our teens from that first encounter of misusing prescription. Most of the current emphasis is on treatment, which can cost about $15,000 a year per person, which is often too late in the vicious cycle of abuse. Safe Rx Locking Medication Bottles offer an important step to preventing the problem, and gives the pharmacy an educational opportunity to discuss the dangers of these drugs and the importance of safe storage.
DSN: Where should they be placed in the store, and how should they be merchandised and marketed?
AC: Safe Rx is working with new retail customers to provide a turnkey approach to offering Safe Rx locking medicine bottles, with programs that include pharmacy starter kits, point-of-sale materials, discounted product for the first 90 days, and a pharmacist training plan. With each participating pharmacy location, Safe Rx also provides several media kits with a sample press release that allows retailers to reach out to local news media, community groups and government officials to recognize the retailer’s work to be part of the solution
DSN: What does the future look like for the company in terms of new products and promotional initiatives?
AC: The future looks very exciting — we continue to believe we can make a huge impact on reducing pilfering and saving lives. As a new company, we are getting great feedback from consumers, community leaders, parents, safety and prevention experts, doctors and pharmacists. We lock so many things up today — jewelry, guns, even our phones — so the idea of a simple, inexpensive solution to lock up everything from pills to vitamins is really resonating.
Andy Cipra is the chief commercial officer at Safe Rx.