Pharmacy Daily | New labels for Warfarin

IN THREE weeks' time Warfarin (coumadin) will have new labels on their blue bottles to help combat the selection and dosage issues found recently, announced its manufacturer Viatris' Head of Operations ANZ Rob Elliot at APP 2023.

"We are aware of the issues and are working with the TGA on new labels for Warfarin," Elliot said.

"We'll be releasing products with new labelling in the coming three weeks.

"So, the big change we're making short-term is that it will be very clear from the labelling which dose Warfarin it is.

"There will be different colours and larger sizes of labels for all the strengths of the product."

In the future, Elliot told Pharmacy Daily that the product could well be marketed in blister packs.

"What we're doing in May, or maybe Jun, is laying down stability trials of the product in different blister packs, because we don't know which blister packing type will give the product the stability over its lifetime.

"What that means is those trials will go for about two years.

"At the end of those trials, we'll know which product and which blister packing type will be appropriate.

"And then we're looking to move the products to blister packs to give you the differentiation that you cannot do in any other form."

Viatris is also actively participating in industry information events at universities in both Sydney and Queensland to connect students with members of the pharmaceutical industry and jobs that are on offer.

Viatris Australia has continued its relationship with universities, such as Griffith University, University of Queensland, University of Sydney and University of Technology, to engage young people outside of the lecture halls and to detail the industry support available for students in the STEM fields.

In order to support future generations of the STEM workforce, Viatris is offering internships in Sydney and tours for students of its Carole Park manufacturing site in Ipswich, Queensland, which 70 pharmacy students from The Queensland University of Technology recently visited.

"They learnt about how we use innovation and sustainable operations to manufacture our medicines and deliver high-quality medicines to Australian patients as well as export to over 40 countries," said Elliot.