It seems that many pharmaceutical companies are overlooking the “convenience size” as a means to expand usage occasion opportunities and grow their brands.

There are plenty of consumer health products that are used on an occasional basis. Packaging them in unit-doses would likely hold great appeal for on-the-go consumers and for travelers who may not want to pack a quantity of product that is too large for their immediate needs. Discrete, travel-sized doses are often overlooked as a way of marketing convenient, smaller volumes—at a premium.

Unit doses are also a great way of avoiding the need for a measuring device; though the ritual of taking a liquid drug from a spoon is both familiar and reassuring to consumers. The concept (depicted in the illustration) offers a packaging solution for a unit-of-use laxative that offers convenient dosing but maintains the soothing elements of the ritual. It’s a 5 ml spoon closure with an overcap fitted to a plastic pouch that automatically loads the spoon with product.

The consumer bends the tab in the pouch to break the primary seal, allowing the product to flow with a light squeeze. Once opened, the package can dose up to two 5 ml spoonfuls, depending on the user’s requirements.

By varying the design of the closure, the system can be used to inject liquids, pastes or gels in a number of ways—with a level of precision and directability that goes beyond the capabilities of a regular pouch. Additionally, the overcap can be fitted with a child-resistant feature when required.

The concept demonstrates how established, flexible pouch technology can be hot-rodded with a smart piece of insert-molded plastic to offer something quite revolutionary. BP

The author, Robert Croft, is Managing Partner of Swerve Inc., specialists in 3-D brand design. Contact him at 212.742.9560 or rob@swerveinc.com.