When is a month not a month?

Lunar month of 28 days used for medications

Sir, – Our busy pharmacists deal every day with hundreds of medicines in tablet form that are prescribed for long-term conditions at six-monthly intervals by the equally busy GPs.

However, the manufacturers of these monthly medications supply them in packets based on the lunar month of 28 days. In some cases, pharmacists oblige patients by inserting additional daily tablets to make up a month’s supply, a time-wasting practice for busy people.

Can this nonsensical process be ended with all pharmaceutical manufacturers accepting that a monthly supply for a long-term medication equates to 30 daily doses and amend the packaging accordingly? – Yours, etc,

DAVID LOUGHLIN,

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Dublin 6.