WO2004020312A1

WO2004020312A1 - Child-proof, senior-friendly blister pack

Info

Publication number: WO2004020312A1
Application number: PCT/US2002/031224
Authority: WO
Inventors: Glenn A. Grosskopf
Original assignee: Colbert Packaging Corporation
Priority date: 2002-08-29
Filing date: 2002-10-01
Publication date: 2004-03-11
Also published as: AU2002368196A1; CA2671926C; CA2497044C; CA2671926A1; WO2004019854A3; CA2497044A1; WO2004019854A2

Abstract

A blister pack (10) for dispensing pills (34) that is child-proof yet senior-friendly. The blister pack (10) includes a substantially tear-resistant housing (12) that encloses one or more blisters (16) contained on a blister sheet (14) and surrounded by criss-cross grain material to provide cut or tear resistance in multiple directions. In one embodiment, the cavities (38) of the blisters (16) are positioned such that the pills (34) are aligned at an angle with respect to the corresponding dispensing slots (27) on the housing (12) in their normal position. The blisters (16) are kiss-cut, perforation cut or score cut detachably attached to a zipper strip (17) on the blister sheet (14) to prevent undesired rotation of the blisters (16). Upon removal of the zipper strip (17), the blisters (16) may be twisted until their pills (34) are substantially aligned with their respective dispensing slot (27). The blisters (16) may then be depressed to remove the pills (34) from the cavities (38) of the blisters (16) by pushing the pills (34) through the foil sheet (18) that covers the slots (27).

Description

CHILD-PROOF. SENIOR-FRIENDLY BLISTER PACK

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates in general to packaging, and more particularly to a blister pack that is child-proof while also being senior- friendly, and more particularly to a blister pack that is constructed of a substantially tear-proof card material with one embodiment that requires that the individual blisters of the blister pack be released and twisted and another embodiment that requires that the blister pack be released and then slid into proper alignment before allowing the pill to be removed from the blister pack.

BACKGROUND ART Heretofore, it has been well know to use blister packs for, among other things, the housing of pharmaceutical pills and liquids. Typically, blister packs consist of a series of blisters formed into a sheet of substantially impermeable clear plastic. The open end of the blister is generally covered with a thin metal foil or peel-off film that may be punctured or removed to access the pill inside the blister. While the known blister packs work, problems have arisen in their use. First, because of the nature of the contents of many blister packs, especially pills, there is a need to make the blister packs substantially childproof. However, in making a blister pack, a manufacturer must take into account that it should be easy to operate and open, especially for senior citizens who may experience diminished manual dexterity or hand pain from arthritis or the like. Therefore, there is a need to develop a blister pack that is substantially tamper and tear proof, childproof and senior-friendly.

A popular design of blister packs for labeling and housing products is known as a clamshell. Clamshells may be reusable or permanently sealed. Permanently sealed clamshells are generally formed from a clear plastic housing that is sealed together through radio frequency (RF), sonic vibrations or electrical resistance. As the housing is generally made from clear plastic, inserts made of cardboard and other materials are often inserted into the clamshell packaging to describe or label the goods. While permanently sealed clamshells offer increased protection from pilfering, there are several drawbacks associated with the use of such clamshells. In particular, the process for inserting an insert and for sealing the clamshell together is generally expensive and time consuming. Moreover, in order to hold the larger quantities of products in the "institutional" or "value" packages normally sold in warehouse clubs and the like, and/or to make such packages harder to shoplift, such large all plastic clamshells tend to take up a greater amount of shelf space than necessary, use up more packaging material than necessary to make the package and result in a greater amount of wasted packaging material. Such sealed all plastic clamshells also tend to be harder to open than other sorts of packaging. Additionally, such plastic packaging is slippery and the knife or scissors being used to open the package by penetrating the plastic clamshell can bounce or slip off the package and cut or otherwise wound the user. In addition, when cut open, the plastic housing often has sharp edges that can pose a risk to the user, especially young children. Therefore, there is a need to produce a substantially pilfer-proof blister pack that allows for a retailer to describe or label the product, while being both economical, easy to manufacture and sized to take up a minimum amount of shelf space.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention is an improvement over the prior blister packs in that layers of the card material for the housing are overlapped so as to criss-cross the grain of the overlapped layers used. Accordingly, the housing is resistant to cutting or tearing in two directions instead of only one. The blister portion of the package can be a single large plastic compartment or multiple bubble-like plastic compartments secured by the overlapping layers of the card portion.

Likewise, in a pharmaceutical dispensing, substantially, childproof version, the way that products contained therein are removed is unique and comprises an improvement over the prior art. In particular, the housing of the blister pack is made from a substantially tear-resistant material to inhibit pilfering or undesired tearing of the card portion in order to access the contents of the blister pack. In the childproof pharmaceutical version of the blister pack embodiment, a blister sheet having a plurality of blisters is enclosed within the housing. At the outset, the cavities underneath the blisters are aligned such that the pills inside the cavities are substantially perpendicular to the dispensing slots on the bottom sheet of the housing. In order to prevent the blisters from being twisted to dispense the pills, a zipper strip is kiss-cut or otherwise attached in perforated cut fashion to the blisters. Upon removal or disengagement of the strip, the released blister may be twisted until the blister's pill is aligned with its respective dispensing slot, thereby allowing the blister to be depressed so as to push the pill or capsule through the film covering the dispensing slot, in order to remove the pill. While the example shown in this application describes the longitudinal axis of the dispensing slot as initially aligned at 90 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the blister and the pill contained therein, other angles should be considered as being within the scope of this invention. In another embodiment, the blisters need to be released and moved or slid into alignment with a slot to permit release of the pill contained therein.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved blister pack that is substantially childproof, yet senior- friendly.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a blister pack wherein the housing is manufactured from a printable, substantially tear-resistant material.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved blister pack that requires a blister to be released so as to allow the blister to be twisted or slid in order to enable a pill to be dispensed, so as to prevent undesired dispensing of medication by children.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved blister pack that requires a blister to be released to slide into alignment with a slot to enable the pill to be dispensed so as to prevent undesired dispensing of medication by children.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a blister pack for displaying products or product information that is substantially tear-resistant.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a blister pack that is easy and economical to manufacture. Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the childproof pharmaceutical dispensing blister pack showing the zipper strips of the blister sheet and housing top sheet still attached and the blisters in their normal non-dispensing position; the slots in the housing bottom sheet perpendicular to the blister cavities and in phantom; and a cover in the open position to access the blisters. Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the childproof pharmaceutical dispensing blister pack showing the housing top sheet unfolded and rotated away from the housing bottom sheet, the blister sheet having a plurality of blisters removably attached to a removable zipper strip, a plurality of pills, and a foil layer.

Fig. 3 is a vertical plan view of an unfolded single housing sheet showing a series of scored lines used to form the housing top sheet, housing bottom sheet, and cover for the childproof pharmaceutical dispensing blister pack.

Fig. 4 is a partial perspective view of the childproof pharmaceutical dispensing blister pack showing the zipper strips partially removed from the housing top sheet and blister sheet and away from the first pair of blisters. Fig. 5 is a partial perspective view of a cavity of a single blister being rotated

90 degrees to allow a pill to be dispensed from the childproof pharmaceutical dispensing blister pack.

Fig. 6 is a vertical plan view of a clamshell embodiment of a blister pack having a central, single rectangular display chamber. Fig. 7 is an exploded view of the clamshell alternative embodiment from Fig. 6 showing the housing bottom sheet rotated away from the housing top sheet and the central, single rectangular display chamber having a rim to be securely retained between the top and bottom sheets when attached. Fig. 8 is an exploded view of the childproof pharmaceutical dispensing blister pack illustrating a blister sheet before the blisters and zipper strip are cut away, and a thin film or foil sheet for placing over the pill dispensing slots to retain the pills within the cavities of the blisters until the blisters are unlocked.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the blister pack providing criss-cross grain card material surrounding a plurality of blisters.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the childproof pharmaceutical dispensing blister wherein a clock dial is simulated about each blister and the dispensing slots are aligned so as to corcelate and graphically illustrate when the pills should be taken. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a slidable blisters embodiment of a childproof pharmaceutical dispensing blister pack showing the zipper strips of the blister sheet and housing still attached and the blisters in their normal position away distal from the dispensing slots.

Fig. 12 is the slidable blisters embodiment of Fig. 11 showing the zipper strips partially removed from the housing and blister sheet to release a blister to allow it to move from its normal position to a position over the corresponding slot, as shown in phantom, to dispense the pill.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail several specific embodiments, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered merely an exemplification of the principles of the invention and the application is limited only to the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the improved child-proof pharmaceutical dispensing blister pack of the present invention, generally designated by the numeral 10, is illustrated having a housing 12; a blister sheet 14 containing a plurality of blisters 16 and a zipper strip 17; and a thin film or foil sheet 18.

The housing 12 includes a top sheet 22, a bottom sheet 24 and a cover 26. Although the housing is shown in the figures as being constructed from a single sheet of material, it is appreciated that the housing may be comprised of multiple parts that are attached to one another and not depart from the scope of the present invention.

The top sheet 22 of the housing includes a series of holes 23 shaped to receive the blisters 16. A zipper strip 25 may also be included on the top sheet 22 that may be removed in conjunction with, or beforehand to allow the removal of, the zipper strip 17 on the blister strip 14. It is appreciated that the zipper strip 25 may be a uniform strip or may be comprised of a series of distinct strips that are individually located between a pair of blisters. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, it is preferred that when multiple zipper strips are utilized, the zipper strips be separated by spaces or holes 29 to allow for the end 31 of the zipper strips 17, as explained in more detail below, to extend through the hole 29. Having the ends of the strips extend through the holes facilitates the removal of the zipper strips from the housing and blister sheet to release a pair of blisters. While a zipper strip 25 is shown, it is appreciated that the top sheet 22 may instead include a slot or other opening for accessing the zipper strip 17 of the blister sheet 14. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the housing bottom sheet 24 has a series of dispensing slots 27 that are sized to allow the pills contained within the blisters to be easily dispensed.

In order to facilitate the manufacture of the blister pack, the single sheet 20 of material may be scored as shown in FIG. 3. In particular, the housing 12 may include a first scored line 28 between the top sheet 22 and the bottom sheet 24 to allow the top and bottom sheets 22 and 24 to be folded on top of one another. The housing 12 may also include additional scored lines 30 and 32 to allow for the cover 26 to be folded over the blisters 16 when in use. It is appreciated that instructions or other information may be printed on the inside or outside surface of the cover. The housing is preferably made from a SPS board coated on one side with a uni-directional laminate material. Such material is easier to cut or tear in the direction of the grain, than against it. Hence, when two housing sheets are folded or otherwise placed on top of one another, instead of the unidirectional grain of the materials all going in the same direction or being parallel, (as it would in a single sheet of material which is less resistant to tearing or cutting in the direction of the grain) the grains 50,52 of the overlapped sheets serve to overlap. The criss-crossing grains 54 of the overlapped material adds strength to the housing and protects against undesired tearing or cutting in two directions. The board stock can be any standard board stock. An example of a suitable uni-directional laminated material is a specialty film produced by Naleron Strength Films under the trademark NALEROΝ™. While Naleron is made from a polyethylene material, other such coatings could be made from polypropylene or polyester. While a SPS board coated with a laminated material is used, it is appreciated that other materials having sufficient strength to resist tearing, including, but not limited to, heat sealable boards and other coatings, may also be used and not depart from the scope of the present invention. Referring now to FIG. 2, the blister sheet 14 includes a plurality of blisters 16 for housing pills 34 and a zipper strip 17. Each blister 16 includes a base 36 and a cavity 38 for containing a pill 34. The cavity 38 is preferably shaped and positioned such that when the blister 16 contains a pill 34, the pill 34 extends perpendicular to the dispensing slot 27 on the bottom sheet 22 of the housing 12 to prevent its removal from the blister pack. However, it is appreciated that the cavities and the pills therewithin may be positioned in any direction as long as they are not substantially parallel to nor aligned with the dispensing slot when in the normal position. Hence other angles between the longitudinal axis of the slot and the longitudinal axis of the blister or pill may be used. In order to facilitate the twisting of the blister 16, the blister may include a tab, protrusion or indentations 40 on the top or side of the blister. The blister and the housing need to cooperate to enable rotation of the blister when released, while still securely holding the blister within the housing. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the cavities may simulate the position of an hour hand on a clock to correlate to or indicate when the pills should be taken.

Preferably, the blister sheet is molded from a substantially tear-resistant material, such as a 10 mil PNC, which is substantially transparent to enable the pills to be visible when contained within their respective cavities. However, it is appreciated that the blister sheet may be made from a variety of opaque, transparent or otherwise material and not depart from the scope of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 8, the blister sheet 14 is preferably molded into a sheet that includes a plurality of blisters 16 and tabs 31. The blisters 16 and zipper strip 17 may then be cut away in a known way to form the blister sheet 14 shown in FIG. 2 for use with the present invention. While a blister pack having seven blisters is shown in the figures, it is appreciated that the blister sheet may have any number of blisters and not depart from the scope of the present invention. Additionally, although a blister sheet having an even number of columns of blisters is shown so that a pair of blisters may be released at the same time, it is appreciated that the blisters on the blister pack may be arranged in any configuration, including in a single column or otherwise.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the zipper strips 17 extends between two columns of blisters 16. In order to prevent the blisters from being twisted, each zipper strip is removably attached to the bases of the blisters. While one zipper strip is shown as cooperating with two blisters or two rows of blisters, each blister or row of blisters can be provided with its own zipper strip. Furthermore, while the zipper strips are preferably kiss-cut or perforation-cut to the blisters, it is appreciated that they may be detachably attached to the blisters by other means and not depart from the scope of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the ends 31 of the zipper strips 17 extend through holes

29 in the housing top sheet 22 to enable the zipper strips 17 to be readily engaged by the user. A tab or similar device may be attached to the end 31 of the zipper strip 17 to facilitate the gripping and removal of the zipper strip. While a zipper strip is shown and described, it is appreciated that the blisters may be retained using other retaining members and not depart from the scope of the present invention.

Once the pills 34 are contained within the cavities 38 of the blisters 16, a foil sheet or thin film 18 is placed over the open end of the blisters 16 to maintain the pills 34 within the blisters 16. It is appreciated that the foil sheet or thin film may also be placed over the housing bottom sheet such that when the blister sheet is contained within the housing, the pills are contained within the cavities of the blisters. The foil sheet or thin film allows for the pills to be pushed through the film to dispense the pills. The blisters stick through the openings of the housing and are retained by a peripheral flange that abuts against the underside of the top sheet of the housing.

In order to make the blister pack, a blister sheet 14 having a number of blisters 16 as shown in FIG. 8 is molded from a 10 mil PNC sheet. Pills or capsules 34 are then inserted into the cavities 38 of the blisters 16. With the pills inside the cavities of the blisters, a foil sheet 18 is attached to the bottom of the blister sheet 14 to seal off the cavities 38, thereby retaining the pills 34 in the cavities 38. The blister sheet 14 is then cut into a matrix having a plurality of blisters 16 kiss-cut, scored or perforation- cut to a zipper strip 17 and inserted into the housing 12 such that the blisters 16 extend through corresponding holes 23 in the top sheet 22 of the housing 12. In order to form the housing, the housing sheet is folded along a scored line 28 separating the top sheet 22 and the bottom sheet 24. The top and bottom sheets are then fixedly attached to one another using a heat-activated adhesive or any known method to securely retain the sheets together and prevent tampering of the blister pack. The housing 12 also may be folded along additional scored lines 30 and 32 to provide a cover 26 for the blister pack 14.

In order to remove the pills 34, the end 31 of on the zipper strip 17 is pulled to remove the zipper strips 17 and 25 from the top sheet 22 of the housing 12 and the blister sheet 14. Removal of the zipper strip 17 from the blister sheet 14 disengages the strip 17 from the blisters 16 to which it was connected, thereby releasing the blisters 16 contained on the blister sheet 14 to allow the blisters 16 to be rotated or twisted 90 degrees (in this example) to align the pills 34 in the cavities 38 of the blisters 16 with the corresponding dispensing slots 27 on the bottom sheet 24 of the housing 12. The blisters 16 may then be pushed so as to drive and expel the pills 34 from the blister pack 10 through the film.

It is the two-step zipper strip pulling and blister twisting operation that makes the package substantially child-proof because children are not likely to figure out how to release the blister for rotation and alignment with the dispensing slot, yet senior- friendly because seniors should be able to perform these operations with a minimum of manual dexterity or with arthritis pain. Single or double dose versions of this embodiment should also be considered as part of the invention. Likewise, as indicated above, other blister sheets having any number of blisters, such as, but not limited to, 14 or 30 blisters, should be considered as being within the scope of the invention.

While a blister pack for dispensing pills is shown and described, it is also appreciated that the tear and cut resistant material disclosed above may be used for other blister packs, such as clamshells, other pill dispensers and the like. Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, an embodiment of a clamshell blister pack, generally designated by the numeral 100, is shown having a housing that includes a display chamber 102 and a slot 104.

The housing is preferably made from a SPS board coated on one side with a uni-directional laminated material so that when two housing sheets having grains 140 and 150 (partially shown on Fig. 7) are placed on top of one another such that the grains overlap, the criss-crossing grains 160 of the materials (partially shown in Fig. 6) adds strength to the housing and protects against tearing or cutting in 2 directions. A suitable coating is manufactured under the trademark NALERON™ by Naleron Strength Films. While Naleron is made from a polyethylene material, other such coatings could be made from polypropylene or polyester. The material used also is preferably printable to allow for advertising, promotional or other information to be displayed on the housing. While a SPS board with a cross-laminated coating is preferred, it is appreciated that other materials having sufficient strength to resist tearing, including heat sealable boards and other coatings, also may be used and not depart from the scope of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 7, the housing is preferably made from a single sheet of material having a scored line 108 to facilitate the folding of the top half 110 onto the bottom half 112 of the sheet to form the blister pack 100. While the housing is shown as being formed from a single sheet, it is appreciated that it may be formed from a pair of sheets that are affixed together. The housing of the blister pack includes an opening 114 sized to accommodate a display chamber 102 for displaying products or other materials such as labels (not shown) or the like. The opening may be of any shape or size to accommodate a suitable display chamber.

The display chamber 102 preferably extends outward from the housing sheet in order to house the product or label and is preferably made of a clear material such as a PNC to enable the contents inside the display chamber to be viewed. To prevent objects from being inserted to tamper with the blister pack, it is prefened that the display chamber be sized to fit snuggly within the opening so that the tamper-resistant sheet of the housing surrounds the perimeter of the display chamber. In order to secure the display chamber within the housing, a rim 116 may extend around the bottom 118 of the display chamber 102 such that when the display chamber 102 is inserted through the opening 114, the rim 116 abuts with the underside 120 of the top half 110 of the sheet to prevent the display chamber 102 from being pulled through the opening 114. While a contiguous rim is shown in the figures, it is appreciated that the display chamber may be retained by a series of tabs or other suitable means such as adhesives.

With the display chamber inserted into the opening, a product or label may be placed within the display chamber in the proper orientation for display. The two housing halves are then closed together about the scored line and securely affixed. The two halves are preferably affixed together using a heat-sealed adhesive, although it is appreciated that other types of adhesives or attaching means may be utilized and not depart from the scope of the present invention.

The blister pack 100 may also include a hole or slot 104 at the upper end of the blister pack that is sized to enable the blister pack to be placed onto a rod (not shown) at the point of sale for sale or display. Because of the cross sectional characteristics of the housing, the hole is reinforced to prevent tearing or manipulation.

Turning to Fig. 9, another embodiment of a pill dispensing blister pack 190 is shown. A criss-cross grain double layer card 191 includes a top sheet and a bottom sheet that surround and retains a plurality of blisters 192. While the blister pack is shown as having ten substantially round blisters, it is appreciated that the blister pack may have any number of blisters of varying shapes and not depart from the scope of the present invention. A plurality of dispensing slots are formed on the bottom of the card 191 and are covered with film or foil so that the pills (not shown) contained in blisters 192 can be pushed through a thin film or foil sheet (not shown).

As shown in Fig. 10, the blister pack 10a shown and disclosed above may also include a simulated clock dial 200 about the periphery of each of the blisters 16a. As shown by the differing alignments of dispensing slots 27a, the alignment of the blisters 16a can be used to simulate or conelate to the times when the pills should be taken. For instance, when a pill should be taken every three (3) hours, the cavities 38a of the blisters 16a can be aligned at 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 9 o'clock and 12 o'clock etc. so as to serve as a visual reminder of when and/or how often to take the medication. Alternatively, dispensing slots 27a could be aligned at 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 9 o'clock and 12 o'clock etc. so as to serve as a visual reminder of when and/or how often to take the a pill as well as a visual record of when a pill was last taken.

Referring to Fig. 11, an alternative embodiment 300 of a blister pack having sliding blisters is shown. The blister pack 300 includes a housing 302 having a top sheet 304 and a bottom sheet 306 that enclose a blister sheet having a plurality of blisters 310 and a zipper strip 312 removably attached to the blisters 310. The top sheet 304 of the housing 302 includes a series of slots or channels 314 shaped to receive the blisters 310 and allow the blisters 310 to more within the housing 302. A plurality of dispensing slots 316 are located within the channels 314 distal from the normal position of the blisters 310 so as to prevent dispersal of a pill 318 without releasing the blister 310. The dispensing slots 316 are preferably covered by a thin film or foil sheet 320 so as to allow the pill 318 to maintain the pills within the blister while allowing the pill to be pushed through to permit removal of the pill. Although it is prefened that a thin film or foil sheet be used, it is appreciated that the dispensing slot may be uncovered or covered by other means including a removable cover. A zipper strip 322 also may be included on the top sheet 304, whereby the zipper strip 322 may be removed in conjunction with, or before, the removal of the zipper strip 312 on the blister sheet. While each blister 310 has a zipper strip 312 and a zipper strip 322 individually associated with it, it is appreciated that a pair of blisters 310 could share the zipper strips 312,322 positioned between them. In order to facilitate the removal of the zipper strips 312, 322, a tab 324 at the end of the blister sheet zipper strip 312 extends through a hole on the top sheet 304 to allow the tab 324 to be grasped to remove the zipper strip 312 so as to release the blister 310. Once released the blister 310 can be slid along the channel 314 from position A and into position B and into vertical alignment with the corresponding dispensing slot 316. The pill 318 within the blister 310 can then be pushed through the film320 covering the slot 316. While four (4) sliding blisters 310 are illustrated, other anangement having one or more blisters 310 and channels 314 should be contemplated as being within the scope of the invention. It is the two-step zipper strip pulling and blister sliding operation that makes the package substantially child-proof, yet senior-friendly because seniors should be able to perform these operations with a minimum of manual dexterity or with arthritis pain.

In order to gain access to the product or information contained within the display chamber, it is prefereed that the housing be cut with a scissors. Because of the material used for the housing, the resulting cut will be free of sharp edges, thereby making the blister pack safer to use.

While the clamshell blister pack is shown as having a display area, it is appreciated that information may be printed directly onto the housing rather than being contained within the display area. It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention, but it is understood that this application is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CHILD-PROOF. SENIOR FRIENDLY BLISTER PACKClaims

1. A child-proof and senior-friendly blister pack for dispensing pills, wherein the blister pack comprises: a blister sheet having one or more blisters, wherein each blister includes a cavity for housing a pill, and wherein each cavity has a longitudinal axis; a retaining member extending adjacent to the blisters, wherein the retaining member is removably attached to the blisters to prevent the blisters from being twisted; a housing encompassing the blister sheet and having one or more dispensing slots therein, wherein each of the dispensing slots has a longitudinal axis, and wherein the longitudinal axis of each of the dispensing slots is not initially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the corresponding cavity of the blister; and whereby the retaining member is removable so as to release at least one of the one or more blisters to allow the blister to be twisted until the longitudinal axis of the cavity of the blister substantially aligns with the longitudinal axis of the dispensing slot to allow for the pill to be dispensed through the dispensing slot.

2. The blister pack of claim 1 which further comprises means for covering the dispensing slots

3. The blister pack of claim 2 wherein the blisters further include means to facilitate the twisting of the blisters.

4. The blister pack of claim 2 wherein the housing further includes a cover.

5. The blister pack of claim 2 wherein the housing is made from a single sheet.

6. The blister pack of claim 2 wherein the housing is made from at least two sheets.

7. The blister pack of claim 2 wherein the covering means is a foil sheet.

8. The blister pack of claim 2 wherein the longitudinal axis of the cavity is initially at about a 90 degree angle from the longitudinal axis of the corresponding dispensing slot.

9. The blister pack of claim 2 wherein the retaining member is a zipper strip.

10. The blister pack of claim 2 wherein the housing further comprises a clock face having a plurality of numbers sunounding the blister, wherein the cavity of the blister is initially aligned with a number on the clock face to indicate when to take the pill.

11. The blister pack of claim 2 wherein the housing further comprises a clock face having a plurality of numbers sunounding the blister, wherein the dispensing slot is initially aligned with a number on the clock face to indicate when to take the pill.

12. The blister pack of claim 2 wherein the housing comprises a top half made from a substantially tear-resistant material having grains aligned in one direction and a bottom half made from a substantially tear-resistant material having grains aligned in a direction contrary to the grains of the top half to result in a substantially criss-cross pattern of grains to provide resistance to tearing in multiple directions.

13. The blister pack of claim 12 wherein the substantially tear-resistant material comprises a SPS board coated with a polyurethane material.

14. A method for dispensing a pill from a blister pack comprising the steps of: providing a blister pack having a series of blisters for housing the pills and a series of dispensing slots having a longitudinal axis, wherein each of the blisters has a cavity for containing the pills having a longitudinal axis that is not aligned with the longitudinal axis of the conesponding dispensing slot; removing a retaining member from the blister pack to release at least one of the blisters for rotation; rotating the blister until the longitudinal axis of the cavity of the blister is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the conesponding dispensing slot; and depressing the blister to push the pill through the dispensing slot.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the blister pack further comprises a clock face having a plurality of numbers sunounding the blister, wherein the cavity of the blister is initially aligned with a number on the clock face to indicate when to take the pill.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the blister pack further comprises a clock face having a plurality of numbers sunounding the blister, wherein the dispensing slot is initially aligned with a number on the clock face to indicate when to take the pill.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the retaining member is a zipper strip.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the longitudinal axis of the cavity is initially at about a 90-degree angle from the longitudinal axis of the conesponding dispensing slot.

19. A clamshell blister pack comprising: a housing comprising: a top half made from a substantially tear-resistant material having grain aligned in one direction; a bottom half made from a substantially tear-resistant material having grain aligned in a direction contrary to said grain of said top half and fixedly attached to the top half so as to result in a substantially criss-cross pattern of grain when said top and bottom halves are placed together so as to provide resistance to tearing in multiple directions; an opening in the top half of the material; and a display chamber that extends through the opening of the top half of the housing and is attached to the housing.

20. The clamshell blister pack of claim 19 which further comprises a slot extending through the top and bottom half of the housing;

21. The clamshell blister pack of claim 19 wherein the top and bottom half are made from a printable material.

22. The clamshell blister pack of claim 19 wherein the display chamber includes a rim that abuts against the underside of the top half of the housing when the display chamber extends through the housing to retain the display chamber within the blister pack.

23. The clamshell blister pack of claim 19 wherein the substantially tear- resistant material is a SPS board coated with a polyurethane material.

24. A blister pack for dispensing pills comprising: a blister sheet having one or more blisters, wherein each blister includes a cavity for housing a pill; a housing comprising: a top half made from a substantially tear-resistant material having grains aligned in one direction; and a bottom half made from a substantially tear-resistant material having grains aligned in a direction contrary to said grain of the top half and fixedly attached to the top half so as to result in a substantially criss-cross pattern of grains to provide resistance to tearing in multiple directions.

25. A child-proof and senior- friendly blister pack for dispensing pills, wherein the blister pack comprises: a blister sheet having one or more blisters, wherein each blister includes a cavity for housing a pill; a retaining member extending adjacent to said blisters, wherein the retaining member is removably attached to the blisters to prevent the blisters from being moved; and a housing encompassing the blister sheet and having one or more dispensing slots therein, wherein each of the dispensing slots is not aligned with the pill within the blister; whereby the retaining member is removed to release at least one of the plurality of blisters to allow the blister to be moved until the pill within the blister substantially aligns with the dispensing slot to allow for the pill to be dispensed through the dispensing slot.

26. The blister pack of claim 25 which further comprises means for covering the one or more dispensing slots.

27. The blister pack of claim 26 wherein the means for covering the one or more dispensing slot is a foil sheet.

28. The blister pack of claim 27 wherein the housing comprises a top half made from a substantially tear-resistant material having grains aligned in one direction and a bottom half made from a substantially tear-resistant material having grains aligned in a direction contrary to the grains of the top half to result in a substantially criss-cross pattern of grains to provide resistance to tearing in multiple directions.

29. The blister pack of claim 28 wherein the substantially tear-resistant material comprises a SPS board coated with a polyurethane material.

30. A method for dispensing pills from a blister pack comprising the steps of: providing a blister pack having a series of channels, a series of blisters for housing the pills, and a series of dispensing slots, wherein the series of blisters are initially retained within the channel by a retaining member such that the blister is not aligned with the dispensing slot; removing the retaining member from the blister pack to release at least one of the blisters; moving the blister along the channel in the blister pack until the blister is substantially aligned with the conesponding dispensing slot; and depressing the blister to push the pill through the dispensing slot.