What is a main requirement of the Poison Prevention Packaging Act?

The Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA) establishes specific regulations to protect children from accidental poisoning through the use of household substances, including prescription medications. A primary requirement mandated by this act is that safety caps, or child-resistant packaging, must be used for all prescription drugs, unless an exemption or waiver has been applied. This regulation ensures that the packaging is designed to be difficult for young children to open but still accessible to adults, addressing the critical need for safeguarding children from potential ingestion of harmful substances.

The emphasis on safety caps reinforces the importance of packaging in the overall strategy to prevent poisonings and reflects a commitment to public safety. While there are exemptions for certain drugs and situations—such as when a patient or caregiver requests non-child-resistant packaging—this foundational guideline under the PPPA is crucial for minimizing risks associated with unintentional poisonings in children.