Specification of boxes

In the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), packaging of loose drugs into Type A, B & C boxes are done at the State Drug Stores (SDSs) under the guidance of the State TB Officer (STO)/ Medical Officer (MO)/ Drug logistics in-charge.

Specifications for packaging of patient-wise monthly drug box

Common for both Type A and Type B boxes

• Material: Punching ring flap model (1 side pin) 3 ply corrugated, top paper 230 gsm, ply 150 gsm and the inner wall of 180 gsm.
• Opening: From the top with the attached lid.
• Packing: Box should be stapled with heavy pins.
• Colour: Outer white and inner brown

Type A Box

• Size: 10.5” x 7.5” x 3.25”  (inch)
• Partitions in the box: 3 ply white to white vertical and 12 horizontal, fitting in to vertical serially
• Size of partition: Horizontal: 7.5” x 2.75” – Vertical 10” x 2.75”
• In each Type A box, one pouch of silica gel desiccant of 4 gm weight should be kept.
• One monthly pouch of capsule Cycloserine and tablet Ethambutol each should be made from a plastic bag with a zip lock facility in which a 1 gm pouch of silica gel desiccant should be kept.

Type B box

• Size: 11” x 4” x 4”  (inch)

Figure 1: Type A Box; Source: Guidelines on Programmatic Management of Drug-resistant TB (PMDT) in India; CTD, MoHFW, India, 2017.

Figure 2: Type B Box; Source: Guidelines on Programmatic Management of Drug-resistant TB (PMDT) in India; CTD, MoHFW, India, 2017.

Specifications for Labelling of Patient-wise Monthly Drug Box

• Once the patient-wise monthly drug box is prepared, labels for these drug boxes should also be prepared to contain all details about the drugs within the box and printed directly from the Ni-kshay Aushadhi system.
• Labels should be generated for each cycle of box preparation and contain expiry-wise drug content of the boxes and should be pasted over the boxes prepared during that cycle only.
• The label should be marked with a bold marker pen and pasted on the visible side of the carton.
• Labelling the drug boxes helps in facilitating the storekeeper to follow the First Expiry First Out (FEFO) principle, avoids excessive stocking of shortage drugs/ drug stock imbalances, enables issue of the regimen-wise box systematically and the barcode present on the label helps to ensure better inventory, tracking and supply chain management.

Resources

• Guidelines on Programmatic Management of Drug-resistant TB (PMDT) in India; CTD, MoHFW, India, 2017.
• Standard Operating Procedure Manual Procurement & Supply Chain Management; CTD, MoHFW,India,2018.
• Procurement, Supply Chain Management & Preventive Maintenance, Module 6; CTD, MoHFW, India.

Assessment