As recently as 10 years ago, practically all pharmaceutical tubes had simple screw-top closures. The traditional screw-top closures required the consumer to perform a twisting motion to open the tubes. Today's flip-top caps enable tubes to be opened with a less awkward motion. North American consumers have come to expect them, while European consumers are still used to the standard caps, she notes. Because these wide closures provide a base for the tube to stand on, the product inside moves toward the opening instead of getting stuck in the tube.
Users have easier access to all of the product in the tube.
Traditional tubes with a narrow cap, unless somehow stored vertically, could only be stored horizontally, a position that would take up more space. To be displayed vertically on a retail shelf, these tubes had to be stored in folding cartons. Today's larger closures eliminate the need for cartons and improve storage space. Additionally, in January 1998, the commission decreed that child-resistant tubes also had to be senior friendly as well. Child-resistance mandates on packages containing minoxidil will take effect this year.