Butterfly Method
When applying patient labels to stock medication bottles, the patient label must be firmly affixed to the medication bottle, while keeping the product name, DIN, LOT number, and expiration date visible.
For small stock bottles of medication, for which important medication information would be occluded by the patient label, patient labels should be affixed using the Butterfly Method:
- Butterfly Method refers to the folding of patient labels onto themselves in order to meet the requirements for maintaining visible product information
- Example: Synthroid 125mcg (02172119) is a small stock medication bottle for which the patient label would occlude important product information if it were to be affixed flat against the bottle. Instead, the patient label should be affixed in a manner that ensures the product name, DIN, LOT number, and expiration date remain visible.
1. Affix the patient label to the medication bottle on one end of the label such that the portion of the label that is not affixed is perpendicular to the length of the medication bottle
2. Affix the loose end of the patient label to the medication bottle, leaving the middle section of the patient label unattached and appearing bowed out from the medication bottle.
3. Pinch the bow of the patient label together, forming a sharp and flat fold in the patient label such that all of the adhesive of the label is covered.
