A safety device to be used with a vial, or capsule, has a collar dimensioned to slidably fit about the body of the vial. Extending from the collar is a neck member that has connected to its other end a housing pivotable to a position along the longitudinal axis of the vial. A latch member having a lip is integrated to the neck member and extends out from the neck member in a direction towards the center of the collar. Neck member is fabricated to have an elastic characteristic so that if it is not biased by any external force, it will return to its original position. As the collar of the safety device is moved along the body of the vial, neck member is biased away from the vial as the latch member maintains contact along the outer surface of the vial, and then the outer surface of the hub formed at the top end of the vial. Once the collar of the safety device is moved to a position adjacent the hub, given the configuration of the neck member forms a space between the top of the collar and the lip of the latch member, the hub of the vial would fit within the space thus formed, as neck member snaps back to its original position. At which time the lip of latch member latches onto a shoulder portion of the hub. Once latched onto the hub, the latch member would prevent the safety device from being removed from the vial. Instead of the neck member, another embodiment of the inventive safety device has extending from the collar a rigid support frame and an elongate elastic latch member.
