Packaging pharmaceutical products is difficult. While some products are not strictly regulated and manufacturers have a lot of choice in what packaging styles and materials they use, pharmaceutical manufacturers do not enjoy these freedoms. Pharmaceutical products are highly regulated for compliance with multiple government agencies along with other federal, state, and local laws. Additionally, pharmaceutical products are consumed in ways that differ greatly from other product types, necessitating customized packaging solutions. In this post, we’ll review the most important considerations in choosing a packaging solution for your pharmaceutical products.
Form & Function
The first major consideration when selecting a packaging solution for your pharmaceutical product is how well does the form of the packaging fit the required function? For example, many medications are packaged in single-dose packaging to make dosing easy and convenient for customers. While single-dose packaging works well for pills or powders, liquids present a challenge in this form, which is why most liquid medications are packaged in a bottle of some sort. Form and function should always complement each other for the most effective packaging.
Regulatory Compliance
The next major consideration is if your pharmaceutical packaging meets regulatory and legal standards. Pharmaceuticals are strictly regulated by government agencies like the FDA and by federal, state, and local laws. This is true even for over-the-counter options. Proper labeling, sterility/quality of product, and preventing unintentional use are all priorities for regulators.
Econocorp offers cartoning, tray forming, and case packing equipment that will help your product and packaging slide through regulatory checks with ease. All our machines are made with sanitary stainless steel to reduce the possibility of contamination (with proper cleaning and maintenance). We also offer optional features with all machines to handle your labeling, ink print, or deboss coding needs. Finally, our machines can handle a wide variety of packaging types, including child-proof and single-dose.
Tracking Inventory
Another consideration when choosing a packaging solution for your pharmaceutical product is the need for tracking inventory. Some medications, like narcotics, are regulated even more strictly than the average prescription medication. For these medications, inventory must be closely tracked from the creation of the substance all the way through dispensing to the patient. By using packaging that facilitates this tracking, you can achieve accountability for the medication from initial packaging all the way through the sales and dispensing process.
Sustainability
Finding ways to reduce our footprint on the Earth has become a hot topic, and as an industry known for single-use plastic containers, the pharmaceutical industry has come under a bit of fire for its wasteful ways. But manufacturers can have the best of both worlds by choosing packaging that is more sustainable. While reusable packaging isn’t a possibility at the moment due to sanitation concerns, there are changes manufacturers can make to improve the environmental-friendliness of their packaging. Opting for packaging materials that are biodegradable, recycled, and/or recyclable are great places to start. Once a “greener” packaging material is found, optimizing packaging processes to eliminate material waste is a natural next step. Sustainability is a lifelong journey for all companies, and hopefully, we will all find ways to respect our planet while still providing essential products and services to our customers.
Customized Pharmaceutical Packaging Solutions
If the packaging process for your pharmaceutical product could use a makeover, let Econocorp help you design a customized packaging solution that checks off all your must-have boxes. Call us at (781) 986-7500, email us at info@econocorp.com, or contact us online to find out how our high-quality cartoners, tray formers, and case packers can revolutionize your pharmaceutical product line.
