| Drivers affecting the pharmaceuticals sector from both a manufacturing and legislative viewpoint are affecting every aspect of production, including packaging. Andreas Graf of Sigpack Systems discusses some of the factors that influence pharma packaging, and looks at examples where new packaging solutions have had to be developed
PACKAGING LEGISLATION
Over the past decade, the introduction of new legal requirements concerning the supply of medication has had a serious impact on the packaging of oral medicines. Legislation now ensures that packages are easy to dispense, child resistant but senior friendly, identifiable, functional and well protected for global logistics.
The standard packaging forms of oral medicines generally conform to these requirements. However, some innovations provide added benefits in one area but may not conform to the expected standards governing another. For instance, blister packs provide convenience and ensure hygiene. They are ideal for our fast-paced lifestyles and fit well with the need to take medication on the go. For many products, these packs are the de facto norm and there has been a significant increase in their use. Indeed, blister packaging provides one of the best worldwide growth prospects amongst all pharmaceutical packaging products, with demand increasing 6.2 per cent annually to well over US$4 billion.
However, alongside increased hygiene and convenience, the packaging must still be child resistant and identifiable. Few blister packs are child resistant, which goes against recent UK Government proposals to ensure that medicines containing aspirin, paracetamol and iron are supplied in child resistant packaging, to cut the number of accidental poisonings. In fact, the proposed legislation particularly targets blister packs. Identifiable packaging is also now being given more attention than in the past. The advantages of being able to trace a tablet, pill or capsule back to the time, day and factory where it was produced have obvious health and safety implications. |
