What Is Pharmaceutical Product Packaging?
Pharmaceutical product packaging serves many important purposes, beyond just holding medication. It ensures the safety and effectiveness of pharmaceuticals, protecting them from external factors like light, moisture, and contamination, and provides important information to patients and healthcare professionals.
Types of Pharmaceutical Product Packaging
Below are the most common pharmaceutical product packaging types:
Vials Packaging
Vial containers are larger in size and can hold more drugs than ampoules containers. These versatile containers are made of glass and plastic materials and are perfect for storing liquid, solid, or powder drugs. With their increased capacity, vial containers provide convenience and ease when it comes to storing and accessing medications.
Sachet Packaging
Sachet packaging is available in various shapes and sizes and made of a special type of plastic that gives them a unique paper-pouch look. Not only are they visually appealing, but they can also be easily torn by hand, making them incredibly user-friendly.
Blister Packs
Blister packs are becoming increasingly popular in the pharmaceutical industry. These packs, made from thermoformed plastics and aluminum foil or plastic lidding, are not only cost-effective but also reduce wastage of materials. The transparent film allows for quick identification of products and enhances their advertising impact at the point of sale. Plus, the easy removal and dosing of tablets contribute to better patient satisfaction. Blister packaging is also equipped with flexible design features, making them the go-to choice for pharmaceutical companies worldwide.
Bottles
Pharmaceutical packaging bottles come in two types, glass and plastic, and are usually orange or light brown in color. These colors actually provide protection to liquid drugs from harmful ultraviolet (UV) lights. UV lights can degrade the effectiveness of certain drugs, causing them to lose their potency over time. The orange and light brown hues act as a shield, filtering out those harmful UV rays and keeping your medications safe and potent.
Ampoules Packaging
Ampoule packs are containers, made of glass or plastic, specifically designed to store single-dose liquid medications. Not only are ampoules practical, but they’re also environmentally friendly.
Common Medicine Packaging Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
About 50% of pharmaceutical recalls are due to packaging errors. Below are the most common medicine packaging mistakes that can occur and tips on how to avoid them:
Using the Wrong Medicine Packaging Material
Using the wrong packaging material can make medical products unusable. That’s why it’s essential for pharmaceutical companies to invest in packaging that preserves the healing effects of the medicine inside.
Rectangular boxes are the go-to choice for medicine packaging. They’re easier to handle, stackable, and allow for more efficient shipping. Pharma packaging also needs to be of good quality, robust, and resistant to ensure the safe transportation of fragile products.
When shipping medications, temperature control is key. Moisture and heat can have a devastating impact on the effectiveness of the medicine. That’s why insulated shipping boxes are essential. They can maintain the required temperature for several days, ensuring your pharmaceutical and biopharma products arrive in perfect condition.
Pharmaceutical Packaging Labeling Errors
Misspelled texts, wrong product names, and incorrect translations are some of the common mistakes made in pharmaceutical packaging labeling. These errors can have serious consequences, putting patient safety at risk. That’s why it’s crucial to ensure error-free labels and packaging.
Here are some tips to avoid labeling mishaps:
- Involve all key stakeholders in the planning process to guarantee accuracy.
- Leave enough time for proofreading and samples to catch any errors before printing.
- Follow FDA regulations like displaying important information prominently and using clear, customer-friendly language.
- Design unique container labels to prevent confusion with other products.
- Blister packs must include vital drug information like name, strength, expiration date, and manufacturer details.
Printing Inconsistencies
Printing inconsistencies on pharmaceutical packaging may seem minor, but they can cause major damage to your brand equity. Issues like off-color shades, different fonts, distorted artwork, or even tiny blemishes can reflect poorly on the quality of your product. That’s why it’s crucial to pay attention to every detail in your packaging process. Overlooking printing inconsistencies can lead to expensive errors that your company definitely needs to avoid.
Make sure to double-check your packaging for any quality issues. Don’t let a small mistake become a big problem for your brand reputation and your business’s bottom line. It’s also important to invest in quality printing processes and ensure that your packaging reflects the high standards of your product.
Benefits of Effective Pharmaceutical Product Packaging
One of the most important benefits of effective pharmaceutical product packaging is protection. Medications are sensitive to light, moisture, and temperature fluctuations, and a well-designed packaging can shield them from these harmful elements. This helps to maintain the potency and efficacy of the drugs, ensuring that they deliver the desired therapeutic effects when consumed.
Additionally, proper packaging can also prevent contamination. By providing a barrier between the medication and external contaminants, such as bacteria or dust, it reduces the risk of spoilage or contamination during transportation and storage. This is particularly crucial for injectables or liquid medications that are more susceptible to microbial growth.
Key Takeaways
Avoiding pharmaceutical product packaging mistakes can be daunting, but at Ascend Packaging Systems, we can help ensure you have the right type of packaging equipment and features to help mitigate errors.
We provide a wide range of machinery, tooling, and replacement parts for blister packs, bottles, pouches, and medical devices. From the semi-automatic Sepha EZ Blister for low-volume blister packaging to the non-destructive leak testing machines like the Sepha VisionScan 3D and Sepha Multi-Q, we have the right packaging equipment to meet your needs. Contact us today to learn more about our line of pharmaceutical packaging solutions.
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