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When looking for medical device packaging solutions, there are many things to consider in order to protect your product and stick to regulations. Supply chain efficiency, sustainability, and many other factors come into play as well. Pharmaceutical products are different than many others because of the regulations placed on them. Companies still have freedoms within the regulations to customize and make packages their own. Here are tips to help you choose the right packaging.
Don’t Forget about Regulatory Requirements
The National Library of Health states that pharmaceutical medication packaging requirements depend on the type of substance and its use. Regulations are placed on these products to ensure patient safety and to prevent tampering.
Secondary and tertiary transport packaging has country-specific as well as global regulations. They are overseen by the FDA, WHO, EU Medicine Agency, the ISO, and the Pharmacopeia Guidelines. These guidelines are highly important and compliance with each is necessary.
Prioritize Product Protection
Sustainable packaging logistics are important, but even if you have a sustainable package, it won’t help your company, its brand, or the product you sell, if the product arrives at the customer in poor shape. The package you create needs to protect the product while meeting regulations and standing out as something that suits your brand.
Your company will need to think about the durability of the packaging. Can the contents be preserved when it is being sent, handled, and stored? Pharmaceuticals can be kept safe and secure with the use of barriers and primary and secondary packaging alternatives.
Consider Material Compatibility
When working with pharmaceutical products, material compatibility is essential, yet it’s not a must in every industry. Packaging cost savings can still be achieved, but your company needs to ensure that there aren’t any interactions between the packaging materials and the drug product inside. Those interactions can compromise safety and quality.
The quality of the drug must not be impacted by the sterile material used in pharmaceutical packaging. The package must also protect the drug from moisture, oxygen, and even light so that it will continue to work when clients eventually receive and use it.
Utz Group manufactures items with “cleanroom compatibility”. Each business develops customized, reusable trays that work well on automation lines. These trays decrease manual labor and increase efficiency while ensuring compliance with cleanroom guidelines for pharmacy products. The time to market is minimized and the operating costs decrease as well.
Optimize for Supply Chain Efficiency
Supply chain efficiency is an important element of getting pharmaceutical products from one location to another and the packaging plays a big role in that process. Each package should be designed to prevent damage, but also to enhance precision. IT’s not a bad idea to utilize smart technology to track the packaging and keep it secure.
Focus on Sustainability
Forbes states that while packaging is meant to protect products primarily, it’s sustainable packaging that holds the true power in the market. In order to make the most of sustainable packaging logistics, you need to ensure that your packages are just the right size for your product. The appropriate size custom back on waste and protects the product further.
Utz Group provides sustainable, recyclable, reusable transport packaging for B2B clients, designed for closed-loop systems to optimize logistics and reduce environmental impact. Once you have reliable packaging in place, you don’t have to buy as many, or any, raw materials, which helps your company to cut back on its carbon footprint.
Evaluate Cost vs. Quality
The lower-cost packaging items are enticing, yes, but are they the best option for your products? Not always. While it’s nice to entertain a smaller bottom line when it comes to packaging costs, lower-cost packaging options might not have the quality you need.
It’s important to balance the cost with the quality of your products, so that they are protected and remain intact, while you don’t overdo the costs and end up paying too much on the packaging portion of the process.
In Conclusion
Choosing packaging for any product is a process, but pharmaceutical products have an extra layer (or two) to consider. Not only do you need to protect the product, but you also have to follow regulations for the state and national agencies in charge. These safety regulations protect consumers, and following them is in your company’s best interest as well. Add to that giving your packaging a customized look that fits the product and is cost-effective and sustainable, and you have a winning combination.
