Packaging of pharmaceutical products is just as important as the manufacturing of the product. Almost as much as half of the recalled products have packaging or labeling issues. Inadequate packaging of pharmaceutical products leads to a great market loss and also breaks the trust of consumers. More importantly, it runs the risk of damaging the consumers’ wellbeing.
Therefore, it’s essential that pharmaceutical companies take the procedure of packaging just as seriously as the process of manufacturing. In this article, we are going to share a few of the best practices that help improve the packaging of pharmaceutical products and ensure the safety of customers.
1. Prioritize compliance with GMP and Local Regulations
The pharmaceutical industry is one of the most regulated industries worldwide. That is why compliance with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) must be of utmost importance for any pharmaceutical company. GMP and FDA regulations compliance is mandatory for all pharmaceutical companies.
The FDA and GMP have standardized safety regulations and formatting requirements that need to be met by all brands, companies, and product types in the pharmaceutical industry.
As most pharmaceutical companies cater to consumers globally, they also have to comply with several local and regional regulations. This makes the process a bit more complex and makes it difficult to standardize product packaging across the board.
Thus, it requires a team of experts who are aware and updated with all the requirements and can interpret them in the context of the target market to ensure that you have compliant packaging.
2. Re-design Packaging Business Procedures for Higher Quality and Accuracy
If you’re facing issues with labeling inaccuracies or packaging inconsistency, then it’s vital for your company to re-evaluate the business processes. Often times, the communications between different departments within a company lead to labeling errors due to discrepancies or misinterpretation.
When multiple people and departments are involved in the development of labels and packages for thousands of products that are to be distributed across multiple countries or demographics, then the chances of errors increase exponentially.
Moreover, with the involvement of multiple persons and teams, the potential for human error increases even further. That is why your procedures should be designed in a way that requires multiple checks and double-checks of the packaging accuracy before the products are sent to the market.
Most commonly, the following factors result in the recalling of pharmaceutical products in the context of labeling and packaging errors:
- Mistakes in packaging
- Errors in labeling
- Defective containers
- Missing or incorrect package insert
- Error on declared strength
- Missing or incorrect lot number
- Use of color additives
With these common errors in mind, you can design business processes that ensure the elimination and mitigation of these issues before the products are sent out to the market.
3. Improve Efficiency with Automation
If you want to fundamentally improve the efficiency of packaging and labeling procedures for your pharmaceutical products, you’ll have to incorporate automation. The common reason for errors in packaging and labeling occur due to manual procedures that involve multiple people. Such processes are bound to have a high risk of incorrect execution and errors.
In order to prevent delays in the release of the products or the recalling of these products, automation is the best solution. Instead of involving more people to solve these issues, you can save a lot more time and prevent these issues, to begin with.
Automation eliminates the risk of human error by putting technology in charge. Moreover, it also speeds up the process of packaging and labeling pharmaceutical products. Your automation system should have the following features to ensure that your product packaging improves:
- Label accuracy and higher speed: With high labeling accuracy and increased speed, you will save the cost of reprinting and increase the output exponentially.
- Automatic filling and capping: Make sure the machines have different setting options, such as bottleneck filling, above the liquid surface filling, and bottle capping of different types of pharmaceutical products.
- Flexible labeling with pressure-sensitive settings: With this setting, your labels will be tear-resistant with strong adhesive properties that will allow you to switch between different bottle shapes.
- Add-on options: The modular add-on options will fulfill your unique packaging needs with specialized pharmaceutical machinery such as automatic label printers that add expiration dates and batch numbers.
4. Enhance the Safety and Quality of Packaging
Most pharmaceutical products are stored in fragile containers such as glass. That is why they need extra protective packaging to ensure that they don’t break while moving and transporting. To minimize this risk, your pharmaceutical product packaging should be designed with materials that offer the highest efficiency protection.
It is a great practice to ensure that your product’s packaging is sturdy and keeps it safe from damage. Moreover, this also means that you’re ensuring the safety of your end-consumer. Your products must be protected from being diluted, altered, or replaced. A sturdy packaging prevents the replacement of your pharmaceutical products with fake ones that damage the integrity of your company.
Your packaging should be designed in a temper-evident way that includes:
- At least one indicator of package tampering
- Distinctive package design that is not easy to duplicate
- Sturdy packaging that ensures the safety of the product during shipping and handling.
- Make sure that the packaging is accessible for people with different needs, such as the incorporation of Braille, child-resistance features, anti-counterfeiting traceability.
5. Hire Medlock for Compliant Packaging Solutions
Outsourcing your packaging to an industry specialist in pharmaceutical packaging will take the burden off your shoulders. Consider hiring Medlock for all your pharmaceutical packaging solutions. We offer optimized and compliance packaging options for all your products.
Our packaging is high-quality and affordable that keeps your product safely stored. We ensure that your product reaches your end-user safely and intact. For expert consultation, visit our website now!