Packaging as a potential life saver
Posted in: Product Knowledge 8th February 2018Today’s pharmaceutical industry is more sophisticated and heavily regulated than ever before. To highlight the importance of investing in high quality packaging for today’s medical products, pharmaceutical packaging supplier, Valley Northern, has released a comprehensive white paper on the topic, which is available to download from the Valley Northern website.
Pharmaceutical packaging could be mistaken as a simple collection of boxes and bags. However, the phrase actually defines the collection of components that are used to protect a pharmaceutical product from its initial production, right up to its use by the patient.
Valley Northern’s white paper explains the importance of investing in high quality packaging for medical products, the regulation around pharmaceutical packaging and advises pharmaceutical companies on the Government guidelines on packaging.
The white paper highlights the important challenge of tackling counterfeit pharmaceuticals by investing in packaging. In the United Kingdom, most over-the-counter products are subject to strict regulations. However, counterfeit products can have detrimental effects in developing countries.
The white paper explains how pharmaceutical companies in the UK and abroad should take responsibility to improve the security of their packaging, by making it more difficult for fraudsters to replicate.
Inaccurate dosing is another issue addressed in the white paper. Aside from the functionality of pharmaceutical packaging, it's imperative that the packaging provides patients with the information to take medicine correctly. Ensuring the packaging contains accurate instructions can make a real difference to patient safety.
“Pharmaceutical packaging is not simply designed to enclose and protect medicines,” explained Oliver Pittock, managing director of Valley Northern. “In the white paper, we highlight common issues caused by unsuitable packaging. For example, failing to communicate the correct medicine information, providing inaccurate dosing instructions and, in extreme circumstances, fraudulently masking a counterfeit pharmaceutical product as the real thing.
“Packaging for pharmaceutical products is often overlooked. However, we hope to dispel this misconception by stressing the importance of investing in the right packaging for pharmaceutical products — not only to shield the medicines enclosed but to protect the patients that these medicines serve.”
Valley Northern supplies specialist packaging for the healthcare industry. The company provides specialist pharmaceutical and medical supplies including pharmacy packaging, medical disposables, dispensers and bespoke printed packaging. Valley Northern’s latest white paper can be downloaded here and the company’s full range of products can be found here.
