Clinical Packaging: an innovation driven industry and its Strategies

Don’t judge a book by its cover but definitely judge a medicine and drug by its packaging, because better the quality, better the function of service which is promised. With the advancement of science and technology, we see new medicines and pharmaceutical products being offered by a number of companies & trustworthy organizations and the packaging of medicine is one of the key factors which are as important as the health of people consuming it.

There are lot of factors considered while doing the clinicalpackaging of medicines and drugs, like humidity of environment where they are being packed, retaining its stability, recycling regulations, minimization of wastage, etc. Clinical labeling not only provide the essential information to its user, but it also assures that the medicine-drug belong to the company which uses clinical trial material and clinical trial services for quality maintenance of its products.

The new and on-going trends in clinical packaging are safe and reliable, and they are crucially designed by keeping the potential and sensitive drugs in mind. The trends are:

• Child-resistant and senior-friendly packaging: the drugs are packed in a way which is easier for senior citizens to deal with and consume; and equally complex for children to avoid its misuse.
• Contract packagers’ automation: Clinical packaging processes have become more complex with the implementation of serialization and introduction of stringent anticounterfeiting guidelines. Pharma companies are increasing automating packaging lines as a result of same.
• Eco-friendly packaging: number of drug manufacturers and clinical packaging companies are considering environmental issues while packing their product as environmental concerns are valid too.
• Anticounterfeiting packaging: DGFT of India has made it mandatory to use bar codes and unique numbers on primary-secondary packaging, along with territory packaging which is easy for tracking and tracing serialization of exported drugs.

Talking packaging is an impressive method of attracting consumers as it is a digital kind of packaging which includes HD screen on the outer packaging of the consignment, but it involves huge maintenance and distribution cost and that is why it is not trending in India along with the newness of this idea and risk factors associated with it. Progress of this industry is innovation driven which is need of this hour and it will keep on coming with fresh ideas for clinical packaging time to time.