PRESS OFFICE
LISTING
HomenewsJobsabout usContact UsWebsite
News

Protection through the value chain

The pharmaceutical industry is fraught with challenges, including the growth of generic medicine, a proposed National Health Insurance, and ever-increasing regulations and legislation that impact on the marketing, distribution and packaging of pharmaceuticals.
Protection through the value chain

While modern-day medicine ensures that people live longer and are healthier, its detractors are possible prescription drug abuse (a growing global problem), pharmaceutical malpractice where patients are prescribed the wrong medicine or an ingredient they're allergic to, and contraindications that are a risk to uninformed patients.

The importance of product labelling in the pharmaceutical sector cannot be overstated, and the result of non-compliance ranges from adverse reactions and side effects to possible death. It is essential that pharmaceutical product labelling makes identification and application guidelines as clear and unambiguous as possible for consumers.

It is the responsibility of the manufacturer to ensure that drug usage information is presented to patients in a way that is easy to understand and use. However, the vast amount of mandatory information required on pharmaceutical packaging, such as product contents, dosage and contraindications, always presents a packaging challenge. Traditionally, inserts inside the primary packaging have been used but these are commonly ignored or discarded by consumers. However, research shows that multi-page self-adhesive leaflet labels, such as Pyrotec PackMedia's Fix-a-Form® extended text label attached directly to the primary packaging, are far more likely to be read by patients than a loose leaflet.

Protection through the value chain

Additionally, Fix-a-Form® labels ensure that the information provided by the manufacturer remains with the product throughout the entire value chain - from manufacture to consumers' medicine cabinets. This also means that should a patient accidentally overdose or suffer from any side-effects of the drug they're taking, the contraindications and product information is affixed to the product and readily available.

The success or failure of a product often depends on its presentation to the end user. However, in the case of pharmaceutical products, labelling extends far beyond being purely functional. Packaging should not be an afterthought but rather an essential component of positive patient outcomes.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers also have to consider production costs to remain competitive. Combining the primary label and informational leaflet into a single leaflet-label and eliminating the outer carton can be more cost effective and reduces the possibility of mistakes during the production process. The fewer packaging elements involved, the less opportunity there is for something to go wrong.

An additional advantage of the bundled label and informational leaflet format that Pyrotec PackMedia's Fix-a-Form® offers is the ability to maintain higher constant production line speeds. When production lines have to incorporate manual labour they can be subject to human error, resulting in costly delays and mistakes. Fix-a-Form® extended text labels can be applied using standard automatic label applicators at 300 products/minute or more.

Pyrotec PackMedia's Fix-a-Form® leaflet label ensures protection throughout the value chain and delivers positive patient outcomes.

17 Jul 2015 09:41

<<Back