The importance of packaging in the pharmaceutical and medical sector

For the pharmaceutical industry though, packaging reaches a whole new level of importance. 

Due to the sensitive nature of drug and health products, their life-saving capabilities, and high-target status for criminals, pharmaceuticals need the utmost care and cover during transit. They must be fully protected from point A to point B or even point C. 

With that high-level summary out of the way, let’s take a close look into the important roles of pharmaceutical and medical packaging.

1. Containment of pharmaceutical and medical products 

Pharmaceuticals are designed to help people by healing their condition, stopping it from becoming worse, or prevention (such as pregnancies and hair loss). However, if taken in very large quantities, some medications can cause more harm than good. 
That’s why packaging companies design special types of packaging which isolate individual dosages. This is known as primary packaging – it’s the first line of defence for a pharmaceutical product. 

Common examples of primary pharmaceutical packaging include blister packs, sachets, and vials. Blister packs are designed for the containment of pills, while sachets and vials are more suited to liquids and powders. 

All in all, proper containment of pharmaceutical products can save lives. It must be spot on. 

2. Protection against damage 

During its time in both storage and transit, a variety of factors can cause damage to the primary packaging, which could expose the contents and effect their medical values. 

This is where secondary and tertiary pharmaceutical packaging comes into play – if you’re not aware of the differences, not to worry, we explain all you need to know about primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging here. 

An additional level of packaging to the initial primary layer is needed to protect the contents as well as give valuable information to packaging handlers. This will help minimise the chance of damage as well missing items. 

3. Preventing counterfeits 

As such a lucrative industry, it’s no surprise that pharmaceuticals are the biggest victims to counterfeits. It happens all around the world, and most brands believe they lose between 10-50% of their revenue purely based on counterfeits.  

Not only does this cause financial trouble for businesses, but counterfeit pharmaceuticals pose a huge threat to consumers too. With low quality, or even dangerous products circulating the market, anti-counterfeit packaging can make a world of a difference. 

Want to learn more about anti-counterfeit packaging? Check out our recent blog that explains the techniques used to prevent counterfeits, with examples of packaging products that can be used in various scenarios. 

Pharmaceutical packaging supplies from Swiftpak 

At Swiftpak, we specialise in supplying the pharmaceutical market with industry-leading packaging solutions. Using over 40 years’ experience, we have the knowledge needed to recommend the very best solution for your product and business. If you need pharmaceutical packaging, get in touch with our expert team today and find out how we can take your packaging to the next level.