6 Considerations to Make to Get the Right Pharmaceutical Packaging
If you have a new pharmaceutical product, you need to work on developing the right packaging for it. The process for developing pharmaceutical and medical packaging should begin early in the formulation development process. There are some things you need to think about as you start this process.
- It needs to keep your product safe. The primary goal of all packaging is to get products from the manufacturing plant to the store shelves in one piece. Like perishable foods, with pharmaceutical you have need to make sure that the packaging protects the integrity of the medication. That is one reason it makes sense to get pharmaceutical packaging companies involved early in the formulation development process early. Often experts in pharma packaging may see problems that can be prevented when caught early. There are a lot of options when it comes to pharmaceutical packaging so you should be able to find materials and a design that will work well with your product.
- Make sure you pick the right material. Getting the right material for your pharmaceutical product is crucial. Again, it is helpful to have an expert in pharmaceutical packaging get involved early in the formulation development process because you need to use a material that has no impact on your product. There is a reason you need to use the packaging you will use for your product when it goes to customers during the clinical trial process. It is because your packaging can impact a lot. There are many different kinds of materials that can be used for your product so work with experts to get the right one.
- Look at the size and method of delivery. Think about how your product will be delivered. Is it something that will be sold in different sizes? Is it a liquid? Will people need to take pre-packaged doses of it? There are packaging options that allow for a pre filled syringe or pouches for liquids. For other medications, you may need to have sheets of capsules. Liquids need a different kind of packaging than pills. They both need a different kind of packaging than a liquid or gel. When you are working on your formulation development, keep the kind of packaging you are going to need. It will make a difference in the success or failure of your product.
- Remember who the medication is for. When you are working on your packaging for your pharmaceutical product, think about who the medication is for. If you have a medication that is going to be used primarily for children, you need to make sure you are putting together packaging that is easy for their parents to get into but hard for the child who is the patient or their siblings to access. Medication that is going to be used for seniors should be large enough so they can read the label. Also, for pills, rather than put them in a bottle, when they are for seniors, putting them on a sheet so that the patient has to punch out the pill may make it easier for them to keep track of what pills they have and have not taken.
- Think about how patients will interact with your product. There are a number of different kinds of pouch packaging that can be easy for people to open. it may seem like a challenge but you have two goals with a lot of pharmaceutical packaging. You want adults to be able to open it easily but not allow young children to get to it. There are a lot of options, which you can talk to experts in pharmaceutical and medical packaging to help you with.
- Think about your marketing. Your outer packaging can be a great place to do a number of things for your product. Make sure, without making your box too big, that you use that space on your box to promote your brand. That space can be used to give the patient information about your product, showcase your brand and promote customer loyalty. You can include, either on the inside of a box or as an insert, coupons.
You can make your medical packaging design work for your brand and your product.