Opinion

Defensive packaging

It is better to be safe rather than sorry. That seems to be the attitude when it comes to pharmaceutical packaging. Pharma companies are being forced to re-look their approach to this part of the manufacturing process, simply because packaging is playing an increasingly key role in marketing as well as regulation. Whether it is the need to add drug information in regional languages to the label or more frequent spot inspections to check potency of the medicines, the packaging material concerned will have to stand up to stricter scrutiny. This will mean additional capital investment at a time when margins are already being squeezed by cut throat competition. As the counterfeiting scare only promises to get bigger, pharma packaging will only get more crucial to protect and preserve a brand's identity as well as its clinical purity.

This issue of Pharma Packaging therefore looks at the fine balancing act between cost and quality that pharma companies have to perform when choosing the right vendor and packaging material. It also gives the vendor's point of view, who has to constantly offer his pharma clients newer packaging materials and technologies to keep pace with regulatory norms and industry trends--all this, even though his margins are considerably lower than what his pharma clients enjoy.

Even with these constraints, we have success stories that stand out. Piramal Glass is one such story. In this issue we feature the six time winner of the OPPI Best Vendor Award, Piramal Glass, who besides being the world's largest producer of nail polish bottles, also makes flaconnage for pharmaceuticals. The award is a recognition of the key role of the allied industry players in supporting the global ambitions of pharma companies. We hope that this award will spur more companies to excel in their allied fields.

Looking forward, global trends indicate that the next benchmark will be to switch to 'greener' packaging solutions and Wal-Mart Specialty Pharmacy (WMSP) is already validating a Greenbox thermal management 'system' from Entropy Solutions. Maintaining an environmental sustainability scorecard will surely earn more brownie points for such players. Looks like playing safe with the planet has also become part of the package deal.

Viveka Roychowdhury
viveka.r@expressindia.com