Healthcare Packaging Standards: are you making the grade?
Healthcare packaging standards are understandably tough to ensure consumers and patient protection at the highest level. Packaging machines for pharmaceutical and healthcare products need to be compliant with frequently updated standards across the UK and Europe. Some industry professionals think we need to take this further, particularly with some of the changes happening in the country as it leaves the EU and during the transition period.
The pharma and healthcare packaging sector must be adaptable enough to encompass a wide range of products, such as, but not limited to:
- Blister packs
- Dressings
- Medical bottles
- Sachets
- Soaps and other beauty products
Using automation on the healthcare packaging line can help to reduce the reliance on manual resources, effectively enabling minimum human intervention and therefore, contamination risk. This is an important factor in standards and regulations across the world, alongside traceability and anti-tamper features.
How can the healthcare industry further improve packaging processes?
Although the UK follows strict guidelines according to EU directives, some countries go further to implement digital quality and traceability records in minute detail, such as those laid out in the US Code of Federal Regulations (Pt. 11). This includes audits and audit trails, documentation for data processing systems and a data-driven approach to packaging in performance monitoring and recording.
As many sectors of the industry move towards automation, compliance with regulatory control becomes much more simplified as quality standards are seamlessly met by the machinery that handles it.
Looking towards automation in healthcare packaging
Jacob White packaging machines offer a fully automated solution for healthcare packaging of all types. With the unique size and speed variables, machines such as the NS-X 5 automatic cartoner can be adjusted to adapt to different product types with no parts changeover. This offers much greater flexibility with the ability to run short product runs over a wider range of products and is perfect for increasing efficiency while maintaining strict product control.
When combined with an automatically filled carton collator, such as the CP-400 case packer designed by Jacob White for use in all types of packaging environments, the entire packaging line can be automated, minimising human intervention and contamination and ensuring consistency.
Whether you’re handling blister packs or bottles, sachets and soaps, medical dressings or a combination of all these products, an automated, fully customisable healthcare packaging solution could help you prepare for what lies ahead in terms of meeting compliance and bottom-line costs.
With more than 100 years’ experience working with healthcare and pharma packaging companies around the world, we’re perfectly placed to help you create a streamlined, modern approach to your healthcare packaging line. Talk to us today.
