MANUFACTURING
Ensuring Efficiency in Packaging Process should be a top Priority for Pharma Packaging Companies
Covid-19 drastically impacted the way pharma packaging functioned. The overnight entire supply chain was heavily fractured across the globe and at the same time demand for healthcare products skyrocketed due to panic amongst the public. There is no scope of mistake when it comes to packaging critical drugs, especially rubber stoppers. It is a test of all our compliances, quality and proficiency in producing critical components to protect drugs and maintain their safety and efficacy. We are now witnessing a robust change in the working environment with demand planning, Quality, Innovation, Supply chain as well as storage. India is the new powerhouse of pharmaceutical packaging. It is time to increase capacity for quantity and quality production. Siddharth Shah, Director, Bharat Rubber Works
T
he pharmaceutical industry is one where decades of innovation lead to one new product, like a drug or vaccine. It’s common knowledge that the development of a critically vital drug or
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P H A RM A F O C U S A S I A
ISSUE 47 - 2022
vaccine is a difficult process that requires years of development time and millions of dollars in research funds to complete. Pharmaceutical manufacturers are faced with many obstacles once they've
formulated a new drug or vaccine. One of the obstacles is the packaging of these newly developed drugs. When it comes to packaging, there are several critical steps that go into ensuring that a product reaches the end-user in very good condition. Pharmaceutical manufacturers often have many options when it comes down to picking the correct type of packaging solutions that can protect their product to ensure uncompromised quality along with maximum safety and efficacy. A lot of the time, the success or failure is usually determined right at this stage. There are many factors that can be taken into account such as shelf life, homogeneity of drug formulations and composition, as well as patient safety and delivery control considering it may require controlled temperatures for efficacy. The Repercussions of COVID-19 on the Pharmaceutical Packaging Industry
Starting with the outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic, the pharmaceutical packaging sector suffered a significant setback. The supply chain was severely disrupted, and the rapid increase in demand posed difficulties for both manufacturers and packaging solution providers alike. An important problem was the inability to dispatch supplies during this period due to a lack of available global logistical facilities. Aside from that, supplementary industries to the pharmaceutical industry, such as the manufacture of packaging materials for pharmaceuticals, had not yet been placed under the purview of vital services. Slowly, but steadily, the
