CPHI Online Trend Report: what is pharmaceutical packaging really costing the industry?

The latest CPHI Online Trend Report dives into what it really costs to develop, manufacture, and deploy pharmaceutical packaging that balances sustainability concerns, patient safety, and drug efficacy. 

Sustainability within pharmaceutical packaging is no longer a nice discussion – it is a necessity for companies to address and prioritise the environmental impact of materials and processes of pharmaceutical packaging. However, the environment is not the only priority pharmaceutical packagers must consider. Maintaining drug safety and efficacy, as well as patient accessibility are continually at the forefront of the industry’s conscience. While innovations in the pharma industry are most often associated with the next groundbreaking drug product, pharmaceutical packaging is likewise witnessing its own innovation boom to meet the demands of a changing market.  

A delicate balance must be struck between sustainable pharmaceutical packaging materials and operations, preserving a drug’s intended use and efficacy, reducing time and cost of manufacture, and adhering to international and national regulations and standards. The wider pharmaceutical industry is now at a crossroads with their packaging considerations – the impact of pharmaceutical packaging is not one to ignore when making overall operational decisions for the industry.  

The significance of these decisions has resulted in a not inconsequential number of companies turning to outsourcing partners for their packaging requirements. With the pharmaceutical packaging sector estimated to reach over US$100 billion over the next decade, the time is ripe for contract packaging organisations to showcase their expertise.  

In this exclusive CPHI Online Trend Report, we unpack some of the most pressing issues facing the pharmaceutical industry regarding their packaging requirements and regulations, including 

• Sustainable solutions for PVC blister packs 

• Looming governmental and regulatory sustainability requirements 

• Patient-centric primary and secondary packaging concerns 

• The price of relationships with contract packaging organisations 

• Cross-collaboration across all stakeholders in pharmaceutical packaging 

With such non-negotiable considerations, the balance between People, Planet, and Profits can be a daunting task. However, with careful and strategic collaboration between all stakeholders along the pharmaceutical supply chain, and an unwavering commitment to each aspect, experts are optimistic that a balance can indeed be found. As Duncan Flack, Chairman of CiPPPA (Circularity in primary Pharmaceutical Packaging Accelerator), states in the report, “The work needs to start now.” 

Download your FREE CPHI Online Trend Report here.