Medicine packaging guards the "gate of safety"

As a product directly related to consumer health, medicines have always been under close scrutiny. Any safety issue can trigger strong public concern. In recent years, there have been frequent drug safety incidents, making this topic a major worry for consumers. To ensure the safety of medicines, pharmaceutical packaging—whether directly or indirectly in contact with the drugs—has become a critical component in safeguarding medicine quality and consumer trust.

On one hand, the safety of pharmaceutical packaging is ensured from the design stage. First, improvements in structural design are being made. With growing attention on child-safe packaging for infant and children's medications, many companies and educational institutions have invested heavily in enhancing both the safety and usability of packaging. Examples include child-resistant caps, blister packs, and single-use dropper capsules that improve convenience and reduce risks. Second, anti-counterfeiting features are being strengthened. To prevent fake packaging and protect genuine products, pharmaceutical companies worldwide continuously innovate their packaging designs. For instance, Schreiner of Germany introduced the "Flexi-Cap" at Interpack 2014, combining labels and kits to secure the initial opening of medication packages. Third, smart technologies are being integrated into packaging. GPS and RFID tags are embedded in drug packaging to enable full traceability throughout the supply chain, ensuring product integrity and safety.

On the other hand, strict control over the production process ensures the quality and safety of pharmaceutical packaging. Since the introduction of the drug tracking code by the State Food and Drug Administration in 2011, all medicines included in the medical insurance catalog must be marked with a unique tracking code. This has added new challenges to the already rigorous printing process. Printing companies must manage data accurately and plan designs carefully to ensure that the tracking codes are printed correctly and can be read without issues. Additionally, more pharmaceutical companies are adopting high-speed automatic packaging machines, which increases the demands on the molding process of packaging. Therefore, pharmaceutical packaging manufacturers should pay special attention to two key steps—die-cutting and box assembly—to meet the requirements of automated systems.

As a supplier to pharmaceutical companies, packaging printing enterprises need to stay ahead of market trends, keep track of national regulations, and continuously improve their processes to remain competitive. By doing so, they can seize opportunities early and maintain a leading position in the ever-evolving industry.