Did You Remember?

Advances in pharmaceutical packaging make it hard to forget to take your medicine.

• The Compliers Group Objective therapy Compliance Measurement (OtCM) Solution, thecompliersgroup.com

The OtCM solution is a blister pack that uses an intelligent foil that includes printed electronic circuitry on the foil substrate, which can be used as basic material for the blister, replacing the current aluminum foil.

Intelligent foil registers the removal of the pill from the blister pack and stores the time/date stamp in the foil memory. The memory also contains all information about the medicine and the medicine usage. The package allows a patient’s condition and therapy behavior to be monitored by means of electronic devices; data to be gathered and transmitted to central databases without any intervention; and authorized healthcare organizations, physicians, etc. to analyze the data.

• Stora Enso Pharma DDSi -Intelligent Packaging Solution,  www.storaenso.com/pharma

This packaging solution reminds patients to take their medications and records the date and time each tablet was taken from the package. Answer keys, an electronic diary of medication, and a beeper or text message reminders are added features enabled by this solution.

The smart functionality provides patient compliance monitoring. “Lapses of memory and other medication errors are regrettably common when a patient is cared for in his or her own home,” says Ralph Mendoza, sales and marketing manager, North America, Stora Enso, Consumer Boards Pharmaceutical Solutions Group. “With Stora Enso Pharma DDSi, the compliance data stored in the microchip embedded in the package can be read with a mobile phone and transmitted automatically to a server where it is readily and safely available to those responsible for a patient’s care.” He adds that compliance monitoring is also needed by pharmaceutical companies to demonstrate the efficacy of their drugs.

The carton itself has an inner design that enables effective unit-dose packaging such as fold-over blisters or perforated push-through applications. It is lightweight and small enough to fit in a pocket, but offers several printable surfaces for patient guidance. The compliance-monitoring solution is based on conductive print and a microchip embedded on the carton. The carton can also have a beeper to remind the patient about the medication.

Ways to read and transfer the compliance data from the package. include using a reader that converts the data from the carton to the PC. Pharma DDSi is also compatible with the latest mobile technology using near-field communication (NFC), a two-way communication technology based on RFID that enables wireless communication.

Impact on printers

Many components of a smart package are added when a printed substrate is converted into a package, whether it be laying down the RFID tag or inserting the chip into the carton. However, package printers are impacted as well, sometimes even laying down the RFID tag themselves. According to Tom -Grinnan, director, innovation and adjacent markets, MWV, “Many of these technologies, including serialization and other value-added solutions, will require quality control and software systems to be on the floor for printers and converters. This might require additional training and investment by the industry.” He adds that printers that make the Cerpak product will need expertise in printing conductive inks. “On the converting side, we specifically designed Cerepak to be assembled using the same processes and equipment as the equivalent non-smart packaging,” he explains.

Mendoza says that the need to improve patient adherence through high-compliance packaging solutions continues to be one of the most important trends that package printers should be aware of. “Due to the challenges in sustainability and pilferage, we also expect growing interest and use for specialty board products such as tear-resistant and heat-seal boards,” he adds.

Jos Geboers, chief technology officer, The Compliers Group, says printing electronically will bring new features in the packaging industry because the empty package still will contain information of the product and the use of the product. Where do package printers fit in? “In the future, printers will be able to print electronic circuits on all kinds of substrates, even paper,” he says. “The [presses] will be highly sophisticated machines [not only because of the currently used inks], but many organic materials will form the electronic circuits.” He adds, “I do not see the complete impact yet, but you can imagine that it will create a completely different world in the industry.”

On the horizon for MWV Healthcare is “collaborating with customers globally to provide innovative healthcare packaging solutions that drive brand awareness, differentiate products, and engage consumers to ultimately enhance product performance and improve public health,” says Grinnan. He cites medical adherence as becoming increasingly important. The examples above show how far pharmaceutical packaging has come in that respect—and it could lead the way. According to Grinnan, “Pharmaceutical packaging has been clinically proven to address this issue with calendared blister packs and other packaging formats that remind patients to take their medication on time, and information labels and pamphlets that stay with the medication wherever it goes.” pP

• MORE ON
• BRAND PROTECTION/...
• PRINTING MATERIAL...
• RFID/PRINTED ELEC...