ENABLING INNOVATION IN HEALTHCARE PACKAGING

TORIONO GRANGER is MANAGING DIRECTOR for RADIUS CHICAGO. With over 20 years of experience in product development, manufacturing, consulting, and management, Toriono is responsible for the overall management of the Chicago studio.

Innovation and change are the mainstays of improvement and growth. The better people, organizations, and processes can innovate to embrace and welcome change – the better. The trick is, of course, in creating the environment that supports such change. Within a company this takes a willingness and openness on behalf of all the people, systems, and processes to commit and embrace change and innovation.

Change must be part of your company’s core values. Without change at the heart of how you approach your products, brands, competitors, and customers – you’ll be left out in the cold watching change happen.

Don’t be one of those healthcare or medical device companies that decided to take a wait-and-see approach. Don’t be one of those companies that didn’t do their due diligence and learn how new innovative packaging solutions could make a real difference for their brand and product. Don’t keep doing what you’ve always done because it works and is comfortable.

No one ever got ahead by being comfortable. Change is good. Change done the right way is even better. Change that supports real product and packaging innovation is awesome.

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Healthcare Packaging is Changing

The demands placed on medical and healthcare packaging are intense. The packaging must protect its contents from shock, puncture, temperature fluctuations, vibration, tearing, bursting.

This same packaging must also meet the very specific demands and withstand the impacts of sterilization, handling, shipping and usage, and transportation.

Even better, a packaging design that enables better patient compliance to a treatment regimen can ultimately drive improved patient outcomes.

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Combine these constants with the intense regulatory scrutiny and usage requirements governing healthcare packaging – and you have an environment that can be slow to change.

However, the good news is that change is happening. Consumer demand for better, easier-to-open, easier-to-use, and easier-to-dispose of packaging is forcing healthcare brands to embrace effective and purposeful innovative packaging solutions.

This change and growth in packaging innovation is highlighted in a recent report released by Future Market Insights titled: Medical Device Market: Global Industry Analysis 2012-2016 and Opportunity Assessment 2017-2027. Consider this paragraph from the report and how your brand is or isn’t complying:

“Out of all the opportunities that are available to the business in the global medical device packaging market, a smart approach or a sustainable packaging system can be the most beneficial opportunity for these companies. They need to focus on a sustainable packaging solution that involves a modern and smart packaging technology and is also-cost efficient.”

Is your brand embracing the changes happening in healthcare and medical device packaging? How are you competing with companies that have embraced these innovations? How prepared is your company to take advantage of smart packaging and sustainable packaging?

Innovative Packaging Today for Future Success

As we highlighted in our webinar: Packaging Innovations of the Future, the new advances in thermoforming packaging solutions are beginning to gain acceptance within medical packaging. We see this in the use of more easy-to-open and flexible blister packaging for all types of medical contents including tablets and other goods.

Consumer demand for better, easier-to-open and close lids is forcing packaging leaders to take advantage of new thermoplastic polymers – giving the consumer what they need while still meeting the demands of tight regulations.

This key statement from the Future Market Insights report must not be overlooked:

“As the quality of healthcare continues to improve across the world, it is anticipated the global medical device packaging market will benefit from the growth in demand for newer medical device packaging aimed at enhancing consumer confidence.”

This report goes on to highlight that companies must look forward with their packaging, ensuring they’re meeting the demands for sustainable packaging that takes advantage of the best in smart packaging technology. This innovative approach to packaging gives companies the ability to respond to consumer demand, manage business costs, and to take advantage of the best-in-class technology available. This, however, is not easy and cannot be rushed into without a clear analysis of the best way to manage and introduce such change in traditional medical device packaging.

Do not be the company that stands still in this swirling environment of innovation and change. Ask your team how your brand can take advantage of innovative packaging solutions such as:

  • Intelligent barcodes.
  • Biometric capabilities.
  • Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID).
  • Anti-counterfeit technology.
  • Auto identification.

Not only do these technologies meet demands for innovation and change in healthcare packaging, they also enable companies to improve their efficiency and enable growth within the industry.

Look for a packaging partner that knows the healthcare industry, knows the latest in packaging innovations, understands the rules and regulations governing medical device packaging, has the in-house capabilities to support this innovation, and can manage the packaging sprint in a cost-effective and business-positive manner.

We do not want to see you left out of this exciting period of change and innovation. This is the right time to learn more about innovative packaging solutions and how they can make a real difference for your brand, your company, and your customers.

Experience the Radius difference: Innovation. Realized.

Staying Up-To-Date with Healthcare and Medical Device Packaging

When discussing change and innovation with your colleagues, point them to these articles for more information about the trends, innovations, and changes happening in packaging:

Remember to watch our free on-demand packaging webinars: