Medicine Safety: 4 Packaging Methods That Block Tampering

Safety and trust are the two most important factors in the medical industry. Unfortunately, in recent years, several incidents of tampering with medications have been reported, and this concern needs to be addressed before it’s too late.

The purpose of medicine packaging is not only aesthetics, but it’s also related to medicine safety. The Food & Drug Administration of the USA has established strict regulations and a monitoring system to detect and prevent tampering with medicines.

This blog post covers four packaging methods that prevent tampering at any stage, regardless of the method used.

The Role of Anti-Counterfeit Packaging for Medicine Safety

Packaging plays an important role in preserving the safety of any type of medicine. Not only does it save medicines from tampering, but it also makes it safe for patients to consume without safety issues.

Tampering can occur at different stages, from manufacturing to packaging and distribution, but alone, packaging has the power to detect and save medicines from tampering. But for this, it must be ensured that your packaging is free from any health or safety risks.

So, let's discuss what packaging methods block tampering in the medicine industry.

1. Child-resistant & Tamper Evident Closures/ Labels  

Tamper-evident labels or tapes make a VOID impression when the package is extracted or will separate in a way that is not resealable.

The function of a child-resistant closure is similar, especially when used with a tamper-evident feature, though its main purpose focuses on safety rather than detection of tampering.

Child-resistant labels and tamper-evident closures are perfect for folding cartons, subscription boxes, and custom-printed medicine boxes. This thing not only maintains overall safety but also builds trust in the eyes of customers.

2. Blister Packs

Blister packs protect and secure single doses of medicine, and this packaging method is most vital for capsules and pills. It is made of two sealed pieces that protect the inside dose very well.

They are lightweight in nature, convenient to open, and tamper-evident. All in all, it protects inside medicines from external damage. The global blister packaging is growing enormously as it is expected to reach $48 billion by 2032.

Blister packs are only useful when you manufacture them with these conditions.

• Use high-quality foil to stop moisture and light.
• Clearly mention “Do not use if blister is opened” on the package.

3. Bottle with Locking Mechanism

There are many types of locking mechanisms that can be used for medical drug packaging. Amongst all, the child-resistant cap is mostly used because it makes it difficult for children to open the bottle.

Other locking mechanisms like screw-on caps, push & flip caps, and raise & flip caps all have different uses, pros, and cons. It is a must to choose the one that best fits your medicine packaging needs, not just fulfilling regulatory requirements.

These bottles are mostly used for the packing of medicines, where tampering can’t be tolerated. The locking mechanism will save the lid from being opened, highly safe for customers of all ages.

4. Unit of Use or One-Dose Packaging

It is designed for medicine items that are normally sold in smaller quantities and contain one unit of a product. Why are medicine companies using this packaging method? As compared to traditional packaging, this is convenient for both manufacturers and customers.

This is just a single-unit packaging, so there is no need to open a larger packaging to remove a small item and throw away the packaging material (unused). You can easily cut or separate a single unit and consume it.

One main benefit of using this packaging is that if someone opens a product, it is very clear that the packaging has been changed.

In Summary!

Temper-evident packaging is not just about medicine safety, but it’s also all about taking patients’ health seriously. These days, this is more significant in the medical field than ever.

Besides protection, these packaging methods also build trust between customers and healthcare providers. When customers see products in unbroken packaging without damaged seals, they want to purchase them for next time, too.

YBY Boxes USA takes pride in manufacturing the USA’s FDA-compliant custom printed medicine boxes.