In recent years, the pharmaceutical industry has been making use of the latest technology to help improve healthcare and meet regulatory compliance requirements. New technology trends, such as artificial intelligence and 3D printing, have provided innovative ways for the pharmaceutical industry to become more efficient and advance the ways in which medication is developed, packaged, and delivered to patients and consumers. The following are some of the top pharma tech trends that are making a notable impact on healthcare in the United States. 

Digital Technology in the Pharma Industry

1. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) trends have led to major improvements in the pharmaceutical manufacturing process and patient identification. AI supports both automation and optimization in drug manufacturing processes. This helps improve efficiency, leading to reduced waste and lower risks of errors during drug manufacturing. AI and machine learning allows manufacturers to automate complicated tasks rather than manual labor, making drug manufacturing more efficient and accurate.

The use of AI has also resulted in improvements in patient identification. Being able to identify patients accurately reduces the risk of errors during drug development. A lower risk of medication errors is important since these errors can lead to serious and even fatal effects. Healthcare professionals in the pharmaceutical industry are turning to the use of AI more because of the added enhancements in patient identification and drug manufacturing processes.

2. Ability to Analyze and Store Large Amounts of Data

Pharma companies require large amounts of data to be analyzed and stored as part of the drug development process. From the discovery and development stage to the pre-clinical and clinical research stages, researchers need an efficient way to have all the data evaluated. Digital transformation is making it possible for substantial amounts of data to be analyzed as part of the drug development process.

The ability to analyze big data efficiently promotes a continuous developmental process in the pharmaceutical industry. This is important due to the rise in precision medicine, which helps provide patients with more effective treatment based on several factors, such as genetics and environment. A continuous developmental process provides pharmaceutical companies with a competitive advantage while also benefiting patients by supplying better care and treatment.

More pharmaceutical companies are depending on the use of advanced technologies that allows larger data amounts to be evaluated and used for continuous improvements. To securely store this large amount of data and sensitive information, organizations are relying heavily on cloud technology. Cloud computing allows for pharmaceutical research teams to collaborate and innovate quickly, utilizing an on-demand IT environment that makes data, like labs and medical imaging, easily accessible. Not only is cloud-based infrastructure highly secure, the scalability and efficiency help pharmaceutical companies get to market faster.

3. Blockchain Technology

With the increase in online transactions and orders for medications, consumers are at risk of ending up with counterfeit medicine or substandard drugs. In some cases, this can lead to serious health consequences. Consumers are also at risk of taking medications that do not provide the effects needed to treat or manage a health condition. The pharmaceutical industry’s technological transformation has led to better ways of protecting consumers from the risk of fake and substandard medications, along with ensuring that patients receive the right medication.

Blockchain technology is providing protection from counterfeit and substandard drugs on the market. This technology uses encryption and a decentralized database to help prevent fraud from occurring. The pharmaceutical industry has been adopting the use of blockchain technology to avoid having data stored in a centralized database, where it can become compromised. The increasing reliance on this technology is expected to lead to a significant reduction in substandard and fake medications purchased online. 

4. Real-World Data

Real-world data from electronic health records, claims data, wearable technology, medical devices, and other sources provides valuable information on the experience of patients as they interact with healthcare providers and systems. This information is leading to improvements in the development of medications. Real-world data supports innovation in the drug development process, while also playing a role in assessing the effectiveness of medications. These sources of data are considered reliable and are used to help make improvements to existing medications or to produce new medications as needed. Researchers have been using this data in designing and conducting clinical trials.

Real-world data is also having an impact on regulatory decision regarding medications. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is increasingly relying on the use of real-world data, as well as real-world evidence, to evaluate the safety of medications on the market and monitor adverse events associated with these drug discoveries.

5. Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry is becoming increasingly important as more complex security risks emerge. Because healthcare organizations possess so much important patient data, they are at an elevated risk for attack. Pharma executives and hospital directors need to be able to protect sensitive data from these attacks, which are on the rise. Improvements in cybersecurity are providing healthcare directors with the ability to keep sensitive data protected. Several security risks are increasing in the pharmaceutical industry, such as the use of third-party vendors, ransomware, phishing attacks, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Pharmacies and hospitals must have the ability to meet these challenges and take steps to prevent cyber-attacks from compromising patient and drug data. 

The development of cybersecurity procedures, controls, and risk management solutions gives hospital and pharmacy directors effective ways to keep sensitive information safe from cyber-attacks. The increased focus on raising security awareness among employees through training is also helping healthcare facilities protect this information. As cyber-attacks increase, pharmacy and hospital directors are taking a more holistic approach to preventing them from occurring, including making use of available security solutions and raising awareness. 

Production Processes

1. Manufacturing to Meet Market Dynamics

The market dynamics of the pharmaceutical industry have been changing in recent years. Tech trends have been providing ways for pharmaceutical companies to keep up with these shifting dynamics. Changes in manufacturing have included the production of smaller batches in response to the trend in personalized medicine. The use of precision medicine or personalized medicine does not require large batches of medication to be produced. Technological trends in manufacturing are making it possible for companies to produce small batches as needed.

Changing market dynamics that reflect the increasing use of targeted therapies require the development of specialized manufacturing facilities. The smaller facilities are needed to manage low volume production rather than high volume production. These manufacturing facilities rely on technological developments to produce high-value, personalized medication instead of mass-producing low-cost medications aimed at a much wider group of consumers. 

2. Continuous Manufacturing Process

Pharmaceutical companies look for ways to improve operational efficiency and productivity during the manufacturing process. Technological trends are promoting a continuous manufacturing process from pharmaceutical research labs to the market. Digital tools are providing pharmaceutical companies with the ability to get drugs to the market faster, reduce their environmental footprints, and provide product quality that is more consistent. The use of these digital tools has been occurring in small molecule drug facilities and bioprocessing. With these tools, companies have been able to reduce operating costs and improve process control during manufacturing. 

Continuous manufacturing processes in the pharmaceutical industry offers notable advantages over batch manufacturing. Instead of having to produce drugs in multiple steps with production pauses in between each step, medications can be manufactured in a nonstop process. With the advantages that continuous manufacturing provides, such as better quality and a lower risk of human error, the use of these digital tools is on the rise. 

3. Advanced 3D Printing of Human Tissue

The use of 3D printing has also been increasing in the healthcare industry. Healthcare research has focused on the use of this technology to print human tissue for patients who need organ transplants. Advances in 3D printing have also been beneficial for the pharmaceutical industry. The ability to use this technology to print human tissue is expected to provide a safer way to conduct clinical trials involving medications. Current methods rely on the use of human volunteers, which includes a risk of having these individuals experience an adverse reaction.

With the use of 3D printing, drug testing facilities might be able to conduct trials involving human tissue rather than using human volunteers. This could lead to significant improvements in the safety of clinical drug trials. More research is needed to reach the point where 3D printing can be relied on for these drug trials, but advancements in this technology show promise.

4. Growth in CDMO Market

The growth in the contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) market is expected to continue, making it essential for pharmaceutical companies to meet the challenges that come with it. This market is made up of companies that develop and manufacture drugs rather than manufacturing pre-formulated drugs as contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) do. The main challenge for CDMOs tends to involve speed, since these companies need to go through a more complex process before heading to the market. Tech trends in the pharmaceutical industry for CDMOs focus on outsourcing product development, clinical testing, and regulatory support. This is done to help medications reach the market more quickly, which helps to make drugs more readily available for consumers. 

MPI Offers State-of-the-Art Solutions for Medication Packaging

Medical Packaging Inc., LLC (MPI) offers solutions for pharmacy and hospital directors to help ensure high-quality unit dose packaging using state-of-the-art technology. Our medication packaging solutions are carefully tailored to each customer’s unique needs, helping keep patients safe by reducing the risk of errors. We serve specialty pharmaceutical manufacturers and contract drug manufacturing organizations with liquid cup unit dose packaging systems that deliver high-quality, FDA-compliant packages at a low price point.  With our Drug Master File, MPI can provide speed-to-market regulatory and technical support to medical and pharmaceutical market clients. Contact us to learn more about how our products and services can help streamline your pharmaceutical packaging processes.

U.S. News & World Report released their 2022-23 Best Hospitals rankings. The annual rankings acknowledge hospitals for outstanding performance in delivering complex and common care while also helping patients find a hospital with the resources needed for skilled inpatient care, especially those with life-threatening or rare conditions.

Nearly 5,000 hospitals nationwide were evaluated based on analysis gathered on performance in adult and pediatric clinical specialties, procedures and conditions. About 65% of the Top 20 hospitals are Medical Packaging Inc., LLC (MPI) customers and more than ¾ of them are repeat customers with more than one MPI packaging solution being utilized in their facility.

The rankings for the Honor Roll consider 15 areas of complex specialty care and 20 specific procedure and conditions, such as heart bypass and lung cancer surgery.

Please click here to view the complete list of recognized hospitals and the methodology used in the rankings.

Medical Packaging Inc., LLC (MPI) is pleased to announce that the company has completed a Type III Drug Master File (DMF) submittal to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). This will enhance MPI’s customer partnerships by providing speed-to-market regulatory and technical support related to our packaging components with our medical and pharmaceutical market clients.

Establishing a DMF enables MPI to rapidly support customers’ compliance and filing needs within the pharmaceutical industry as well as meet the needs of pharmaceutical drug manufacturers and contract drug manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) for FDA-compliant liquid cup packaging capabilities.

“Typically, MPI has relied on our vendors and sub-vendors to obtain all necessary regulatory and technical documents, sometimes adding delays while awaiting critical support files, which could result in delayed FDA Filings by customers. Having a DMF allows us to better support our customers in meeting and exceeding expectations for regulatory and technical requirements, confirming a high-quality, safe product is delivered, and expediting the application process during a New Drug Application (NDA) or Abbreviated New Drug Filing (ANDA),” said John Zripko, President & CEO for MPI.

Pediatric medication errors, such as incorrect dosages, can occur in a wide range of healthcare settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, emergency departments and at home. Due to certain risk factors in children, such as their size, medication errors can lead to serious and potentially life-threatening adverse reactions. According to The Joint Commission, potential adverse drug events occurred as much as three times more often in pediatric patients than adult patients. 

Administering and dispensing medication to pediatric patients has unique challenges, which raises the risk of medication errors. In many cases, formulating and packaging medications is done for the adult population rather than children. Making these medications safe for children involves carefully determining and adjusting dosages. Other challenges include the fact that children’s immune systems, renal functions, and hepatic functions are still developing, which can make it more difficult for them to tolerate medication errors. They may also have a harder time communicating about any side effects or reactions they are experiencing when taking medication.

Improving administration and dispensing of pediatric medication in medical facilities and in the home can help reduce the risk of pediatric medication errors. Pediatric medication safety training programs for healthcare workers and the use of technology offer important ways to lower the risk of medication inaccuracy. The following information can help pharmacies, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities promote pediatric medication safety. 

Medication Administration and Dispensing

Administering and dispensing medication to pediatric patients entails a higher risk for error when certain factors are not considered. Healthcare workers and pharmacists can lower the risk in the following ways. 

Pediatric Safety or Approval Confirmation

Confirming which drugs are safe or approved for use in children is the first step in promoting medication safety. Pharmacists and other healthcare workers who oversee drug administration and dispensing should ensure that all medications given to pediatric patients are considered safe or have been approved by the FDA for its intended use. Confirming this information can help reduce the risk of having children take medications that are unsafe or not approved.

Dosing Factors

When determining the proper medication dosage for pediatric patients, pharmacists and other healthcare providers should consider the following factors:

• Patient’s weight
• Patient’s age
• Body surface area
• Clinically approved weight-based dosage ranges

When calculating pediatric medication dosages, especially for liquid medicines, weight is often used rather than age. Using weight-based ranges can offer a more accurate way to determine the correct dosage for children instead of basing dosages on age due to variations in body size at different ages. Utilizing body surface area to determine dosage involves considering a patient’s height and weight, which can provide a more accurate drug dosage.

Appropriate Dosage Form

Improving pediatric medication safety involves determining the appropriate dosage form for different prescription medications. Pharmacists and other healthcare workers should determine whether a tablet or liquid form is more appropriate for pediatric patients. Several factors, including age, should be considered. Liquid forms are typically used for infants and younger children, while tablet forms may be appropriate for older children. Regardless of whether tablet or liquid forms, the dosage should be accurate.

Medication Labels

Medication errors can occur due to unclear or incorrect information on labels. When determining the content for pediatric medication labels, pharmacists and other healthcare workers should ensure that the following information is clearly stated:

• Name of medication
• When to take medication
• How much medication to take
• Proper storage instructions
• Possible side effects or reactions of medication
• Warnings about allergic reactions to medication ingredients
• What to do if a patient misses a dosage

Ensuring that all relevant information is included on the label helps decrease the risk of patient harm, due to medication errors or adverse drug reactions.

Medication Error Factors

Hospital and healthcare workers should also be familiar with the factors that may contribute to pediatric medication errors. Recognizing these factors and avoiding them can significantly reduce the risk of patient harm. Examples of these factors include the following:

• Do not abbreviate or shorten the names of medications on labels
• Do not place a zero after a whole number, such as 1.0 or 2.0, since this can cause confusion about dosage amounts
• Place a zero to the left of a decimal point if required, such as 0.1 or 0.2 mg, to avoid confusion over dosage amounts

Side Effects and Adverse Reactions

When determining the content for pediatric medication packaging and labeling, potential side effects and adverse reactions must be clearly communicated. This content should include a list of side effects, both common and rare, that may occur when a medication is consumed. Possible adverse reactions also need to be listed, along with the signs and symptoms associated with the reactions. Pediatric medication labels and packaging should also provide clear instructions on what to do if patients show any signs or symptoms of adverse effects, such as contacting a physician or seeking emergency medical services. This helps to ensure that family members who are administering medication to children know how to handle an adverse event if one occurs. 

Create a Pediatric Medication Safety Training Program

Having a pediatric medication safety training program in place helps to ensure that healthcare staff are prepared to administer or dispense medication orders as safely as possible. Healthcare directors can implement these programs as part of a commitment to improving pediatric medication safety. When creating these programs, healthcare directors consider the following guidelines.

Make the Program Mandatory for New Staff

New staff members should go through the pediatric medication safety training program. Including this training as part of the process for onboarding new staff can help reduce the risk of medical errors among the pediatric population. Once staff have completed this training program, they should be knowledgeable about safely administering and dispensing medication to pediatric patients.

Include Early Exposure to Pediatric Patients in Pharmacist Training Programs

Pharmacist training programs should provide opportunities for trainees to have early exposure to pediatric patients. This allows trainees to gain experience treating young patients and learn more about safety protocols when administering and dispensing pediatric medication.

Develop Pediatric Drug Lists for Specific Facilities

Pharmacists and other healthcare staff should create a list of pediatric drugs that are specific to their facility. For example, an emergency department might have a different list of medications as opposed to an oncology unit in a pediatric hospital. Staff should  evaluate the list developed and focus on determining which medications are considered high-risk for that specific facility. This information can help lower the risk of pediatric medication errors and improve pediatric patient safety.

 Use External Resources

External resources from The Joint Commission, the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention, and other organizations provide valuable information on pediatric medication safety. Utilizing these resources can help to ensure that pharmacists and other healthcare workers are up to date on the latest pediatric advisory recommendations and changes to pediatric medication labeling. This information should be communicated to any staff members that manage pediatric medication at hospitals and other facilities to reduce the risk of errors. 

Technology

The use of technology can significantly improve pediatric patient safety when medications are administered or dispensed. In some cases, technology can reduce the risk of human errors that can lead to incorrect dosages or other pediatric medication errors.

Improve Overall Safety

Pharmacists and healthcare directors should choose software programs and other technology that helps to improve overall safety and reduces the risk of preventable harm in administering and dispensing medication. Smart pumps and similar technological devices for healthcare facilities can help to provide an appropriate dose of medication to pediatric inpatients. However, these devices should not be considered a guarantee that medication errors will not occur. Any technology utilized to improve medical care should be used correctly and checked regularly to make sure errors are not occurring.

Use Automation

Using automation, such as computerized physician order entry, clinical decision support tools, and pharmacy automation, can improve dosage accuracy and other factors that help prevent medication errors. These tools can dispense the correct dose of pediatric medication, sync patient records, automate medication reconciliation, and handle other medication safety tasks. Automation used in a hospital pharmacy should be checked regularly for accuracy to prevent errors.

Reduce Medication Errors

Technology that is used for lowering medication errors is typically designed for adult medication. As with the formulation and packaging of pediatric drugs, this technology needs to be adapted for pediatric medication. Technological advances such as barcoding typically requires careful adjustments for use with pediatric medications.

Medical Packaging Inc., LLC (MPI) is dedicated to helping healthcare professionals reduce the risk of pediatric medication errors. MPI offers high-quality unit dose medication and pharmaceutical packaging and labeling systems, MPI-certified consumable materials, and other products to help pharmacies, hospitals, and other medical facilities ensure pediatric medication safety. Contact MPI to learn more about medical packaging solutions.

Healthcare systems in the United States rely on quality of care and patient outcomes to help meet their long-term goals. Measuring work performance and productivity is far more complex than task tracking. The way healthcare workers interact with patients is just as important as their ability to perform the administrative responsibilities that keep the organization moving efficiently.

Healthcare organizations must maintain the effectiveness of their performance management programs as the sector increasingly incentivizes health outcomes above treatment volume. The industry decision-makers can enhance work performance by concentrating on their strong and weak aspects in each area. The first step is improving employee engagement and internal communication, which will allow for the implementation of positive changes and modern technologies that streamline performance. 

What Affects Work Performance in Healthcare?

Working in a healthcare environment has unique stressors that put employees at elevated risk for burnout. Intensely stressful and emotional situations, along with long hours, unpredictable schedules, physical demands, risk of exposure to infectious diseases, and more can lead to anxiety, insomnia, and a decrease in job satisfaction and overall mental health. These are all issues that can affect work performance and the ability for medical professionals to provide high-quality care, resulting in a risk to patient safety.

A systematic approach to evaluating work performance includes : 

·       Task performance

·       Contextual performance

·       Counterproductive work behavior

Work performance in healthcare encompasses job obligations such as job skills, clinical competence, work quality (task performance), and those that lie outside of job titles (contextual performance). 

How can you address these specific issues to allow for improved work performance? The key might be to break it down into single challenges and determine what might improve efficiency. An excellent example of this is implementing automated systems, like the unit dose supply method, to help provide relief to overworked staff members. 

How to Improve Employee Engagement

Keeping employees engaged is a challenge that every business faces. Building a connection between team members, especially with healthcare workers, can be a powerful tool in improving job satisfaction, which leads to increased productivity. This enhances quality of care and patient outcomes within a healthcare system.

But, how do you increase employee engagement? There are a few steps you can take.

1. Improve internal communication

Effective communication is key for the success of any business. Numerous studies have noted the link between internal communication and having productive employees. Keeping your team members aware of critical information, news, and other happenings within company can increase productivity and morale.

2. Provide better opportunities for mentorship

A mentorship program is a fantastic way for senior employees to show their newer colleagues the ropes. Simply discussing different ways to go about completing daily tasks can help staff members gain the confidence to conduct their work.

3. Invest in your leadership team

The most obvious, but sometimes overlooked, solution for improving employee engagement is having healthcare leaders that empower and inspire their direct reports. Having a leader with poor people skills or is out of touch can create a negative, toxic workplace environment. A leader with effective communication skills who puts in the effort to include and empower their colleagues will see overall healthcare quality improvement.

4. Provide mental health resources

Stress is an issue medical professionals deal with on a regular basis. Investing in mental health programs shows employees that their well-being is also a top priority of their leadership team. Providing free counseling or assistance programs can help healthcare workers deal with the emotional and physical toll that comes with the long hours in high-pressure situations.

Improving employee engagement is an easy, efficient method for boosting work performance and productivity. An empowered, satisfied healthcare organization leads to better outcomes and greater patient care. 

How Automation and Medical Packaging Solutions Can Help Healthcare Facilities Provide High-Quality Care

Automation, electronic health records, and improvements in medical equipment and machinery can all help to relieve some of the stress from healthcare workers and provide a better patient experience. Utilization of the solutions allows more time for nurses, primary care physicians, pharmacists and additional staff to focus on the patient, instead of organizational tasks.

Medical Packaging Inc., LLC is a leading global manufacturer of pharmaceutical packaging and labeling systems that meet the needs of pharmacies, long-term care facilities, hospitals, and more. Our systems help increase efficiency throughout healthcare organizations and improve patient safety.

The Unit Dose Supply Method for Healthcare Improvement

A unit dose, also known as a single dose, is a drug that is packaged individually. Each package contains one dose of medication created by an automated packaging and dispensing system. This packing type makes it easier and safer to administer a required dose of medication to a patient. 

Over the past few decades, research on unit dosage medication delivery methods has shown that these systems are more efficient and a more effective way of employing professional resources when compared to alternative drug delivery techniques.

In fact, a 2013 study conducted at the Barzilai Medical Center found that implementing an individual unit dose system provided:

·       Shorter turnaround times between prescribing the drug and administering it

·       Increased pharmacist’s clinical interventions without adding staff

·       Decrease in costs and patient hospitalization times

Any medication not consumed by patients may be returned to a central storage system if the unit dose package was not opened and no sensitive patient data is included on the package. The major benefit is it decreases the risk of medication errors. 

How Administrators Can Use Single Doses to Improve Efficiency

 One of the many benefits of initiating a unit dose packaging system in a healthcare facility is saves time devoted to medication management. Implementing this system starts with identifying the medications that best fit into this process. 

1. Choosing the Right Medications to Package in the System

The unit dose method is best suited for medications in bulk packaging. However, most other types of medication packaging, such as suppositories, ampoules, transdermal patches, and pre-filled syringes, can be packaged into unit doses. After creating a unit medicine dosage, it may be ordered and delivered for safe medication administration.

The medication is not removed from the package until it reaches the patient, which is a significant advantage of unit doses. In addition, it means no cross-contamination with other drugs or human contact.

Unit dosages can also create a patient-specific therapy that combines multiple medications. Medication is transported to nursing stations in patient-specific treatment carriers. This method dramatically decreases the time nursing staff spends physically storing, organizing, and dispensing medicine. Furthermore, clear labeling of a drug name, dose, batch and expiration date increases safety, especially when dealing with high-risk medication.  The use of barcode technology and scanning procedures can also help with drug identification.

2. Determining the Type of Packaging Desired for Each Medication

After determining which medications are best suited for this dosage supply method and the ideal delivery method for each, the healthcare institution must decide on the appropriate equipment.

When defining equipment needs, for example packaging equipment for the different dosage forms of drugs, such as tablets, capsules, injectables, and liquids, factors to consider include:

·       Floor carts for direct distribution

·       Modular filling stations

·       Patient profile holders

Another critical decision is determining what items should be purchased in unit dose packages and what should be packaged in the pharmacy, and how that is accomplished. This will entail identifying the specific package requirements, what supplies the pharmacy needs and the amount required for each format.

The administration must assess the cost of the equipment and consumable supplies to determine the return on investment when budgeting for the unit dosage supply method. For example, how much would the hospital save by implementing this system?

Consider how the implementation of unit dose packaging would affect staff and patient care workflow. What effect will it have on various wards? For example, the impact will be different in pediatric wards than in areas of a hospital that deal with adult patients, such as acute care centers.

3. Creating Effective Training Strategies

When planning implementation, the administration must also consider training and how to conduct it in a way that does not interfere with patient care.

A few effective training methods include:

·       Rotating pharmacy staff to work on single dose dispensing once a week until everyone has completed the training procedure.

·       Educating the nurses using video presentations or live demonstrations of a new system

·       Distributing information on medication administration adjustments to general staff, such as a newsletter.

Training small groups at a time is the most effective way to avoid interruptions in patient care while still ensuring all employees understand the unit dose supply method.

4. Establishing An Internal Plan for All Unit Dose Packaged Medications

Beyond equipment, supplies, and training, the unit dosage supply system requires careful planning before implementation.  In addition, protocols for dose preparation need to follow safe medication practices and standards closely.

The healthcare institution will also need to have a storage system in place, whether in a bulk storage area or on a cart in the nursing unit.  There must also be plans for internal flow from patient admission to patient medication profile to packaging to filling drug delivery carts.

Common factors include:

·       Establishing the ward stock procedures 

·       Designing stock batch controls

·       Inventory management and monitoring

·       Determine how to manage unutilized medications

It may be necessary to modify existing procedures and integrate current technology to accommodate the new process of ordering and administering medication, along with how to achieve accurate dosing calculations and avoid medication errors.

Finding the Right Equipment and Supply Partners

The unit dose supply method improves the work performance of healthcare professionals. The key is collaborating with the right partners for equipment, supplies and support. Medical Packaging Inc., LLC (MPI) can assist you in achieving your medication management goals with unit dose packaging. 

MPI was established in 1971 and is now one of the world’s leading unit dose packaging and pharmaceutical equipment manufacturers. We take pride in producing high-quality pharmaceutical packaging equipment, MPI-certified consumables, and our own Pak-EDGE^TM UD Barcode Labeling Software. MPI strives to be the premier provider of pharmaceutical packaging solutions that save patients’ lives while increasing productivity and profitability for all clients.

Customer service and technical help is available to all clients in a timely, professional, and courteous manner. We build, maintain, and encourage long-term relationships with our customers, strategic partners, and distributors alike based on professionalism and passion. We assist customers when they are starting or expanding their unit dose packaging program with training, implementation, and technical support if needed. In addition, we are continually improving our pharmacy packaging technologies to ensure that we comply with industry regulations and regulatory requirements for unit dose pharmaceutical packaging. We also promote continual learning and development among all employees to ensure that we remain a market leader in our ever-changing industry.

MPI and the healthcare industry have a common goal – to improve work performance for medical professionals while enhancing the safety of patients.  

In providing patient medication supplies, there is a lot of detail that goes into each and every package. Unit dose medication packaging solutions including materials like labels for single-dose vials and syringes must also comply with federal standards for labeling drugs. This takes a lot of diligent attention and can be a daunting task for healthcare facilities and pharmacies. The evidence suggests that pharmacies are making more critical mistakes with mislabeled or unlabeled syringes, leading to serious medication safety concerns. However, there are guidelines and technologies available to assist pharmacists in providing the most accurate labeling information for every medication syringe. Start by understanding more about the importance of safe and accurate medication labels. 

Importance of Labeling Medication Syringes

The Joint Commission released National Patient Safety Goals, laying out goals for improving medication safety by labeling all medications, medication containers, and other solutions to ensure patients receive the correct medication, whether they are in a perioperative setting, assisted living community, or by themselves at home. According to Federal Survey Manual and F431 §483.60(d) Labeling of Drugs and Biologicals, “Drugs and biologicals used in the facility must be labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles, and include the appropriate accessory and cautionary instructions, and the expiration date when applicable.” 

Injectable medications, along with many oral medications, are dispensed as ready-to-use syringes that are either administered by a healthcare professional or by the patient. This is when labeling medications is paramount, since patients have only the information on the syringe label to help guide them. However, even in clinical areas, mistakes can be made when medication vials and syringes are improperly labeled. Hazardous conditions are increased for the patient when high-alert medications are being administered.

Everything the patient requires for proper dose administration must be printed on the label. At a minimum, medication containers and medication syringe labels must include:

• Accurate spelling of medication name  
• Brand name or generic name
• Patient’s name
• Dosing amounts
• Dosing and/or drug administration instructions
• Total medication quantity
• Medication expiration date
• Date of dispensing
• Serial number
• Name of the prescriber
• Name, address, and telephone number of the issuing pharmacy

Each piece of information is there to improve patient safety. Reducing spelling errors, typographical mistakes, or the spacing of the information including label breaks will help prevent patient harm.

Safe Labeling Prevents Medication Errors

A patient error with medication involving a syringe can send a patient straight to the ER or worse. This could be due to an overdose of medication, or not using enough medication because the labeling instructions are inaccurate. Other concerns are using the wrong medication altogether due to a mistake with labeling in the pharmacy.

Keeping patients out of the emergency room is a top priority for the medical industry. Medication is expected to make the patient better, not increase their rate of illness or chance of suffering from an overdose, adverse reaction, or misuse. This is where providing safe labeling will prevent medication errors and save a pharmacy from a lawsuit.

Issues With Mislabeling Vaccinations

Vaccines are one of the most common types of injectable medications, especially since the COVID-19 vaccines became available. Giving the wrong dosage or vaccine can be detrimental to the patient’s health and personal wellness. 

In 2021, there were multiple reports of mix-ups between the Flu and COVID-19 vaccines. With more vaccinations being added to the market all the time, labeling syringes accurately and having procedures in place to reduce errors is the best way to ensure patients are getting the right vaccine at the right dose.

It is important to focus on perfecting a medication syringe labeling process. This typically involves automation equipment as a way to also improve production with fewer labeling mistakes. Along with choosing a new syringe labeling system by MPI, you want to identify elements of syringe labels that must meet federal and industry guidelines. This includes the font type and size, as well as the color of the label and printed information.

Best Practices for Labeling a Medication Syringe

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) reports errors with injectable medications remain a common problem. Along with being more common than other types of medications, such as pills, about 50 percent of harmful errors in injectable medications occur during administration. By eliminating labeling mistakes on injectable medications, you are able to minimize danger to the patient. That is worth the extra effort in best practices for labeling a medication syringe. 

Let’s cover some of the best practices for labeling a medication syringe. The label itself must be:

• Clearly printed
• Provide all of the medication information
• Not reduce the nurse or patient’s ability to administer medication for themselves in a timely and safe manner

There are several ways to ensure this happens when labeling an injectable medication.

Start with the label design and where the information is printed, especially key data like patient name, drug name, dose instructions, dosage amount, and pharmacy contact number. The label must also meet specific industry guidelines for the medication you are labeling.

For example, if you are labeling vaccinations, there will be labeling requirements that differ from the labeling of anesthesia. Determining the correct labeling requirements for the type of medication syringe you are packaging is very important at this stage. 

Watch for how the label breaks when flagging labels. A label break occurs where the end of a label lies on a syringe. If the label break is in an awkward placement, the nurse or patient could miss key information. This could be a number or the inclusion of a few ending letters on an important word.

Covering syringe barrel markings is another critical error that happens with pharmaceutical syringe labeling. If the syringe markings, indicating measurements for dosing, are not visible due to the sticker label, this slows down patient care and may lead to medication dosing errors.

If the pharmacist is adding additional information to a medication syringe label after it is affixed to the unit, there are some ways to do this safely. Use a ballpoint pen or a permanent felt-tipped marker on a label when handwriting instructions to minimize smearing. Patients can’t read a smudged or blurred word very well, which will likely lead to improper medication administration or dosing.

Color blindness and age-related vision loss are concerns for patients self-administering medication. For high-contrast color combinations on labeling for syringes, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) recommends the following:

• Black text on white background
• Blue text on yellow background
• White text on blue background
• Blue text on white background

Using an optimal color combination for text on the background of a medication syringe is one area where the pharmacist or provider of patient medication supplies can improve patient care. There is also the use of certain color options that are reserved specifically for labeling certain drugs considered more dangerous as classified narcotics, such as benzodiazepines or opioids. For example, the color Salmon 156 is reserved for major tranquilizers and anti-emetics, while beta blockers have two colors–Copper 876U and White.

For more information, check with specific health care industries and providers of safe medical practices. The ASA provides specific guidelines for labeling pharmaceuticals used in anesthesiology. They are responsible for potent medications used for putting patients under general anesthesia for surgery. As a result, the ASA is alert to the importance and patient care associated with medication syringes.

How Medical Packaging Inc., LLC Can Help

Medical Packaging Inc., LLC (MPI) is a leading provider of unit dose and liquid medicine packaging and labeling systems. With MPI’s Auto-Wrap® Syringe Labeling System, you can automate the process of labeling injectable medications and oral syringes. Compact enough to fit in an office, the label printer is capable of printing 20 syringes in 60 seconds. This is the perfect solution for retail pharmacies and hospital pharmacies.

Find out how our medical packaging and labeling units will improve your business and increase productivity. Contact MPI today to request a free quote for your ideal medical packaging equipment.

To ensure safety during medication preparation and distribution procedures, hospital pharmacy equipment must maintain compliance with regulatory controls and conformity assessments. Purchasing safe equipment and packaging systems, and making timely replacements for outdated systems, is paramount to businesses in health care. Here are four types of medication packaging equipment available by Medical Packaging Inc., LLC (MPI) to choose from when installing or upgrading your pharmacy equipment. These include oral solid and oral liquid packaging systems along with overwrapping and labeling systems.

Oral Solid Packaging Systems

Auto-Print®

To provide fast and accurate packaging with barcoding and label printing in-house, Auto-Print® Packaging System offers a comprehensive solution. This is a barcode and package system that meets technical specifications to print clear and scannable medication information.  A safe, tamper-proof unit dose package containing detailed medication and barcode information will be delivered to the bedside thanks to this efficiency in labeling and packaging. 

The system is designed to package at a speed of 60-unit dose packages per minute. This is useful for packaging both tablets and capsules for oral solid packaging in wholesale and retail pharmacy locations. Along with a Model #9300E printer with 300 DPI resolution, this packaging system comes with Pak-EDGE™ UD Barcode Labeling Software that is optimized for use with Windows® software. This barcode technology works for 2D, linear, and GS1 barcode creation. Customers also receive access to the First DataBank™ for comprehensive prescription drug source library and imaging information.

As you will learn in a moment, there are several attachments and additional pieces of equipment that operate as part of the Auto-Print® Unit Dose Packaging System. This is a total barcoding and packaging automation system that has been in production for more than 30 years.

Hospital pharmacies depend on this packaging machinery for handling the bulk of oral solid packaging needs in the health care industry. The use of the Auto-Print® system allows for stricter adherence to stringent quality control procedures by hospitals and the federal government. This system also serves to decrease costs, increase efficiency, and reduce and hopefully eliminate errors for pharmacies.

Express 90

The comparable Auto-Print® Express 90 Packaging System maxes out at 90 unit doses of oral solid medications per minute. Acute care, hospital and retail pharmacies appreciate the higher rate of production afforded by this piece of machinery. The Express 90 system is clocked at 50 percent faster than the standard Auto-Print®.

When speed counts the most, the Express 90 is the optimal choice in packaging systems for oral solid medications. If you are a business owner who previously owned an Auto-Print® but now wants to increase output, the Express 90 is the way to go. This packaging system increases efficiency and cost savings while maximizing output in a safe and economical manner.

Oral Solid Feeder Attachment

The Auto-Print® Oral Solid Feeder (OSF) Attachment allows bulk medication to be loaded into the feeder. This optimizes the fully automated packaging system for speed and efficiency. While optional, the feeder attachment is value-packed to offer increased accuracy and timing when filling prescriptions.

The system operates with oral solids, including tablets and capsules, being filled and sealed in sterile unit dose packages. Using the method of bulk loading medication, individual units are measured, counted, and sorted using an automated system. This eliminates the back-numbing task of hand sorting medications.

The Oral Solid Feeder will handle tablets and capsules measuring up to a half-inch in diameter. High volume runs for pharmacies and wholesale distributors are improved and optimized with the OSF attachment for the Auto-Print® oral solid packaging solution.

The oral solid feeder attachment is an accessory item for the Auto-Print® Packaging System. MPI offers additional customization for the medication packaging system that works with this OSF. This includes the Canister Feeder Attachment, which we will cover next. 

Canister Feeder Attachment

The Auto-Print® Canister Feeder (CF) Attachment provides additional automation support for filling prescription unit dose packages. The canister feeder facilitates the specialized packaging using canisters. This oral solid unit dose packaging system is also modifiable with the latest in drug canister technology.

With the Auto-Print® CF Attachment, the goal is to modify an existing canister technology to work with automated packaging assemblies. This provides much more efficiency in packaging fulfillment. The attachment handles up to 60 packages in 60 seconds and supports a minimal cost per dose (CPD) for the most in economic savings.

Only those canisters with a 7cm-by-7cm canister base size will fit, but the system only needs one canister. Also, the canister feeder option is only available for the standard Auto-Print® and can be operated in canister mode or manual mode.

Oral Liquid Packaging Systems

Fluidose®

The Fluidose® Series 6 Unit Dose Packaging systems are designed as a leading solution for oral liquid packaging. This system provides unit dose cup packaging for oral liquid medication. The rate of dispensing medication is 22 doses in 60 seconds. Fluidose® supports the entire packaging and barcoding process from start to finish for oral liquids. This has newly added features and simplified operating procedures compared to its predecessor, Fluidose® Series 5H. The Fluidose® packaging system is also compliant with the FDA regulations for food contact.

Auto-Draw®

Auto-Draw® is an expert Oral Syringe Filling System that provides another method for oral liquid packaging. This is a filling system that operates using an oral syringe for accuracy in dose packaging. The semi-automatic functionality allows for filling oral slip syringes in a wide variety of sizes and viscosities. The unit dose packaging system fills to a volume of 1 mL to 50 mL. Auto-Draw® is also a compact system that comes equipped with a touchscreen interface for speed of information. The Auto-Draw® system works in conjunction with the Auto-Wrap® Syringe Labeling System for a complete packaging and labeling setup.

FD-Pharma™

The next oral liquid packaging system that is most commonly used in small pharmaceutical manufacturing and CDMO settings is the FD-Pharma™. This system is FDA compliant to solve unit dose demands for oral liquid cup packaging. Medication repacking companies and boutique pharmaceutical firms that are running on a low scale are best served with the FD-Pharma™. This is ideally designed for managing low volume production along with validation runs.

Overwrapping Systems

Pharmacy Accessory Bagging System

The Pharmacy Accessory Bagging System (PABS) assists in the final stages of the packaging process. This system provides barcoding for medication packaging. Additionally, the packaging system fills and seals up to 35 bags in 60 seconds. PABS works for ampoules, syringes, and vials for a more comprehensive overwrapping system to serve a wider range of customer demands.

Auto-Print® Max Bagger

The Auto-Print® Max Bagger is an equally as impressive overwrapping system while not quite as fast. This system works to fill 30 bags per minute using automation technology. The Max Bagger offers a substantial process of bagging and labeling medications. This overwrap packaging system includes everything needed for packaging medications, and for printing barcodes and labels on unit packages. This works with robotic drug distribution systems for a comprehensive solution to manage two standard-sized fill bags, 3 ½ by 4 inches and 5 inches square. 

Labeling Systems

Auto-Wrap®

In the final stages of processing and packaging medical supplies and medication, the use of an automated labeling system is in order. Here the Auto-Wrap® is a highly responsive machine that wraps up to 20 syringes through a labeling system in 60 seconds. The time savings is estimated to be up to 2 ⅔ minutes per 25 syringes compared to manual wrapping, which shaves down total production costs.

Each syringe is expertly labeled in a single motion, reducing labeling errors and increasing productivity. The labeling solution provides an ergonomic way of labeling a large quantity of medical syringes. This reduces repetitive stress injuries and improves efficiency. The Auto-Wrap® technology reduces workplace injuries for employees involved in packaging these products.

Pharmacy Accessory Label Printer

Lastly, we have the Pharmacy Accessory Label Printer (PALP), which is an excellent addition to any acute care, hospital, and retail pharmacies or medical supply distributors. The PALP includes a commercial desktop printer and Pak-EDGE™ UD Barcode Labeling Software for the complete system. This premium equipment supports state-of-the-art barcoding and labeling technology. The compact size of PALP allows this system to be installed on a desktop.

The system is designed to print labels and barcodes for ampoules, syringes, and vials, as well as for other pharmacy accessories. Labeling parenteral medications has never been easier or more efficient. The printer has two different models that can be purchased, including Direct Thermal Label Printer and Thermal Transfer Label Printer. This system is ideal for a medical device manufacturer or health care provider interested in optimizing their processes with automation.

Choose Medical Packaging Equipment by MPI

Optimize the types of medical equipment available with the vast selection offered at MPI. Along with oral solid and oral liquid packaging systems that include overwrapping, barcoding, and labeling, these systems are backed by medical literature.

Each solution we support in our catalog of products comes with superior client and technical support. Let us help you choose the right medication packaging and labeling equipment for your needs today. Contact MPI for a quote on services and product solutions.

U.S. News & World Report released their 2021-22 Best Hospitals rankings. The annual rankings acknowledge hospitals for outstanding performance in delivering complex and common care while also helping patients find a hospital with the resources needed for inpatient care.

Nearly 5,000 hospitals nationwide were evaluated based on analysis gathered on performance in adult and pediatric clinical specialties, procedures and conditions. About 65% of the Top 20 hospitals are Medical Packaging Inc., LLC (MPI) customers and more than ¾ of them are repeat customers with more than one MPI packaging solution being utilized in their facility.

The rankings for the Honor Roll consider 15 areas of complex specialty care and 17 specific procedure and conditions, such as heart bypass and lung cancer surgery.

Hospitals receive points if they were nationally ranked in the 15 specialties and if they were rated high performing in any of the procedures and conditions to make the Honor Roll. The more specialties and the higher their rank, the more points they acquired. Please click here to view the complete list of recognized hospitals and the methodology used in the rankings.

Medical Packaging Inc., LLC (MPI) has appointed John Zripko the new President/CEO of the company. An experienced business leader, John Zripko will succeed Andrew Bartels and assume responsibilities after a transition period.

John has 30+ years of experience leading packaging companies serving the pharmaceutical, medical, food, and other industries while achieving sustained, profitable growth. John possesses a unique blend of financial, technical, and commercial skills and is a perfect fit for MPI.

Andrew Bartels will remain involved with MPI as an owner, in an advisory role and as a key member of the board of directors.

“John has the required skillset and experience to take MPI to the next level as we continue to achieve our long-term growth goals in the core markets we serve, “said Andrew Bartels. “John joining MPI is in alignment with the partnership with The Zabel Companies to drive continued, long-term sustainable growth at MPI.”

John Zripko shares, “I am honored and excited to join MPI as the new President and CEO. Andy Bartels and his family built an incredible company which recently celebrated 50 years in business, and I am proud to have been chosen to lead MPI in the next chapter of continued growth and success. I would like to thank Andy and the Board of Directors for trusting me with this responsibility, and I’m glad to have joined the MPI family!”

Medical Packaging Inc., LLC (MPI) is excited to announce our new Fluidose^® Series 6 unit dose packaging system for oral liquid medication. 

With updated features and new technology, including a larger color touchscreen display, no tools required to reposition platform when packaging different cups sizes and expanded menu options, the Fluidose^® Series 6 improves the overall user experience while simplifying operation procedures.

The advanced design and added improvements support our commitment to providing hospital pharmacy professionals with establishing medication management that increases pharmacy efficiency and enhances patient safety.

Combined with our exclusive MPI-certified consumable materials and Pak-EDGE™ UD Barcode Labeling Software, customers have full confidence that a unit dose package containing detailed medication and barcode information is always delivered to patients. 

Learn more about the new liquid packaging and labeling solution by visiting the product page on our website.

Please feel free to contact us to speak with a product expert for additional information and pricing for the Fluidose^® Series 6 packaging system.