This page covers the questions we hear most often from pharmacy directors, repackagers, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. If you do not see your answer here, contact our team, and we will walk you through it.
Pharmaceutical Packaging Basics
What is pharmaceutical packaging and why does it matter?
Pharmaceutical packaging covers the materials and systems that hold, protect, and identify a drug product from the time it leaves bulk form until a patient takes the dose. Primary packaging touches the medication directly and includes unit dose cups, strip packages, and bottles. Secondary packaging such as overwraps and cartons adds another barrier against light, moisture, contamination, and tampering. Good packaging protects the drug, carries the information a nurse or patient needs, and keeps the facility aligned with federal requirements.
What is unit dose packaging?
Unit dose packaging places a single dose of medication in its own sealed, labeled package. A nurse pulls one package, scans the barcode at the bedside, and gives the dose without counting, splitting, or transcribing anything. Hospitals, long-term care pharmacies, and repackagers use unit dose formats for both oral solids and oral liquids. MPI builds packaging systems for both.
What is the difference between primary and secondary packaging?
Primary packaging is the layer in direct contact with the medication, such as a sealed unit dose cup or a strip package. Secondary packaging goes around that layer. An overwrap bag that holds a labeled syringe or a group of unit dose packages is secondary packaging. Both layers carry product information, and both play a part in how the medication holds up in storage and transport.
What does repackaging mean in a pharmacy?
Repackaging is the process of taking medication out of a manufacturer’s bulk container and putting it into a new package, usually unit dose, with a new label and barcode. Hospital pharmacies do this in-house for their own patients. Contract repackagers do it at volume for other facilities. Both need equipment that prints accurate labels and documents what went into every package.
How does packaging affect patient safety?
Packaging decides what a nurse sees and scans at the point of care. A clearly labeled, barcoded unit dose package supports bedside scanning and removes the guesswork that comes with loose tablets, hand-written labels, and bulk bottles. Packaging also protects the drug itself, since light and moisture exposure can change a medication before it ever reaches a patient.
MPI Products and Systems
What packaging solutions does Medical Packaging Inc., LLC (MPI) provide?
We build equipment, materials, and software for unit dose packaging and labeling:
- Oral solid packaging systems (Auto-Print® Plus) for tablets and capsules
- Oral liquid packaging systems (Fluidose®, FD-Pharma®, and Auto-Draw®) for unit dose cups and oral syringes
- Overwrapping and accessory packaging (PABS) for secondary packaging of vials, ampoules, and syringes
- Labeling systems (Auto-Wrap®, PALP) for syringe and accessory labeling
- Barcode labeling software (Pak-EDGE®) for label design, printing, and reporting
- Packaging materials (SUPERTHERM®, SUPERCEL®) made for use with MPI systems
Which MPI system packages oral solid medications?
Auto-Print™ Plus is a strip packager that handles oral solids. It runs up to 80 packages per minute and combines packaging and printing in one machine with a smaller footprint and easier operation than earlier models. MPI’s Pak-EDGE 2.0 Barcode Labeling Software also offers blister packing compatibility, allowing you to keep all solids packaging operations in one central platform.
Which MPI system packages oral liquids?
That depends on the format you need. Fluidose® Series 6 fills and seals unit dose cups in four sizes, 7 ml, 15 ml, 25 ml, and 35 ml, with multiple color options for identifying controlled or refrigerated medications at a glance. FD-Pharma® is a similar system with extra tools, such as the Die-Cut station, and better suits CDMOs, repackagers, and specialty manufacturers. Auto-Draw® fills oral syringes from 1 mL to 50 mL and works with most brands of oral syringes, so pharmacies can keep their current supplier.
What does the Pharmacy Accessory Bagging System do?
PABS is a table-top overwrapping system for parenteral medications in ampoules, vials, and syringes. It produces up to 35 filled and sealed bags per minute, and it prints barcoding and label copy directly on each bag. Pharmacies use it to give injectable products a scannable, identifiable outer package. See our overwrapping solutions.
How does MPI handle syringe and accessory labeling?
Two systems cover this work. Auto-Wrap® allows for pick-and-place syringe labeling and fits any oral or injectable syringe from ½ mL up to 60 mL, which cuts down on the repetitive hand motion that comes with manual wrapping. The Pharmacy Accessory Label Printer prints labels for vials, ampoules, syringes, and other accessories in multiple sizes and colors. Both run on Pak-EDGE®.
What is Pak-EDGE® and what does it do?
Pak-EDGE® UD Barcode Labeling Software is our proprietary label design and printing platform. It runs every MPI packaging and labeling system through one interface, so a pharmacy managing several machines works from a single set of drug records instead of separate ones. Version 2.0 includes DSCSA data recall, First Data Bank integration, built-in label templates, a label designer, drug library management, import tools for CSV and text files, and exportable reports for audits.
What barcode formats does Pak-EDGE® support?
Pak-EDGE® prints standard linear barcodes, 2D and GS1 barcodes, QR codes, and data matrix codes. Pharmacies can configure barcode type and label layout to match the scanning setup already in place, which matters when the barcode has to read correctly in an existing eMAR or dispensing system.
What does the First Databank subscription add?
With a First Databank license, a technician scans the bulk bottle, and Pak-EDGE® fills in the drug data automatically. Populated fields include generic name, trade name, strength, NDC number, manufacturer, and expiration date. Less typing means fewer chances to put wrong information on a label.
Do MPI systems work with existing pharmacy automation?
Yes. Our equipment and software are built to drop into the workflow you already run, alongside your dispensing, verification, and inventory systems. Most facilities keep their current suppliers and processes and add MPI equipment at the packaging step.
Compliance and Documentation
How does MPI support regulatory compliance?
Our systems are designed to align with FDA, USP, and DSCSA requirements, and our materials meet USP Class A and Class B standards. Repackagers running under cGMP use our equipment to hold consistent quality across product types. Pak-EDGE® reporting gives you exportable records when an inspector or surveyor asks for them.
What is a Type III Drug Master File and why does it matter to my facility?
A Type III DMF is a filing with the FDA that documents packaging components and materials. MPI holds an FDA-accepted Type III DMF that provides regulatory and technical support for pharmaceutical customers working to bring a product to market. For manufacturers and CDMOs, that documentation simplifies the path through submission and review. Read more about MPI’s Drug Master File.
How do MPI systems reduce medication errors?
Every package comes out sealed, labeled, and barcoded from the same data record. That removes transcription steps, supports bedside scanning, and gives nurses a package they can verify before administration. An optional barcode verifier scans each package after it is produced and confirms the barcode is machine readable, so a bad print does not reach the floor.
What packaging materials does MPI make?
We provide all materials needed for use with our systems. SUPERTHERM and SUPERCEL materials are used for oral solid dosing, MPI Cups and Lidding for liquid packaging, Flag and tacked labels for syringe labeling, plus a variety of shapes and sizes for overwrapping or ancillary labeling. Sample sheets for each system are available on our product resources page.
Volume, Speed, and Cost
Can MPI systems handle both small-batch and large-scale production?
Yes. A hospital pharmacy packaging daily doses and a CDMO running clinical trial batches can both use MPI equipment, because the line is modular. Facilities start with one system and add machines as product mix or volume changes. Specialty manufacturers often use FD-Pharma® for products that cannot run profitably on a high-speed line.
How does MPI improve workflow efficiency?
Manual packaging ties up licensed staff in counting, bagging, and labeling. Automated systems shift that work from the pharmacist and increase how many doses a shift can produce. Pharmacies typically report less manual handling, better throughput, and fewer delays tied to documentation. Our blog on pharmacy operations covers this in more detail.
Who MPI Serves
Who does MPI serve?
We work with hospitals and acute care facilities, integrated delivery networks, extended care and long-term care pharmacies, independent and retail pharmacies, specialty pharmaceutical manufacturers, CDMOs, pharmaceutical repackagers, children’s hospitals, and dental pharmacies worldwide.
Does MPI support short-cycle dispensing in long-term care?
Yes. Our packaging systems are built for the seven-day cycles that extended care and long-term care pharmacies run, and they support CMS-mandated short-cycle dispensing models. See our long-term care solutions.
Can independent and retail pharmacies use MPI equipment?
Yes, and the compact footprint is part of why. Our systems fit in limited space and let smaller pharmacies offer adherence packaging and other services that create new revenue without a chain-sized operation behind them.
Does MPI work for pediatric dosing?
Children’s hospitals use our equipment to produce weight-based doses and formulations that no manufacturer sells in a unit dose format. Oral liquid systems handle the small, precise volumes pediatric orders call for, and every dose comes out labeled and barcoded. Learn more about our work with children’s hospitals.
Support, Training, and Getting Started
What training and support does MPI provide?
We handle on-site installation and staff training, and technical support continues after that at no cost. Our Customer Success and Technical Support Centers answer questions on equipment, materials, and software. Read what customers say about working with our team on our testimonials page.
Is there a long-term contract or service commitment?
No. Technical support is free, maintenance options are flexible, and we do not require a long-term contract. See our customer support page for what is covered.
What should I do if my equipment stops working?
Start with the MPI Technical Assistance App, available for iOS and Android, which walks through fixes for common equipment issues. If the problem needs a person, call our support team at 609.466.8991 or toll-free at 800.257.5282, or email us at techsupport@medpak.com.
Where are your systems manufactured?
All MPI equipment and packaging materials are made in the United States. We have been building packaging systems since 1971, and we distribute and service them worldwide.
How do I get a quote or schedule a demo?
Request a quote or contact our team with your product types and monthly volume. We will recommend a configuration and walk you through what the equipment does in your workflow.