PHARMACEUTICAL PACKAGING FORUM

GSK, Abbott, and contract packaging panel highlight Pharmaceutical Packaging Forum

The third-annual Pharmaceutical Packaging Forum (PPF) will deliver information you can use on pharmaceutical package design, increasing quality and productivity, patient compliance, strategies to combat counterfeiting, how to increase packaging line profitability, will include a contract packaging panel, and a session on equipment risk assessment.

Here's an overview of some of the sessions scheduled for the April 15 PPF in Philadelphia:

• Unplanned downtime, excessive changeover time, and production schedule failures can all hinder Overall Equipment Effectiveness. Zarpac's Paul Zepf brings more than 35 years of experience in his presentation, "How Pharmaceutical Packaging Lines Can Increase Profitability."
• "Pharmaceuticals: The ‘last frontier' for Package Design" addresses designing packages for a global market, economic justification for changes, materials and structures that could revolutionize pharmaceutical packaging, and how sustainability fits into the equation. Don't miss this keynote address by Peter Clarke of Product Ventures Ltd.
• Six Sigma and operational excellence as it pertains to working with suppliers will be a focus of a presentation from Beverly Simon, sourcing group manager, new product supply with GlaxoSmithKline. Simon's presentation, "Operational Excellence Drives Improvement in Quality and Productivity," will address quality improvement, productivity increases, and cost savings issues.
• For the second straight year, the PPF welcomes an international panel co-sponsored by Pharmintech 2010 called "Pharmaceutical Packaging Perspectives from Europe, China, and India." Tassilo Korab, executive director of the European Healthcare Compliance Council, will update the audience on compliance and counterfeiting issues in Europe.
• "An Overview of Pharmaceutical Noncompliance: Scope and Impact in the U.S. and the World" is the title of a presentation to be given by Peter G. Mayberry, executive director of the Healthcare Compliance Packaging Council in the U.S. This presentation will offer insights into independent research regarding the scope of the pharmaceutical noncompliance problem and the impact that packaging can have on reducing the problem.
• When it comes to conducting clinical trials, packaging is often the last thing on people's minds. But primary, secondary, and/or tertiary packaging issues can be critical to the success or failure of a new product, especially a clinical trial. If problems are discovered with a product in a clinical trial, how do we know if they were caused by the product itself, improper packaging or product handling? In the session, "Packaging issues in clinical trials, combination products, and FDA insights," Mike Drues, president of Vascular Sciences addresses these issues and explores combination products and the key differences between biologics, drugs, and medical devices. Drues will also provide his unique perspective on working with the FDA.
• A "Revised JETT Equipment Risk Assessment Model" will look at the Joint Equipment Transition Team's efforts on pharmaceutical packaging equipment in this co-presentation with Steve Connelly, divisional engineering validation program coordinator with Abbott Laboratories, and Mel Bahr with MGS Machine Corp.
• Three contract packaging representatives will bring their insights to a presentation, "Driving Packaging Innovation at the Contract Manufacturer/Packager Level." Presenting will be Marc Feinberg of Sharp Corp., Justin Schroeder of Anderson Packaging, and Lori Fischer of Tolmar.

Medicinal packs differentiate personal care products

An assortment of more than 60 personal care products for African Americans from Professional Products achieves product differentiation from larger competitors thanks to individualized packaging from TricorBraun. The Groganics line of packaging has a medicinal appearance and uses 4- and 8-oz bottles, and 6-oz jars manufactured from PET. The bottles have 24/410 neck finishes with white, polypropylene fine-mist sprayers. The jar has a 70/400 neck finish with a white PP ribbed linerless closure.

NEW Products

ANNOUNCEMENT

Expanded Salary Survey targets salaries, career focus

IoPP's latest Salary Survey is now available for your input. We've expanded the survey to move beyond the "What are you Worth" focus done in previous years. Our goal is to examine where you feel you stand in your career regarding your position in packaging, how long you've been in a specific segment of packaging and how your job may be impacted in the future. The IoPP Salary Survey was developed with Gros Executive Recruiters to help us extend our reach into the packaging community. Media partner is Packaging World magazine. Results will be published in March/April of 2009. Please take 5-10 minutes to complete the survey. Answers will be completely anonymous and those participating will receive a complementary copy of the final report.
Go to www.iopp.org/salarysurvey to participate>>