In a late-September e-mail survey, Healthcare Packaging readers answered this question. Here is a sampling of their responses:
“This will drive costs up overall,” commented a raw materials supplier.
“I can see the more expensive compliance packaging in terms of cold chain products packed in the 2 to 8-degree C range,” added a pharmaceutical respondent.
Greater use of compliance-prompting packaging “is totally dependent on the level of oversight and enforcement applied to the segments of the chain below the manufacturer,” noted a representative from a specialty pharmacy.
A medical device respondent suggested, “this could impact the sterility and package integrity of medical packaging.”
A pharmaceutical professional said, “Compliance is the key in clinical studies, and since these studies are the basis for drug approval, our customers are usually willing to pay more for compliance packaging features if it is crucial to the particular study. There is still no way to prove the patient is consuming the medication short of witnessing the act.”
Another perspective on compliance came from a components supplier who said, “Compliance could change some of the ways our customers purchase.”
Many respondents indicated they had yet to determine how or if healthcare reform would play a role in their packaging decisions. “Giving the patients the best should always be the top priority,” believed a medical device manufacturer.
“This is an excellent outcome of the bill, however, [there is] very little impact on us,” said a personal care company respondent.
A packaging vendor said, “I am not sure about this one, however, the prospect of driving more technology into packaging is attractive.”
And finally this viewpoint from a pharmaceutical respondent: “Our company has not discussed the potential impact that healthcare reform may have on our packaging operations. We are not looking to being ahead of the curve by implementing compliance packaging immediately. [There are] still too many unknowns.”
Reform and packaging operations
In a separate survey question, Healthcare Packaging asked, “What possible impact will healthcare reform have on your packaging operations, if any?”
“It's hard to say at this point,” said a manufacturer of medical packaging. “We anticipate that our medical device customers will press harder for lower prices, given that they will be paying surcharges on their devices.”
A pharmaceutical respondent said, “Other than a possible impact to costs, extensive clinical testing and patent life, it is unknown what type of impact healthcare reform will have on our industry.”
Another pharmaceutical respondent anticipated that healthcare reform will have “a negative impact. Much of what we produce is prescription samples, starter kits, and hospital doses. Whan prescriptions become handled through the new plan, it is unclear whether the patient will be give the option of treatment like they have today.”
Seeing healthcare reform from a “glass half-full” perspective was a biologics/biopharmaceutical respondent who looked for a “possible increase in sales of medical testing materials and kits.”
“We are in the generic industry, so it has a positive impact as we are a good value-added proposition to the problem,” responded a pharmaceutical representative.
A packaging vendor also saw positives in healthcare reform. “Our design and prototyping business may increase as clients look to decrease packaging costs, yet still be compliant with the regulations around medical packaging.”
Many respondents were uncertain about the eventual impact of healthcare reform on their packaging operations. A personal care respondent offered the following interpretation: “We don't expect a significant impact due to healthcare reform as several states are counteracting the measures, and with recent elections the bill will become watered down.” -
-Jim Butschli, Editor, Healthcare Packaging
“This will drive costs up overall,” commented a raw materials supplier.
“I can see the more expensive compliance packaging in terms of cold chain products packed in the 2 to 8-degree C range,” added a pharmaceutical respondent.
Greater use of compliance-prompting packaging “is totally dependent on the level of oversight and enforcement applied to the segments of the chain below the manufacturer,” noted a representative from a specialty pharmacy.
A medical device respondent suggested, “this could impact the sterility and package integrity of medical packaging.”
A pharmaceutical professional said, “Compliance is the key in clinical studies, and since these studies are the basis for drug approval, our customers are usually willing to pay more for compliance packaging features if it is crucial to the particular study. There is still no way to prove the patient is consuming the medication short of witnessing the act.”
Another perspective on compliance came from a components supplier who said, “Compliance could change some of the ways our customers purchase.”
Many respondents indicated they had yet to determine how or if healthcare reform would play a role in their packaging decisions. “Giving the patients the best should always be the top priority,” believed a medical device manufacturer.
“This is an excellent outcome of the bill, however, [there is] very little impact on us,” said a personal care company respondent.
A packaging vendor said, “I am not sure about this one, however, the prospect of driving more technology into packaging is attractive.”
And finally this viewpoint from a pharmaceutical respondent: “Our company has not discussed the potential impact that healthcare reform may have on our packaging operations. We are not looking to being ahead of the curve by implementing compliance packaging immediately. [There are] still too many unknowns.”
Reform and packaging operations
In a separate survey question, Healthcare Packaging asked, “What possible impact will healthcare reform have on your packaging operations, if any?”
“It's hard to say at this point,” said a manufacturer of medical packaging. “We anticipate that our medical device customers will press harder for lower prices, given that they will be paying surcharges on their devices.”
A pharmaceutical respondent said, “Other than a possible impact to costs, extensive clinical testing and patent life, it is unknown what type of impact healthcare reform will have on our industry.”
Another pharmaceutical respondent anticipated that healthcare reform will have “a negative impact. Much of what we produce is prescription samples, starter kits, and hospital doses. Whan prescriptions become handled through the new plan, it is unclear whether the patient will be give the option of treatment like they have today.”
Seeing healthcare reform from a “glass half-full” perspective was a biologics/biopharmaceutical respondent who looked for a “possible increase in sales of medical testing materials and kits.”
“We are in the generic industry, so it has a positive impact as we are a good value-added proposition to the problem,” responded a pharmaceutical representative.
A packaging vendor also saw positives in healthcare reform. “Our design and prototyping business may increase as clients look to decrease packaging costs, yet still be compliant with the regulations around medical packaging.”
Many respondents were uncertain about the eventual impact of healthcare reform on their packaging operations. A personal care respondent offered the following interpretation: “We don't expect a significant impact due to healthcare reform as several states are counteracting the measures, and with recent elections the bill will become watered down.” -
-Jim Butschli, Editor, Healthcare Packaging
