Pharmapack Europe celebrated its 20th year by focusing on top industry trends including patient centricity, traceability, innovation, compliance and adherence.
Overview
The event for pharmaceutical packaging and drug delivery devices was the most international Pharmapack Europe to date with over 100 countries attending. The show also saw an increase in attendance from 2016, with 5,290 attendees and 411 exhibitors.
The show’s conference programme included three sessions focused on a variety of topics surrounding innovation, patient adherence, patient centricity and more. More so an emphasis was placed on the emerging importance of the human factor, particularly considering the current trend of self-administered drugs.
Pharmapack’s Serialisation and Track & Trace symposium outlined the industry’s efforts to overcome pharmaceutical counterfeiting, putting traceability solutions and serialisation strategies at the forefront of the agenda. There was also a session given to provide guidance on the EU Falsified Medicine’s Directive. The symposium featured case studies and practical examples of traceability application and compliance for attendees.
For the first time Pharmapack Europe included a media debate, where industry experts predicted future innovations to mark 20 years of the event. The debate centred on compliance, patient centricity and digital integration.
Dr. Pascale Gauthier, Auvergne University said: “Technology is becoming more integrated with packaging, particularly as solutions move towards greater patient centricity, in terms of screen integration, signal transmission and data sharing”.
With device development being fast-tracked by many authorities Lional Jeannin, device and packaging expert at Novartis said: “The interaction between medication and devices is growing across the globe, with the United States FDA a clear leader in regulation on combination products, while Europe is also experiencing development in this area”.
Pharmapack Europe also saw the return of the Innovation Gallery and Innovation Tours, where the most innovative products in pharma packaging and delivery device industries were presented.
The Pharmapack Start-up Hub was the newest addition to the show floor, with groundbreaking young pharma companies being highlighted as the most innovative in the exhibition.
Anne Schumacher, brand director at Pharmapack Europe, commented: “This year’s event was an amazing celebration of our industry, 20 years is a reason to proudly celebrate what we have achieved in this time. Innovation has been the driving force of both Pharmapack and the industry in the past two decades, moving the industry closer to patients, and increasing compliance and traceability. During the conference, we got a view on how the industry is synergising with the patient and looking to individualise packaging. With over 5,290 attendees, Pharmapack is a community hub of pharma leaders, and many of the deals completed this week are the starting points for the developments of tomorrow.”