Pan Demetrakakes

July 2, 2018

2 Min Read
Pharmaceutical blister packaging on the rise at Reed-Lane
An investment in a new pharmaceutical blister packaging line is paying off for leading contract packager Reed-Lane.

How fast is the packaging shift happening in the U.S. from bottles to blisters for oral solid dosage pharmaceuticals (pills, caplets, capsules)? Have we passed the tipping point?

In a 2016 survey by Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News, more than 60% of respondents identified “blister” as the package choice for the company’s newest oral solid dose. Where do you think that percentage will be today, two years later? We’re inviting pharmaceutical manufacturers to take our short survey so we can report on the potential growth in unit-dose packaging (click here to access the survey, which should take about five minutes to complete).

Not surprisingly, a number of players in the market are feeding the trend. For example, a recent investment in new blister packaging equipment paid off with a substantial increase in business for a leading pharmaceutical contract packaging provider.

Reed-Lane saw its 2017 blister business increase by 10% after incorporating a UPS 4 blister machine from Uhlmann Packaging Systems. The Uhlmann machine is in addition to blister packaging equipment from Klöckner and CAM Packaging. The company’s blister lines do in-line printing and inspection, as well as high-speed filling.

Blister packaging now constitutes about a quarter of Reed-Lane’s operations, along with bottling, pouching and vial filling. The company says its additional blister jobs constitute new business, which is being driven by new product launches.

“Blister packaging seems to be growing in popularity as many pharma manufacturers look for solutions with heightened protection against moisture and oxygen,” says company president Patricia Elvin. “As a contract packager with a variety of blistering capabilities, this places Reed-Lane in prime position to offer a range of options for those considering blister packs.”

Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News will report on the results of its survey in the next several weeks. But we need your help in collecting the data. If you work for a pharmaceutical manufacturer, please CLICK HERE to take our short, five-minute survey now. Thank you.

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