Today’s pharmaceuticals are increasingly being delivered via novel routes, and many are designed for patients to use when treating themselves. “Drug products are undergoing design revisions, giving changing patient populations user-friendly options,” explains Don Singer, Global Lead Quality Manager, Microbiology R&D, GlaxoSmithKline. “It is not just pills and tablets any more. We are seeing many inhalable and intranasal products, and parenterals are no longer just delivered directly by standard syringes and from vials, especially in the oncology field.

Nurses prefer double-barrier packaging, consisting of a sealed tray within either another tray or a pouch, learned attendees at HealthPack 2013 in Louisville, KY. Such preferences along with feedback on package recycling and usability were shared during HealthPack’s annual Voice of the Customer survey and live nurses panel. This year’s survey results were gathered by Jennifer Foreman and Jennifer Neid Benolken and presented by Foreman on March 13, marking the survey’s fifth year.