Schreiner MediPharm is presenting its innovations at InnoPack as part of CPhI Worldwide in Barcelona, such as a new label-integrated safety tear strip solution for glass containers.
As part of its Flexi-Cap Plus range, the tear strip is an innovative security solution, which irreversibly indicates the first opening of primary containers and prevents illegal filling and reuse of empty containers with counterfeit substances.
The tear strip runs through the label as a new integrated element, which offers enhanced tampering protection as the label is destroyed upon initial opening and can no longer be reused as an alleged original label.
Illegal reuse of empty medicine containers with original labels poses a major problem to pharmaceutical manufacturers. Dumpster divers sift through rubbish for used original containers and fill them with ineffective or harmful counterfeit substances. The alleged originals are subsequently put on the market without revealing any signs of tampering at first glance.
To counteract these illegal practices, the innovative Flexi-Cap security concept by Schreiner MediPharm is based on the combination of a film cap with a label for clear and irreversible first-opening indication.
President of Schreiner MediPharm Ann L. Merchant explains: "The specialty of the new Flexi-Cap Plus variant is that the tear strip does not run through the film cap, but rather is integrated directly in the label. When the tear strip is opened, it automatically destroys the label and makes it impossible to illegally reuse the container with the original label."
By adding other overt and covert security technologies, such as holograms, color-shifting inks, void effects, or security pigments, further hurdles to tampering can be raised.
Flexi-Cap Plus can be flexibly customised to accommodate various glass container types, shapes, and sizes. It is easily integrated into a pharmaceutical manufacturer’s existing brand design.
Particularly useful for small containers, the lid of the film cap also offers space for imprinting barcodes or integrating NFC chips for interactive applications. The label construction is applied without heat and is suitable for temperature-sensitive medicines.
Ann L. Merchant summarises the benefits: "End users in healthcare settings receive an efficient security solution that is intuitive to use and makes it easy to check first opening. Last but not least, the patient is protected against administration of ineffective or harmful medications."
Schreiner MediPharm will be present at InnoPack on 4-6 October.