2021 Pharmapack Awards
Launched in 1997, the Pharmapack Awards celebrate the latest innovations from packaging companies within the drugs, medical devices, health products and veterinary drugs sectors.
The Pharmapack Awards recognise innovations that have improved drug efficacy, user safety or reduced the environmental impact.
The Pharmapack Awards consider entries in 2 categories:
Health product category
Who can apply?
Pharmaceutical, veterinary, biopharma or OEM companies - you can also co-apply with your manufacturer or packaging developer if the innovation is a collaborative one. That way, both companies get recognized for their work!
What product to enter?
It should have received Market authorization from a qualified national authority for a newly commercialized medicinal product after December 2019. The product qualification needs to feature an innovative packaging or drug delivery solution. The candidates in this category will be evaluated by a jury of independent pharmacists, physicians and experts in patient-centric and sustainable packaging.
This category has 2 distinct recognitions:
Patient-Centric Design Award
Basic Design
- Distinctiveness of packaging – does it help prevent medication errors?
- Ease of following therapy - How easy is it to keep track of dosages taken and those to take - are there reminder aids, calendar, icons etc.?
- Readability - is the layout/format of information clear?
Ease of use
- Ease of opening - Is it easy to understand how to access the medicine, e.g. Is it intuitive, clearly explained?
- Ease of opening - Can the dosage be easily extracted from the primary pack?
- Portability - Is the pack size small enough to make it portable, and does it fit into an active lifestyle?
- Discretion - does the pack enable discretion for the patient? E.g. is it easy to take a dose in social situations?
- Reclosability - Can the pack be reclosed easily?
- Robustness and longevity - Are the pack components (primary and secondary) robust during the anticipated time of use?
Intuitiveness of Use & Appeal
- Use - Is use of the pack intuitive, e.g. is it clear to the user how to take the medicine?
- Appeal - Does the pack have visual and ergonomic appeal?
Presentation of Patient Information (PIL)
- Is it easy to access the PIL?
- Is the PIL formatted with the user in mind?
- Does the PIL explain how and when to take the medicine, and is this information easy to find?
Eco-Design Award
Carbon footprint of the new product
- Does it show a significant decrease vs. the old product?
- Is the new product using less material than the previous one?
Increased recyclability
- Is the new product more recyclable than the old one? If yes, how?
- For plastic, is the new product more simple (using less complex plastic) or mono polymer?
- If the product is made of several materials, is it designed such that the different materials can be easily separated either manually or during automated recycling processes?
- If the product is made of several plastics, are the plastics chemically compatible or jointly processable during recycling?o
- Labels: are they minimized? Are water-based adhesives used?
- Are pigments minimized?
Intuitiveness of Use & Appeal
- Use - Is use of the pack intuitive, e.g. is it clear to the user how to take the medicine?
- Appeal - Does the pack have visual and ergonomic appeal?
Environmental awareness
- Is there any information to help the patient in sorting the packaging at the end of use?
in partnership with:
How to apply?
Click HERE to check the application requirements and submit your application before 30 June 2021.
Entries for the Health Product category are free of charge.
The candidate is required to send 8 product samples by post before 30 June 2021. If no sample is provided, the entry will be disregarded.
Sample shipping address:
Informa Markets - Pharmapack Awards
April Hung
De Entrée 73
1101 BH Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Exhibitor category
For 2021, we have 6 distinct recognitions. Click on each category to learn more!
Recognising innovative approaches to safe and efficacious drug administration, including but not limited to; ophthalmic, parenteral, oral, respiratory, transdermal and topical drug delivery solutions.
• Innovation: Does the entry meet an unmet need, or introduce a new idea, device, method or novelty to the market?
• Patient Experience: Does the entry improve patient adherence, experience and outcomes?
• Ease of Use: Does the entry promote easy and safe administration by patients or HCPs?
• Sustainability: Is the product reusable, ecologically designed or easily recyclable?
• Added Value: Does it offer a competitive advantage in the market and within its category? Is it a cost-effective solution? Does it exhibit flexibility, adaptability or a collaborative approach to development?
Recognising innovation in the development of connected devices, IoT applications and wearable technologies, including but not limited to; auto-injectors, auto-inhalers, remote monitors (glucose, coagulation etc), wearable defibrillators, early detection devices and EMG sensors.
• Innovation: Does the entry meet an unmet need, or introduce a new idea, device, method or novelty to the market?
• Patient Experience: Does the entry improve patient adherence, experience and outcomes?
• Ease of Use: Does the entry promote easy and safe administration by patients or HCPs?
• Sustainability: Is the entry reusable, ecologically designed or easily recyclable?
• Added Value: Does the entry offer tangible benefits in the collection, monitoring and processing of patient data? Does it offer a competitive advantage in the market and within its category? Is it a cost-effective solution? Does it exhibit flexibility, adaptability or a collaborative approach to development?
Recognising innovation in technologies, products, materials, and services relating to primary packaging solutions for finished drug forms which safeguard products from manufacture to point of use. Including, but not limited to; vials, syringes, ampoules, bottles, container liners, flasks, tubes, blister packs, tamper-proof packaging, senior-friendly packaging, child-resistant packaging, and smart packaging.
• Innovation: Does the entry meet an unmet need, or introduce a new idea, approach, method or novelty to the market?
• Patient Experience: Does the entry improve patient adherence, experience and outcomes?
• Fit for Purpose: Does the entry adequately protect the drug product for which it is designed? Does it prevent minimal extractable and leachable risk?
• Sustainability: Is the product reusable, ecologically designed or easily recyclable?
• Added Value: Does it offer a competitive advantage in the market and within its category? Is it a cost-effective solution? Does it exhibit flexibility and adaptability?
Recognising innovation in technologies, products, materials, and services related to the promotion of sustainable primary, secondary or tertiary packaging solutions for finished drug forms which safeguard products from manufacture to point of use. Including, but not limited to; containers, cartons, pallets, blister cards, shrink-wrapped bundles, labelling systems, tamper-proof packaging, senior-friendly packaging, child-resistant packaging, and smart packaging solutions.
• Innovation: Does the entry meet an unmet need, or introduce a new idea, approach, method or novelty to the market?
• Patient Experience: Does the entry improve patient adherence, experience and outcomes?
• Fit for Purpose: Does the entry adequately protect the drug product for which it is designed? Does it offer benefits for branding and
product display?
• Sustainability: Is the product reusable, ecologically designed or easily recyclable? Does it demonstrably reduce the use of plastics and/or
other waste?
• Added Value: Does it offer a competitive advantage in the market and within its category? Is it a cost-effective solution? Does it exhibit flexibility, adaptability or a collaborative approach to development?
Recognising innovation in pharmaceutical packaging machinery, technology, and equipment. This category seeks to recognise both stand alone and integrated solutions which promote efficiency, cost effectiveness and sustainable approaches to the assembly and packaging of pharmaceutical products.
• Innovation: Does the entry meet an unmet need, or introduce a new idea, approach, method, or novelty to the market?
• Fit for Purpose: Does the entry offer efficient and cost-effective solutions? Does it prioritise packaging design?
• Sustainability: Does the entry promote a sustainable approach?
• Added Value: Does it offer a competitive advantage in the market and within its category? Is it a cost-effective solution? Does it exhibit flexibility, adaptability or a collaborative approach to development?
Innovation in technologies, products, processes, and services for ensuring the safe handling and tracking of drug substances, raw materials, and finished drug products including, but not limited to, supply chain, audits, temperature-controlled logistics, transport services, track and trace, shipping containers, and distribution channels.
• Innovation: Does the entry meet an unmet need, or introduce a new idea, approach, method or novelty to the market?
• Patient Experience: Does the entry improve patient adherence, experience and outcomes?
• Fit for Purpose: Does the entry adequately protect the drug product for which it is designed?
• Sustainability: Does the entry exhibit a sustainable approach or minimise waste?
• Added Value: Does it offer a competitive advantage in the market and within its category? Is it a cost-effective solution? Does it exhibit flexibility, adaptability or a collaborative approach to development?
Who can apply?
Reserved especially for Pharmapack 2021 exhibitors, the Exhibitor Awards allow entrants to present their latest innovative solutions, in proof of concept or prototype stage, in packaging materials, primary or secondary packaging, cool chain packaging and drug delivery solutions, new processing or machinery solution which were recently launched or patented since January 2020.
To be considered, exhibitors need to purchase Innovation Package, and complete this form with their submission.
Awards in this category will be evaluated by a jury of decision-makers involved in R&D and in the selection of packaging and drug delivery solutions for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies.
How to apply?
Please contact your account manager for Innovation Gallery and Pharmapack Awards entry options. Deadline for submission: 30 June 2021.
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