Pharmapack Europe – organised by UBM EMEA – closed its 2017 edition, celebrating its 20 years as the leading European event for pharmaceutical packaging and drug delivery devices. The top trends that emerged from the two-day event included: patient centricity, traceability, innovation, compliance and adherence.
The milestone edition saw an increase in attendance numbers from 2016, with 5,290 attendees and 411 exhibitors. It was the most international Pharmapack Europe to date, participants from over 100 countries attending to network, innovate and learn in Paris.
The conference programme included three sessions focused on ‘Innovation and Compliance’, ‘Patient Adherence: New challenges, New Opportunities’, and ‘Impact on Patient Centricity and Biologics on Packaging and Device Development’. A special emphasis was placed on the emerging importance of the ‘human factor’ – which is defined as patient centricity, adherence and/or compliance – particularly with 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. With the impending deadline looking over manufacturers, a special session provided guidance on the EU Falsified Medicine’s Directive. Additionally, the symposium featured case studies and practical examples of traceability application and compliance for attendees.
Outside of the conference agenda, this year’s Pharmapack Europe also included a first ever media debate on February 1, with industry experts predicting future innovations to mark 20 years of the event. In line with the trends experienced during the event, the debate was centred on compliance, patient centricity and digital integration.
In the last 20 years, the experts agreed, several products have had anti-counterfeiting and traceability issues in an increasingly complex supply chain. Bobee stated that packaging is the key element in the security for patients and products, with tamper evidence now expected to be an essential requirement in the future.
Finally, Pharmapack Europe 2017 also saw the return of the Innovation Gallery and Innovation Tours, presenting the most innovative products in the pharma packaging and delivery device industry through dedicated guided tours. Another Pharmapack first, was the introduction of the new Pharmapack Start-up Hub – the newest addition to the show floor, which highlighted groundbreaking young pharma companies as the most innovative in the exhibition. The next edition of Pharmapack will take place from February 7 to 8, 2018, at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, hall 7.1.