The Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP), Hyderabad is planning to conduct a training / orientation programme in pharma packaging from November 20 to 24, 2006 at its premises.

Senior experts of IIP will train on various aspects of pharma packaging. The programme will be beneficial to pharmacists in industry, purchase department officials, suppliers of packaging materials. It will cover all the types of pharma packaging such as oral, injectable, tropical and odifice.

The regulatory requirements in pharma packaging will be discussed along with general market trends and future of pharma packaging. The programme will also touch upon RFID, counterfeiting, child resistant closures, blisters and aluminium foils. Packaging patents is also an issue that is of concern to industry, which can be discussed.

The programme will include updation on new packaging technologies, specifications, analysis of packaging properties, help in interpretation of test value, sourcing of materials, formation of optimum specifications and lab orientation.

BK Karna, deputy director, IIP, Hyderabad, said, pharma packaging professionals in India are insufficient compared to the size of the pharma industry and the potential it has to grow in future. As per estimates, less than 100 pharma packaging professionals are serving the pharma industry in the country at present with formal packaging qualifications and training.

To create more awareness on the latest trends and issues in pharma packaging, IIP is proposing to conduct the programme and may seek support of Pharmexcil in making the programme more useful to the industry such as fulfilling export regulations and requirements, he added.

IIP, which offers postgraduate, correspondence, certificate, in-plant, in-laboratory programmes in packaging, also provides consultancy on packaging design and development, market surveys, techno economical feasibility studies. It also conducts package testing, evaluation and research.