Pharmaceutical Technologist - September/October 2008 - (Page 21)

Clever coding: keeping it simple The coding and marking industry needs to deliver increasingly sophisticated solutions to meet the challenges of the pharmaceutical sector, but this needn’t come at the expense of keeping things simple. C oding and marking have never had such high profiles. The pharmaceutical industry is one of the most demanding market sectors in terms of coding as it is heavily regulated to ensure products are clearly and accurately coded with traceability and end-consumer information. Getting things wrong could have disastrous consequences. Key issues are legibility, accuracy and hygiene. FDA guidelines, which apply internationally, require batch codes to be legible. This means coding and marking suppliers must deliver solutions that can maintain an exceptional level of clarity, and provide reliable machines that print high-quality codes repeatedly. Accuracy is paramount because a mistake on the code renders traceability information redundant and prevents the safe recall of drugs. It is important that operators are dealing with simple, intuitive systems that are networked where possible to take the pressure out of their hands. Many pharmaceutical companies operate in a ‘clean room’ environment to maintain a high level of hygiene, and, therefore, coding equipment must be easy to clean and free from dirt traps. Similarly, where codes must be printed directly onto drugs or medical instruments rather than packaging materials, appropriate solutions must be provided that comply with health rules. All of this means that choosing the right machine is essential. However, given the variety of factors that must be considered, this is no easy task. No two applications are the same, and code content, the substrate being coded onto, line speed, factory environment and available budget all play a part in determining the choice of machine. Not least is the essential decision as to what technology to opt for. Both main types — laser and continuous inkjet (CIJ) — have their advantages. Simon Powell from Linx Printing Technologies. Neil Overy/Getty Images www.ptemagazine.com 21 http://www.ptemagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Pharmaceutical Technologist - September/October 2008

Pharmaceutical Technologist - September/October 2008 Contents Industry Highlights Morpheus Market Watch Smoke and Mirrors Reducing Data Burdens Keeping it Simple Bringing Pharma Up to Date

Pharmaceutical Technologist - September/October 2008

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