Australia’s first specialist pharmaceutical packaging and point of sale service is slashing the time it takes companies to get their new drugs to chemist shelves, reducing costs and improving overall efficiency.
The new Life Science service from leading graphic design, digital imaging and printing consultancy Schawk! helps meet the complex needs of the highly regulated pharmaceutical industry through tailored processes and proprietary management systems that deliver 100% accuracy, brand consistency and improved business workflows.
A dedicated, disciplined team of experts in drug packaging and display material has been recruited for the unique offering which has already been well-received with leading players AstraZeneca, Schering-Plough and GlaxoSmithKline signing up.
Schawk! Managing Director, Adam Ransom says Schawk! Life Science is an important advancement for the sector which needs to meet strict regulations laid down by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), Australia's regulatory agency for medical drugs and devices, whilst getting new products to market as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.
"No industry is more regulated than pharmaceuticals," Ransom says. "One tiny error can have an enormous impact, risking lives and huge penalties from the TGA."
The service uses proprietary digital workflow software program, Gazelle, to improve productivity and manage production work cycles online with accuracy and consistency.
The web-based program allows access from multiple users from across the globe, with tasks including designing artwork and managing approvals now operating simultaneously rather than in a linear process.
Designed specifically for pharmaceutical packaging practices, Gazelle automatically registers all user activity, with individuals notified of what specific tasks are needed to be completed and when, helping to streamline business processes and ensure deadlines are met.
All design changes are tracked which helps reduce the room for error, while also providing an audit trail.
A dedicated two step quality control department helps ensure there are no packaging errors using the latest GAMP 4-approved technology. GAMP — an acronym for Good Automated Manufacturing Practice — was founded by pharmaceutical experts in the UK to ensure quality is built into every stage of the manufacturing process.
Artwork designs are manually checked before being processed though a digital proof reader that compares changes with original documents to highlight where alterations have been made.
This comparison of files provides accurate tracking of changes to ensure all requested amendments have been met. Life Science repeats this process to provide even further quality control measures.
Anti-counterfeit and tamper-evident packaging technology ensures that products are of the highest quality. Multi-lingual packaging for export markets is also provided with Schawk! Life Science specialists translating designs to suit regulations in any country in the world.
Quality control procedures are designed to proof read any language helping to ensure packaging is translated accurately and within design guidelines. Astra-Zeneca’s Procurement Manager, Meriell Hutchin says the partnership with Schawk! Life Science has delivered a number of benefits to the company.
"Schawk have simplified our packaging development and artwork processes and assisted us in reducing our overall packaging costs," Hutchin says.
"They have demonstrated they have the expertise and ability to effectively meet our requirements in this area."
More informaion: 02 9361 0519 or 0402 376 835
About Schawk!
Schawk! Australia is a wholly-owned subsidiary of US-based Shawk!, a leading brand and packaging solution company that guides the life of a brand from its conception through to its packaging, advertising and promotion worldwide, throughout its lifecycle.
Schawk! is the world’s largest independent pre-media provider, with 50 offices in 12 countries and more than 4,000 employees.
Schawk! Australia has offices in Sydney and Melbourne and employs 35 staff in its two business streams, graphic design house Anthem and Schawk!
The company provides digitised high resolution colour graphics, brand consulting and design and an array of digitally-based workflow solutions to help companies create a deeper affinity between their brand and consumers.
Add a comment