Value Add

MWV Healthcare packaging solutions - addressing market needs

The rapid growth of India as a pharmaceutical market and a hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing makes it a key priority for global pharmaceutical companies. With this growth, comes competition and the opportunity for differentiation and segmentation of the market. A key tool for both Indian and global pharma companies participating in India is adding unique value through packaging. Packaging is positioned to enhance the value of pharmaceutical products by adding protection, enhanced patient communication, brand identity, security and enhancing patient adherence to medication regimens.

Adherence is increasingly being recognised as key to improved health outcomes and health care cost savings. Adherence means taking medication on time or as prescribed and refilling the prescriptions on-time over the length of the therapy. Medication adherence to long-term therapy for chronic medical conditions averages only 50 per cent in the developed world and is a major pubic health problem in emerging markets including India. In addition to poor health outcomes and increased healthcare costs, poor adherence can lead to unnecessary disease progression, complications, avoidable hospitalisations, premature disability, a lower quality of life and even death.1

There is a huge surge in chronic diseases around the world. According to a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report chronic diseases now account for 60 per cent of all deaths globally. Similar are the numbers in India. Shocked by the alarming spike in chronic diseases, India is launching a comprehensive national programme to prevent and control chronic diseases. The United Nations (UN) is taking note as well, a UN General Assembly meeting in September, 2011 focused on how to diagnose, prevent and treat chronic diseases.2

Any programme designed to address public health and chronic diseases should include interventions designed to address patient medication adherence. Current methods of improving medication adherence are mostly complex, labour-intensive and not reliably effective. Medication 'reminder packaging', which incorporates a date or time for a medication to be taken can act as a reminder to improve adherence.3

MWV Healthcare has developed a global initiative to leverage historical MWV supply chain competencies together with qualitative and quantitative consumer research to enhance patient adherence and drive associated health benefits. With over a decade of expertise in proven solutions that drive adherence for patients and efficiencies for the pharmacy, MWV takes a science-based approach to developing data necessary to prove the adherence-enhancing benefits of our packaging. As documented in the June issue of Clinical Therapeutics, a highly-cited peer-reviewed medical journal, a pharmaco-epidemiologic analysis of medication adherence in Walmart's pharmacy claims that the database in the US has shown MWV's packaging is effective in improving patient adherence.4

Our tailored, award-winning adherence packages enhance adherence, maintain senior-friendly access and have the highest child safety ratings. Compared with traditional packaging, our products are designed to convey important patient information better and to communicate the value of the medication to patients. MWV packaging ensures product integrity and incorporates anti-counterfeiting technology to address issues estimated by the WHO to cost an estimated $35-$44 billion in damages to global pharmaceutical trade.

MWV adherence solutions align well with the growing US regulatory and market needs for improving patient outcomes through greater medicine compliance and reducing errors. These solutions prove significant benefits for patients, retailers and the pharma manufacturers creating a compelling case for broader US market adoption. Opportunity exists for brand and generic pharma manufacturers to take advantage of this growing US trend.

Recent discussions with Indian pharma thought leaders (patients, pharmacists, physicians, manufacturers and regulatory officials) discovered current need-gaps for solid oral dose products. Non-adherence, counterfeiting, poor legibility and child safety ranked amongst the top issues. All of these are areas where MWV Healthcare can bring value to the industry through our expertise and solutions in all pharma segments.

In addition, MWV Healthcare offers packaging for complex dosage/titration regimens, product protection for unit-dose pre-filled syringes and vials and novel concepts for OTC shelf presence - all driven through consumer insights combined with our design innovation and manufacturing expertise.

MWV Healthcare solutions are available in India today. We stand ready to collaborate with pharmaceutical companies and pharmacy chains to build unique value into your products through packaging. We are ready to help you drive profitable growth while improving patient outcomes.

MWV Healthcare Overview: We are leaders in adherence-enhancing packaging, and key innovators in medical plastics designed to meet the global needs of the healthcare industry. We supply pharma customers around the world with market-leading pumps and dispensers. We continue to drive innovation of solid oral dose, injectable, oral and buccal, nasal, topical and dermal, and auricular and ear drug delivery systems for the pharma industry through research and development, project management, design optimisation and high-speed component assembly. You may learn more about MWV and its Healthcare business at MWV.com.

References:
1. Osterberg L, Blaschke T. Adherence to medication. N Engl J Med. Aug 4 2005;353(5):487-497.
2. Enhancing prescription medicine adherence: A national action plan. National Council on Patient Information and Education 2007. http://www.talkaboutrx.org/documents/enhancing_prescription_medicine_adherence.pdf.
3. Sabate E. Adherence to Long-Term Therapies: Evidence for Action. Geneva: World Health Organization;2003.
4. Mahtani KR, Heneghan CJ, Glasziou PP, Perera R. Reminder packaging for improving adherence to self-administered long-term medications, Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 Sep 7;9.
5. Zedler B, Joyce A, Murrelle L, et al. A Pharmacoepidemiologic analysis of the impact of calendar packaging on adherence to self-administered medications for long-term use. Clinical Therapeutics 2011;33.

For any questions or detailed discussions you may contact Dr. Nipun Marwah, Director New Markets, MWV Healthcare at nipun.marwah@mwv.com.