Pharmaceuticals Packaging in San Francisco, CA

Pharmaceutical packaging operates under the most stringent regulatory framework of any consumer goods category -- FDA 21 CFR labeling regulations, state pharmacy board requirements, PPPA child-resistant packaging requirements, and serialization requirements under the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) all create a compliance landscape where packaging errors have regulatory consequences. Pharmaceutical packaging must be designed, specified, and produced with the same rigor as the drug product itself.

OTC Drug Labeling Requirements

Over-the-counter drug products require the Drug Facts panel in the format specified by FDA 21 CFR Part 201 -- a standardized panel presenting active ingredients, uses, warnings, directions, and inactive ingredients in a prescribed order and format. The Drug Facts panel format is mandatory and cannot be modified for design purposes. OTC drug carton packaging must also carry the required tamper-evident feature statement, the lot number and expiration date, and the principal display panel with product name, dosage form, and net quantity.

Serialization and Track-and-Trace

The Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) requires that prescription drug products bear a product identifier -- a 2D datamatrix barcode encoding the National Drug Code, serial number, lot number, and expiration date -- on each individual saleable unit. This serialization requirement creates specific packaging print quality and placement requirements for the 2D datamatrix code. The code must be human-readable (lot number and expiration date in adjacent text) and machine-readable (2D barcode scannable by track-and-trace systems throughout the pharmaceutical supply chain).