Pharmaceutical Contract Packaging
Primary and secondary packing, relabelling and serialisation for your medicines, through GMP-licensed packaging sites in India.
Packaging is a regulated manufacturing step
In most countries, including India, putting a medicine into its primary pack is part of manufacturing and needs a licence and GMP. So does relabelling. A contract packer is therefore chosen much like a manufacturer: by its licence, its approvals and its documentation.
The other half is market rules: the pack material that gives the stability your climate needs, the language and layout of the label and leaflet, and the serialisation or barcodes the importing and exporting countries require.
We find packaging sites that match your product and market, either as part of a manufacturing project or for packing bulk you already buy.
Tell us this to get a quote
- Product, dosage form and whether you supply the bulk
- Primary pack: blister type, strip, bottle, sachet, tube
- Secondary pack: carton, leaflet, languages
- Serialisation or barcode requirements of your market
- Target market(s)
- Annual volume and pack sizes
What to check in a contract packer
Licence and approvals
The site needs a manufacturing licence that covers packing of your dosage form, and approvals that your market accepts for the packing site, which is often listed in the dossier.
Pack materials
PVC, PVC/PVdC, Alu-Alu cold-form blisters, strips, HDPE or glass bottles. The material should match your stability data; a change usually needs a regulatory variation.
Serialisation and barcodes
India's export rules require barcodes on export packs. The EU Falsified Medicines Directive requires a unique identifier and tamper-evident seal on prescription medicines, and the US requires serialised product identifiers under the DSCSA. Ask which systems the line runs.
Artwork and languages
Multi-language leaflets and cartons, Braille where required, and artwork control so the right version reaches the right batch.
Segregation
Beta-lactams, hormones and cytotoxic products need dedicated or segregated packing areas, just as in manufacturing.
Line clearance and records
Mix-ups between products or label versions are the classic packaging failure. Ask how line clearance and reconciliation of printed materials are documented.
Choosing the blister material
| Material | Moisture protection | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| PVC | Low | Products that are not sensitive to moisture |
| PVC/PVdC | Medium to high, depending on coating weight | Most tablets and capsules for hot, humid markets |
| Alu-Alu (cold-form) | Very high; also blocks light | Moisture- or light-sensitive products, effervescent and some softgels |
| Alu strip | Very high | Common in India and some export markets; effervescent and hygroscopic products |
The pack must be the one the stability study was done in. Changing it later is a variation in most markets.
How it works with PharmaTradz
You send the product, pack, market and volume, and whether you supply the bulk.
Packaging sites with the right licence, lines and serialisation, with their approvals. Names under a confidential disclosure agreement when the requirement is firm.
Artwork approval, printed materials and pack specifications.
Line set-up, first packing run and documentation for your dossier where needed.
Batch packing record, reconciliation and release documents; pre-shipment inspection on request.
Scheduled packing with version-controlled artwork.
Problems we see most often
Wrong artwork version on a batch
Usually weak artwork control. Ask how versions are approved, issued to the line and reconciled.
Pack that fails stability in the market
A cheaper blister was used than the one in the stability study. Keep the pack specification locked to the registered one.
Serialisation that the importer cannot read
Codes in the wrong format or not uploaded to the right system. Agree the data format with the importer before the first run.
Need a packing or relabelling partner?
Send the product, pack type, market and volume. We will tell you which packaging sites fit and what documents they hold.
Send your requirement Talk to our teamOther contract manufacturing
Building your own brand across several products? See white label and third-party manufacturing, or the CDMO and contract manufacturing guide hub. Related guide: Pharma contract packaging and labelling partners: cost, MOQ and regulatory fit.
