PCI Pharma Services (PCI) has made another investment in its infrastructure for packaging of controlled substances, complementing its capacity for blister packaging, a key tenet of recent calls for dispensing opioid prescriptions in limited quantity unit dose packaging as a tactic to combat substance misuse.
 
PCI has extended onsite controlled substance storage at its U.S. commercial packaging locations in Philadelphia, PA and Rockford, IL, and will undertake further expansions as demand increases. PCI supports DEA Schedule I-V controlled substances for both commercial prescription medicines, as well as those for investigational clinical trials, with approximately two million square feet of dedicated packaging infrastructure across the two locations.
 
Child resistant unit dose blister packaging has been a key focus of discussion in U.S. opioid reform measures. PCI says it has immediate capacity for the introduction of new unit dose blister packaging in formats conducive to meeting the stringent child resistant requirements required by opioids. According to the company, it can support more than five billion unit dose blister packs annually.
 
“There has been considerable discussion about the opportunity for utilizing blister packaging as one tool to positively influence the misuse of opioid and pain management medications in the U.S.,” said Phil DiGiacomo, senior vice president, sales and marketing, PCI. “A critical factor in that narrative is to ensure safety in the home. Opioid packaging demands the highest levels of child resistance. PCI is in a unique position to make this specialized packaging immediately available by virtue of our proven, highly automated, high-speed solutions, helping our pharmaceutical clients in their transition to meet the latest legislative requirements. These child resistant packaging solutions protect younger people in the home, and provide an adherence platform supporting the user to take medication as prescribed.”