Secure Workflow System Meets Pharma Demands

Security and traceability of data transfer prior to print is vitally important in the pharmaceutical industry, as one small error can potentially lead to life-threatening misinformation.

Security and traceability of data transfer prior to print is vitally important in the pharmaceutical industry, as one small error can potentially lead to life-threatening misinformation.

Key requirements of a secure data process are cost-effectiveness and usability with modern electronic scanning and reading equipment, according to Copapharm Europe.

That is why the adoption of new, secure, workflow technology by the European pharmaceutical packaging group, Copapharm Europe is already proving popular with Copapharm customers all over Europe, reported the company.

It is called PA:CT .

Called PA:CT (packaging certified technology), based on certified PDF (portable document format) it is claimed to offer simple data handling, an overview of document history, high data integrity, the use of certified (controlled) profiles and 'good-for-printing' PDF files that can be directly used for production.

The packaging printer requires PA:CT and the artwork creator only needs 'Pitstop/InstantPDF' provided by Enfocus, as well as trained personnel and clearly defined processes between the partners to obtain a workflow with complete security and traceability, said Copaharm.

PDFs created in this way will effectively be 'print-ready', said the company.

Getting a PDF that has been certified and pre-flighted with an agreed standard profile guarantees the quality required for printing.

For the data receiver, a cost-free plug-in called Statuscheck is all that is necessary to decide if a PDF can be used for production or not, said the company.

In the words of Copapharm's Thomas Wahl, system administrator and pre-press specialist at August Faller KG in Germany: "With this sophisticated technology the suppliers and brand owners can now optimise and secure the whole pre-press process.

PA:CT has broken down the boundaries between design and production and the workflow can be controlled and is consistent." He added: "PA:CT provides complete traceability throughout the whole process from design to print, including pre-press; a key point in a complex pharmaceutical workflow." Faller is one of the Copapharm Europe companies, with several sites across Germany.

Other Copapharm companies include Icesa, Pans and Cartonplex in Spain, Packart and Rotanotice in France, Palladio/Zannini in Italy, Storey Evans in the UK and Goldprint in Belgium.

Copapharm believes that PA:CT is the ideal base for a digital qualified control system.

Everyone in the workflow chain benefits from the technology and it further improves the relationship between data creator, customer and printer.

Copapharm Europe companies has been installing PA:CT for validation periods during the last 18 months.

Across the group, most member companies have implemented or are implementing the system to ensure a more optimised and secure workflow.

The company commented that the need for accuracy applies where packaging has gone through several changes or developments, as it is vitally important, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry, that the process is traceable.

Every change at every step of the process is logged in a document history or edit log.

That security aspect is of particular importance in an industry where errors could truly have life or death consequences.

Back to top