New player in the pharmaceutical label market

Walsall Print Company has been awarded the pharmaceutical packaging quality standard PS 9000:2001 by the Institute of Quality Assurance (IQA).

There are only 12 label suppliers in the UK who currently hold this approval so Walsall Print increase the choice to the industry and bring over 100 years of specialist printing experience to the sector.

Bernie Leigh, sales and marketing director at Walsall Print said: 'The PS 9000 standard sets out comprehensive guidelines to ensure that suppliers to the pharmaceutical industry meet the high standards necessary to guarantee the consistency of its products as well as the safety of people's lives.

'We have worked closely with our certification body DNV and the pharmaceutical industry to meet the demands of its Good Manufacturing Practice and ensure that our entire production process is compliant.'

Walsall Print has built a reputation as one of Europe's most innovative printers and has worked with clients across a wide range of sectors to develop new techniques and processes.

Recently the company has produced a ground-breaking new technology to combat the growing threat of fraud and counterfeiting in international markets.

The quality of packaging materials is a critical factor in assuring the safety and efficacy of medicines within the pharmaceutical industry. Inadequate labelling can result in the potentially disastrous mix up of either carton, label or leaflet leading to actual patient harm, while seemingly minor defects on the packaging can undermine patients' confidence in the medicine.

Compliance with PS 9000:2001 requires complete commitment to strict requirements throughout the company, from shop floor through to senior management. With the emphasis on product hygiene and security all staff have been given extensive training along with the provision of the necessary resources to ensure compliance.

Leigh continued: 'With our experience in the printing industry our staff are already skilled at dealing with strict protocols and safety measures. The same skills and awareness can be directly applied to pharmaceutical printing to deliver an efficient and reliable service.'