Pharma 4.0: The New Industry Paradigm

Pharma 4.0 is a concept derived from the Industry 4.0 technology revolution that is reshaping the manufacturing sector. It seeks to transform and induce competitiveness by using technology, automation and digitalization in productive and logistics processes. More pharmaceuticals are introducing Pharma 4.0 and seeing the results on their bottom lines, says Charles Beard, Director General at Tradimport.

“Tradimport has introduced the best of Pharma 4.0 to improve the quality and the management of our entire production and achieve an average annual growth rate of 10 percent,” says Beard, whose company specializes in the distribution of packaging equipment for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries. Tradimport sells packaging equipment for solid, semi-solid and liquid products.

Pharmaceutical packaging technology is key for the industry because it protects and identifies a product, which translates into better patient compliance, as well as improvement of a company’s market competitiveness. “We are experts in the supply of pharmaceutical equipment for processes such as primary packaging, secondary packaging and security. Our processes directly impact the quality our clients provide to their customers and patients,” says Beard. According to the World Journal of Advance Health Research, an international online peer review journal, the use of packaging technologies significantly improves the productivity, manufacturing and profitability of pharmaceutical companies. “Pharma 4.0 becomes a catalyst for making manufacturers more competitive in an industry that continuously demands innovation and requires players to evolve in a highly regulated environment,” Beard says.

Pharma 4.0 also involves the integration of Big Data in the health sector, allowing large volumes of information to be processed in a structured way that identifies patterns, according to the International Journal of Medical Informatics. Tradimport “complements the manufacturing processes and administrative procedures with the use of Big Data to push the industry’s digitalization,” says Beard. “Our portfolio offers fully automatized, digital and smart products to the industry as a way to not only ensure their packaging needs, but also to improve the logistical requirements in a more efficient manner.”

The implementation of technologies such as television cameras or Blister packaging solutions in manufacturing processes guarantees the client’s ability to protect their productivity at all times and in real time. “Tradimport’s technology allows the customer to be more aware of the process because our products can track operations at different levels and also provide information on production performance. All our products transcend mechanical technology to employ automated and intelligent technology,” Beard says. “We use blister machines because the production is more efficient, the product does not get stuck in the machine and minimizes downtime.”

Tradimport also takes advantage of Mexico’s specialized workforce in the pharmaceutical industry and a reliable regulatory environment to maximize its market share. “The level of pharmaceutical education in the country is high, which provides added value to companies and the market,” says Beard. The National Survey of Occupation and Employment from 2017 (ENOE), says Public Health, Educational Planning and Evaluation and Medicine are the three careers with the greatest compatibility for work in Mexico. Also, the ENOE 2017 reveals Public Health has 96.8 percent affinity followed in third place by Medicine with 95.6 percent, both areas overpass the national average of 80.3 percent and position as the areas with closest relationship between occupation and studies carried out.