TOYAMA SUGAKI
Elevating User Experience and Sustainability

Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly recognizing the pivotal role of user-friendly packaging in optimizing medication management and safety. Clear labels, easy to-open designs, and simple disposal procedures are imperative for enhancing the user experience and fostering trust in the product and brand.

TOYAMA SUGAKI, an innovative packaging manufacturer specializing in design, printing, and processing, takes a unique approach to improving pharmaceutical packaging. The company actively engages with pharmacists, seeking their valuable opinions on pharmaceutical packaging. With these insights in hand, TOYAMA SUGAKI meticulously refines the shape and design of the packaging, introducing novel functionalities, and presenting them to pharmaceutical manufacturers.

“We provide pharmaceutical manufacturers with a wealth of data on user needs. This information helps them solve various packaging problems,” says Takao Sugaki, president of TOYAMA SUGAKI.

Prior to the initiation of these efforts, numerous pharmacists voiced concerns about challenges associated with prescription drug packaging. Issues included difficulties in opening certain packages, problems with lids that couldn’t be closed once opened, and the time-consuming process of disassembling packaging for disposal. These problems persisted due to limited channels for users to report packaging issues to pharmaceutical manufacturers, coupled with a lack of awareness regarding the real-world usage scenarios of the packages.

Directly engaging with dispensing sites and gathering feedback from frontline workers, TOYAMA SUGAKI has successfully bridged this gap. Over the course of more than ten years, these efforts have contributed to a significant enhancement in the user-friendliness of pharmaceutical packaging. The incidences of difficult-to-open or non-resealable packaging have notably decreased, and many packages now incorporate features designed to alleviate user burdens.

One of the functions developed is the ‘One Shot Disposal’ feature, which enables users to crush an empty box effortlessly by simply pressing its corner. The innovative approach involves incorporating perforations in different positions compared to traditional packaging.

The technique is more user-friendly than the conventional process of pushing open perforations, followed by opening and folding the box. This improvement, implemented in product packaging, has garnered positive feedback for significantly reducing the workload for users. TOYAMA SUGAKI contends that these enhancements in packaging will indirectly elevate the overall quality of medical care by giving pharmacists more time available for their core work.

TOYAMA SUGAKI obtained ISO9001 accreditation two decades ago and maintains a robust quality management system. To ensure a consistent packaging supply, the company has established a reliable backup system for storing printing data.

Environmentally conscious practices are at the forefront of TOYAMA SUGAKI’s operations. The company actively integrates eco-friendly materials, such as FSC-certified paper and non VOC inks. Committed to developing and promoting innovative packaging solutions made entirely from paper, the company is actively proposing alternatives for products like prefilled syringes and autoinjectors, where plastic is commonly used in packaging.

Innovative packaging solutions for delivering medicines to patients are in the pipeline. Traditionally, medical drugs in Japan were exclusively hand-delivered by pharmacists to patients. However, with the anticipated rise in online medication guidance, the demand for drug deliveries is expected to surge. The packaging being developed by TOYAMA SUGAKI not only serves as a shipping box but also doubles as a convenient storage and management solution for patients at home. It incorporates features designed to help patients avoid incorrect doses or forgetting to take their medications.

While the historical emphasis of pharmaceutical packaging has been on delivering medicines to pharmacies and hospitals, TOYAMA SUGAKI envisions a future where packaging plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall environment in which patients take their medication. The company is devoted to creating products that improve the overall experience for end-users across various industries, including cosmetic packaging, catalogs, and electronic media.

TOYAMA SUGAKI’s commitment to creating packaging that enhances the user experience marks a significant stride toward a healthier and more efficient future.