One of the more exciting security packaging developments announced at last week’s Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Summit in Washington, DC, is an initiative by Bayer Biological Products (Bayer BP; Research Triangle Park, NC). The new initiative is actually the latest phase of a multifaceted anticounterfeiting/antitampering program that is being implemented within the company’s manufacturing, supply chain, distribution, and patient outreach arms. The program got its start in September 2002 when the company first introduced tamper-evident packaging to its product line.

This latest chapter in that program involves several different initiatives. The first promises that every one of Bayer’s liquid-filled products will now incorporate a difficult-to-duplicate shrink band to help protect against product tampering. This clear plastic wrap covers the neck and lid of a bottle with the company’s logo and includes a pull-tab for easy removal. If the band is tampered with, it is broken or loosened and the product is then identified as being disrupted. The shrink bands have now been added to Plasbumin, Albumin, and Bayer BP’s hyperimmunes in vials, which include BayHep B, a Hepatitis B immune globulin, BayRab, a rabies immune globulin, and BayGam, an immune globulin.

In addition, Bayer has launched a security seal called Tug-Tight Banding for use in transportation. The seal, located on the company’s temperature-controlled Envirotainer shipping solution, helps ensure verification once a shipment arrives at a Bayer BP affiliate or third-party destination.

Bayer began its efforts to combat tampering and counterfeiting with its introduction of seal tabs on boxes of its Gamimune N immune globulin intravenous product. There are also safety measures in place for its hyperimmunes in syringes as well as BayTet tetanus immune globulin, which already contains a needle shield to help identify tampering and protect against needle sticks.

But perhaps the most exciting aspect of Bayer’s program is the fact that the company isn’t stopping with its antitampering efforts. It is also rolling out a new service called Bayer Direct, a product delivery service designed to provide Prolastin (which treats hereditary emphysema) to patients through a central pharmacy, eliminating unnecessary third-party handlers. A new commitment to education via the company’s sales force is also in the works. “Tampering, counterfeiting, and diversion are all on the increase. You have to take all the steps you can to stop these practices, and you need protection at all levels,” says Ron Newcomb, global project director for Bayer BP. “We see all of these steps as significant in having a well-controlled supply chain. There’s no one magic bullet. When it comes to security, you have to have an integrated, complex program that involves both the manufacturing and distribution levels.”

Other speakers at the Washington, DC, conference touted such a “layered approach” to combating counterfeiting and tampering as the best way to attack the problem. It’s good to see at least one company following that advice by employing an initiative that smartly involves different phases across all areas of the chain. More importantly, it’s refreshing to see a company follow up on its promise to get serious about tackling what is quickly becoming one of the biggest threats facing packagers.