In a few weeks you will be witnessing history. OK, maybe not history that will actually end up in a textbook, but a true milestone in the history of Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News. With our November 2003 issue we celebrate our 10th anniversary.

We aren’t tooting our own horn just for vanity’s sake, though. With this issue, we recognize some of the key players in healthcare packaging that have helped us be the only magazine in the last 10 years dedicated to covering the industry. These professionals have helped shape packaging theory. They’ve revolutionized design. And they’ve engineered packages that preserve the safety and efficacy of life-saving pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

We’ve tried to include as many voices as we can. We were inspired by the mission that Jim Wagner, editor of PMP News from July 1994 through December 1997, so passionately stated in July 1994. “We want to be the voice of the healthcare packaging industry, in essence, your voice,” he wrote. “We want to give you a forum for talking about what is important to you and your company.”

In our anniversary issue you will find retrospectives on flexible packaging, filling equipment, and coding and marking equipment. Key trends include the use of stronger, more cost-effective materials; the need for machine speed and flexibility; and the need for higher-resolution printing suitable for more-complex codes. We’ve also put together an article on the developments of the last 10 years. In this piece, we’ve tried to recall the challenges and the solutions of the 1990s. We’ve also tried to look forward to the next ten years.

In this issue we’ve also included editorials from two packaging veterans, Harold Miller and John Bitner. Medical packagers have long respected Miller for his work in standardizing package testing, encouraging consistent and reliable processes, and recognizing the global nature of the medical device industry, among other things. Bitner has been challenging pharmaceutical packagers for years to take their designs one step further, driving child resistance and senior friendliness and encouraging a fresh approach to stability studies.

We’ve also recognized the support of our charter advertisers, those firms that first backed us in our debut year and have continued to do so. These 25 firms, shown along the right-hand side of this newsletter, have done more than just pay our bills. In 1993 and 1994 they realized your need for a dedicated publication and helped us bring it to you. Over the years they have created and revised technologies to meet your needs, in many cases becoming a partner, not just a supplier. We’ve covered their contributions to healthcare packaging, helping you find the tools for your toughest projects. With this newsletter we thank them for supporting us, and you.

We look forward to another ten years of sharing packaging innovation with you. Again, I borrow Jim Wagner’s words in 1994: “I want to hear from you. Tell me where you think we should be going. Don’t hesitate to tell me when we’ve taken a wrong turn. Remember, we’re your voice.”

In our anniversary issue you will find retrospectives on flexible packaging, filling equipment, and coding and marking equipment. Key trends include the use of stronger, more cost-effective materials; the need for machine speed and flexibility; and the need for higher-resolution printing suitable for more-complex codes. We’ve also put together an article on the developments of the last 10 years. In this piece, we’ve tried to recall the challenges and the solutions of the 1990s. We’ve also tried to look forward to the next ten years.

In this issue we’ve also included editorials from two packaging veterans, Harold Miller and John Bitner. Medical packagers have long respected Miller for his work in standardizing package testing, encouraging consistent and reliable processes, and recognizing the global nature of the medical device industry, among other things. Bitner has been challenging pharmaceutical packagers for years to take their designs one step further, driving child resistance and senior friendliness and encouraging a fresh approach to stability studies.

We’ve also recognized the support of our charter advertisers, those firms that first backed us in our debut year and have continued to do so. These 25 firms, shown along the right-hand side of this newsletter, have done more than just pay our bills. In 1993 and 1994 they realized your need for a dedicated publication and helped us bring it to you. Over the years they have created and revised technologies to meet your needs, in many cases becoming a partner, not just a supplier. We’ve covered their contributions to healthcare packaging, helping you find the tools for your toughest projects. With this newsletter we thank them for supporting us, and you.

We look forward to another ten years of sharing packaging innovation with you. Again, I borrow Jim Wagner’s words in 1994: “I want to hear from you. Tell me where you think we should be going. Don’t hesitate to tell me when we’ve taken a wrong turn. Remember, we’re your voice.”