Medical device packaging, regulatory issues, a survey of nursing professionals, and unique device identification are among the topics to be addressed at HealthPack Europe 2013 Dec. 2-4, 2013 at Crowne Plaza Brussels—Le Palace, City of Brussels, Belgium.
Delivering the keynote presentation, “Packaging a Healthier and Safer Europe: Amending EU Medical Device Regulations,” will be Julian Carroll, Packaging Management Consultant/Public Policy Specialist, Former Managing Directory, EUROPEN. Carroll is an authority on medical device packaging and related regulatory issues in Europe. Carroll will touch on current hot-button regulatory discussions in Europe (such as the proposed EU Packaging Directive revision with wider EU policy review) that will impact medical device packaging, likely timetables for regulatory adoption and implementation, what stakeholders agree and disagree about regarding the proposed amendments and why.
In “Voice of the Customer (Global Nurses Survey Data),” a presentation will be based on a 2013 survey of nursing professionals. It will update attendees on a range of issues and data, with the purposes of understanding end users of medical devices and packaging, trend concerns, packaging preferences and improvements, as well as identifying global-related differences in the survey responses.
“Implementing FDA UDI without Derailing Production,” will examine track and trace medical devices at a global level. The presentation aims to teach attendees how to implement UDI with minimal impact on the organization in time by using label lifecycle management to meet the final published regulation effective dates based on product classification…Dave Taylor, Vice President of Global Products, Prisym ID.
“Voice of the Customer—Nurses Panel Reviews Medical Device Packages,” is described on the HealthPack.net website as “A signature event of HealthPack USA for many years, the ever-popular nurses panel comes to HealthPack Europe for the first time in 2013! A panel of operating room nurses from local hospitals will review and comment on medical device package designs live, via closed-circuit TV. Afterward, the nurses will convene in the conference room for a lively Q&A with the conference attendees. Learn which packaging works great for nurses and which packaging could be improved, and how and why.” Moderating the session will be Jenniffer Benolken, CPP, Technical Communications Manager, Smiths Medical.
Additional HealthPack Europe highlights include the following:
• Patrick Weixel, Postmarket Team Leader, Division of Radiological Health, Office of In Vitro Diagnostics Devices with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, will provide “The FDA Perspective: Auditing the Packaging Process.”
• Steven Walfish, Staff Statistician with Becton Dickinson & Company, will discuss “Sterile Packaging: An Examination of Statistics and Sampling.”
• Karen Greene, CPP, Vice President with Life Packaging Technology LLC, will report on “Cold Chain: Packaging for Thermally Sensitive and Combination Products.”
• Members from the Institute of Packaging Professionals’ Medical Device Packaging Technical Committee will discuss areas they are actively working on in the industry, as well as the committee’s work and how conference members can participate in the committee for the betterment of the medical device packaging industry.
