How packaging providers are evolving to deliver speed, flexibility and format innovation in today’s healthcare market 

As market pressures grow and consumer expectations shift, pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare brands are rethinking how products get to market. Packaging can be an important strategic lever for speed, compliance and differentiation. 

Mike Horsfield, Vice President of Business Development at Jones Healthcare Group, shares how contract packaging is evolving to meet the realities of today’s healthcare landscape — and what brands should consider as they plan for the future. 

Changing Consumer Behaviours Are Reshaping Packaging Strategies 

Over the last decade, purchasing behaviours in the consumer healthcare space have shifted significantly. Where bulk formats once dominated, today’s consumers are increasingly buying only what they need. Rising cost‑of‑living pressures, combined with the growth of non‑traditional retail channels, are driving demand for smaller pack sizes and more flexible formats. 

These changes are influencing how brands think about packaging — not just in terms of protection and compliance, but also convenience, shelf impact and suitability across multiple retail environments. 

Jones works closely with healthcare brands to support this shift, offering retail-ready packaging solutions ranging from pouches and convenience vials to small‑format bottles and blisters. 

A display of various Jones Healthcare Group products including boxes of pills, blister packs, and bottles of medications, showcasing a range of pharmaceutical packaging.

Jones Healthcare Group offers a variety of solid dose packaging formats for pharmaceutical brands exploring bottling, blistering and pouching along with industry-standard serialization.

Speed to Market Starts With the Right Packaging Partner 

In a crowded and highly regulated market, speed to market can be a decisive competitive advantage. Today, brands expect packaging partners to move faster — from initial inquiry to detailed proposal — often in days rather than weeks. 

This requires more than equipment. It demands built-in agility, deep regulatory understanding and a collaborative approach to commercialization. 

At Jones, ongoing investment in packaging capabilities has been a long-term priority. Over the past several years, this has included upgrades to existing equipment, installation of new bottle and blister lines and expanded pouching capabilities. These investments support both consumer healthcare and prescription drug packaging, including in-line serialization. 

The result: faster transitions from concept to commercial production without compromising quality or compliance. 

Packaging Equipment

One-Stop Packaging for Simplicity and Efficiency 

While many companies operate within the contract packaging space, Jones holds a unique advantage as part of an integrated healthcare group. Beyond contract packaging, Jones brings together graphic design, structural packaging design and in-house print capabilities for folding cartons and pressure-sensitive labels, enabling a more cohesive, efficient path from packaging concept to market-ready solution. 

This integrated structure allows brands to streamline supplier relationships, reduce complexity and accelerate speed to market. 

For healthcare brands navigating tight timelines and market fluctuations, this one-stop-shop approach can make a meaningful difference. 

A workspace with packaging prototypes, dieline drawings, a ruler, and sketches used for designing custom packaging.

Regulatory Readiness: Plain Language Labelling and Serialization 

Regulatory requirements continue to shape packaging design and execution across North America. In Canada, plain language labelling regulations have driven innovation in packaging design over the past decade, ensuring that drug information is clear, bilingual and accessible. 

Serialization, long a requirement in the U.S. prescription drug market, is becoming increasingly important in Canada as well. While not yet universally mandated, many retail pharmacy chains now require serialized products to support inventory management, traceabilityand patient safety. 

Serialization also plays a critical role in combating counterfeit products — particularly those sourced through online channels — by enabling end-to-end traceability from manufacturing through to point of sale. 

Jones continues to invest in serialized packaging solutions that help brands meet current requirements while preparing for future regulatory expectations. 

Serialization machine packaging

Sustainability: Evolving Expectations, Practical Solutions 

Sustainability has returned to the forefront of packaging conversations across North America. Healthcare brands are paying close attention to recyclability, material usage and waste reduction, and are increasingly expected to measure and report these impacts accurately. 

While cost remains a consideration in the current economic environment, new materials and packaging innovations are emerging that balance sustainability goals with commercial viability. Rather than viewing sustainability as a premium add-on, forward-thinking brands are integrating it into packaging strategies as part of a long-term value offering. 

Jones works with brands to explore sustainable packaging options that align with regulatory needs, performance expectations and cost realities, without compromising patient or consumer experience. 

Packaging Sustainability

Why Canadian Contract Packaging Matters for U.S. Brands 

Canadian manufacturing has long served as a trusted partner for U.S. healthcare companies. Many Canadian contract packaging organizations ship a significant portion of their output into the U.S., benefiting from strong regulatory oversight, skilled labour and geographic proximity. 

Jones’ facilities in Southern Ontario are strategically located within close reach of major Canadian and U.S. pharmaceutical hubs, including Montréal, New Jersey, New York, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. This regional advantage supports efficient cross-border logistics while offering the confidence that comes with FDA and Health Canada-approved operations. 

For brands seeking supply chain resilience, regulatory confidence and speed, Canadian contract packaging remains a compelling option. 

Looking Ahead 

As healthcare markets continue to evolve, packaging will play an increasingly critical role in how brands respond to change. Agility, compliance, sustainability and speed to market are no longer independent priorities — they are interconnected requirements. 

For pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare brands, choosing the right contract packaging partner can unlock faster commercialization, reduced complexity and greater flexibility in a highly dynamic market. 

Want to hear more? 

Watch the full video to explore how evolving consumer behaviour, regulatory demands and packaging innovation are shaping the future of healthcare packaging.