Alok Jariwala, Co-Founder, BluPack, explains that as healthcare increasingly moves toward personalisation, preventative care, and remote treatment models, customised dosage packaging stands out as a powerful enabler
Alok Jariwala, Co-Founder, BluPack
As global healthcare systems evolve, one of the most persistent challenges remains remarkably simple: ensuring that patients take their medications as prescribed. With the rise of chronic diseases, polypharmacy (the use of multiple medications), and increasingly complex treatment regimens, adherence has become both a medical and logistical issue, says Alok Jariwala, Co-Founder, BluPack. Particularly for elderly patients, those with cognitive impairments, or busy individuals managing long-term therapies, sticking to a medication schedule can feel overwhelming. Research suggests that medication non-adherence contributes to over 50 per cent of treatment failures, approximately 125,000 deaths annually in the U.S. alone, and costs the global healthcare system billions in avoidable expenses.
A significant but often overlooked contributor to this problem is medication waste. Missed doses, premature discontinuation, and incorrect usage often result in unused medicines piling up in cabinets—or worse, being improperly discarded, posing environmental hazards. In response, the healthcare industry is increasingly turning to customised dosage packaging as a patient-friendly, tech-enabled solution to streamline medicine management and reduce waste.
Customised dosage packaging refers to the practice of sorting and dispensing medications into individualised packs—organised by day, time, and dose—based on a patient’s prescription. These single-use sachets or blister packs eliminate the need for pill organisers, manual sorting, or guesswork. For patients, this simple innovation provides clarity and structure. Each packet clearly states what to take and when, drastically reducing the risk of errors, missed doses, or accidental double-dosing.
Healthcare providers also benefit significantly. With better visibility into patient behaviour, clinicians can track adherence and tailor treatments more effectively. Digital versions of these packaging systems often include app-based reminders, refill automation, and secure cloud-based platforms that sync with e-prescriptions—adding an extra layer of safety and convenience. By integrating with electronic medical records, these systems help flag potential drug interactions and dosing errors, enhancing clinical oversight and improving outcomes.
Consider a patient with multiple chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and thyroid imbalance. Without customised packaging, their daily medication routine may involve up to 8–10 pills at various times—often resulting in confusion, especially if caregivers are involved. Customised dosage packaging simplifies this by delivering the medication pre-sorted into daily, clearly labelled packs. Studies have shown that such systems can boost adherence rates by up to 90 per cent, significantly reducing hospital visits and improving long-term health outcomes.
Pharmacies and pharmaceutical brands are beginning to view this model as more than a convenience; it’s a step toward a more accountable and data-driven supply chain. By packaging medications in this personalised manner, pharmacies can reduce surplus inventory, better predict refill cycles, and gather anonymised data on usage patterns. For pharma companies, this offers an opportunity to forge closer relationships with patients, ensuring better treatment experiences and improving brand trust through measurable outcomes.
Importantly, customised packaging also plays a role in environmental sustainability. By tailoring medicine packs to exact dosages and durations, there’s less excess, fewer unused pills, and reduced medical waste overall. In regions where safe disposal of medicines is still a developing practice, this alone is a meaningful step forward.
As healthcare increasingly moves toward personalisation, preventative care, and remote treatment models, customised dosage packaging stands out as a powerful enabler. It aligns perfectly with the goals of modern medicine: improving adherence, reducing waste, minimising risk, and enhancing the patient experience. Innovations in this space are now being explored across therapeutic areas such as oncology, paediatrics, and mental health—where precision and consistent adherence are often critical to success.
In the future, such systems could seamlessly integrate with wearable health tech, hospital networks, and insurance platforms, creating a fully connected medication management ecosystem. What began as a practical solution for simplifying medication routines may very well become the standard of care—not just a convenience, but a critical tool in delivering better, safer, and more sustainable healthcare worldwide.