Medication errors are a significant concern in healthcare, with look-alike labels being one of the most frequently reported issues to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), according to the Medical Safety Board¹.
As a leading 503B outsourcing facility, Pine Pharmaceuticals is committed to supporting healthcare professionals by designing highly differentiated labels in-house. Our team of pharmacists ensures that every label complies with current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP), ISMP, and FDA guidelines.
We focus on creating labels with distinctive elements, such as unique colors and patterns to differentiate concentrations, barcodes for traceability, and clear expiration dates and storage instructions for proper handling.
To further differentiate our products, we incorporate TALLman lettering—a technique introduced by the FDA in 2001 as part of its Name Differentiation Project. This method draws attention to the dissimilarities between look-alike drug names through the use of capitalization².
“As pharmacists, we are always vigilant about the patient at the end of the line—whether it’s a family member, a friend, or someone else. That’s why we do everything we can to ensure patient safety,” — James Ando, Pharm.D., Innovation & Development Manager
Our commitment to safety extends beyond labeling. Our IV bags, vials, and syringes also feature tamper-evident packaging to further protect product integrity, providing an added safeguard to help mitigate risk.
By continuously adhering to industry standards, we remain dedicated to supporting healthcare providers in delivering the exceptional care their patients deserve.
References
- Med Safety Board. (2024, September 3). Med Safety Board releases white paper emphasizing that injectable medication labels must be well-differentiated to prevent patient harm. Med Safety Board. Retrieved March 6, 2025, from https://www.medsafetyboard.com/med-safety-board-releases-white-paper-emphasizing-that-injectable-medication-labels-must-be-well-differentiated-to-prevent-patient-harm/
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). FDA Name Differentiation Project. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved March 6, 2025, from https://www.fda.gov/drugs/medication-errors-related-cder-regulated-drug-products/fda-name-differentiation-project