Sustainable Pharmaceutical Packaging: Integrating Eco-Service Design and Circular Economy for Patient-Centered Innovation

Traditional pharmaceutical packaging has focused on functionality but neglected sustainability, patient needs, and its potential values for individuals, society and the environment. This paper examines the connection between pharmaceutical packaging and its stakeholders, assessing current sustainable management practices. By analysing existing innovations and using the Eco-Service design evaluation method, this paper maps the pharmaceutical packaging production and service chain to identify key barriers and opportunities, aiming to propose systemic solutions for pharmaceutical packaging innovation in the context of service design and circular economy to demonstrate the feasibility. By drawing on the experience of the food industry, this paper explores how RFID-enabled reusable pillboxes can be integrated into existing pharmaceutical packaging service systems to reduce packaging waste at multiple levels, minimise the environmental footprint, and improve patient experience. It provides a novel way to inspire further pharmaceutical packaging researchers to promote more sustainable and focused patient well-being through multiple perspectives, including service systems.