How to Choose the Right Materials for Pharmacy Labels?

I. Core Principles for Pharmacy Label Material Selection

Safety and Regulatory Compliance First
Materials must be free from toxic or harmful substances. Adhesives and coatings must not react with medicines or pharmaceutical packaging materials and must comply with relevant pharmaceutical packaging regulations. Label information should remain clear and durable to meet drug traceability and regulatory requirements.

Adaptation to Storage Environments
Materials must suit different pharmacy storage conditions, including room temperature, refrigerated, frozen, light-protected, and humid environments. Labels should not curl, peel off, smear, or become illegible under these conditions.

Function-Oriented Selection
Based on different applications—general medicines, external-use medicines, refrigerated medicines, and controlled drugs—labels should meet specific functional needs such as chemical resistance, tamper resistance, removability, or anti-counterfeiting.

Compatibility with Printing Equipment
Label materials must be compatible with commonly used pharmacy thermal printers and thermal transfer printers, ensuring clear print quality, strong ink adhesion, and avoiding issues such as broken lines, ribbon scratching, or ink flaking.

II. Mainstream Base Materials and Their Applications

Pharmacy label materials are mainly divided into paper-based and synthetic categories, each suited to different routine scenarios and forming the foundation of pharmacy label selection.

Coated Paper Labels

(Best value option, suitable for room-temperature oral medicines)

Coated paper is the most commonly used base material in pharmacies due to its low cost and good print quality, making it suitable for stable environments.

Key Characteristics:
Smooth surface, sharp and clear printing, high color reproduction. Compatible with thermal transfer printing, enabling clear display of key information such as drug name, specifications, dosage instructions, batch number, and expiration date.

Typical Applications:
Bottles and boxes of tablets, capsules, and granules stored at room temperature; standard prescription labels; general shelf classification labels.

Limitations:
Not water-resistant, oil-resistant, or low-temperature resistant. Prone to wrinkling and ink smudging in humid conditions, becoming brittle at low temperatures. Unsuitable for refrigerated or external-use applications.

Synthetic Paper Labels

(Durable and versatile, widest range of applications)

Synthetic paper, typically based on PP or PET, combines the printability of paper with the durability of plastic, making it a highly versatile choice for pharmacies.

Key Characteristics:
Waterproof, oil-resistant, tear-resistant, and capable of withstanding moderate low temperatures. Tough texture that resists damage from moisture or light abrasion. Compatible with thermal transfer printing, with long-lasting print durability.

Typical Applications:
Medicines stored at room temperature or in mildly humid environments, some short-term refrigerated medicines, labels for external-use lotions and solutions, pharmacy turnover bins, and bulk medicine labels.

Advantages:
Balanced overall performance, suitable for most routine pharmacy scenarios. Moderately priced—more durable than coated paper and more cost-effective than pure PET labels.

III. Specialized Material Selection for Special Storage and Usage Requirements

Many pharmacy scenarios cannot be adequately served by standard materials and require purpose-designed solutions.

Materials for Refrigerated / Frozen Medicines

In low-temperature environments, ordinary paper becomes brittle and adhesives lose effectiveness, leading to label detachment. Cold-resistant materials combined with low-temperature adhesives are essential.

Preferred Materials:
PET labels with low-temperature acrylic adhesives; alternatively, thickened synthetic paper with freezer-grade adhesive.

Key Requirements:
Able to withstand temperatures from –5 °C to –20 °C. Adhesives must retain bonding strength at low temperatures. Labels should not lift or curl due to temperature differences during removal from cold storage, and must be waterproof and resistant to condensation to prevent damage from moisture.

Materials for External-Use and Chemical-Contact Medicines

Labels for topical medicines and disinfectants are frequently exposed to alcohol, ointments, and cleansing solutions, requiring strong chemical resistance.

Preferred Materials:
Matte PET labels or clear PET labels combined with solvent-resistant adhesives.

Key Requirements:
No reaction with substances such as alcohol, povidone-iodine, or chlorhexidine acetate. Coatings must withstand repeated wiping. Label information must remain clear without dissolving, deforming, or adhesive failure after chemical exposure.

Materials for Light-Sensitive Medicines

Some medicines degrade when exposed to light. Labels must not only indicate light-protection requirements but also provide physical light-shielding.

Preferred Materials:
Aluminum foil labels, light-blocking synthetic paper, or matte black PET labels.

Key Requirements:
High light-shielding performance to block UV and visible light. Material stability under prolonged exposure, while remaining compatible with thermal transfer printing to ensure drug names, light-protection warnings, and expiration dates remain clearly visible.

Removable / Residue-Free Label Materials

Used for temporary labeling, relabeling after splitting packages, or repeated labeling on glass medicine bottles, to prevent adhesive residue contamination.

IV. Adhesive Selection: The Key to Label Durability

Even with the right material, an incorrect adhesive choice can result in label detachment or residue. Adhesives must be matched to both the substrate and the environment.

General-Purpose Acrylic Adhesives
Suitable for coated paper and synthetic paper in room-temperature, dry environments. Works well on common pharmaceutical packaging such as glass, plastic, and cartons. Provides moderate adhesion and is the most widely used adhesive in pharmacies.

Low-Temperature / Freezer-Grade Adhesives
Specifically designed for refrigerated and frozen conditions. Maintains adhesion at low temperatures. Suitable for PET and synthetic paper labels used on medicines stored in refrigerators or freezers.

V. Common Pitfalls to Avoid in Pharmacy Label Material Selection

Do Not Pursue Low Cost Blindly
For medicines requiring long-term storage or cold-chain conditions, avoid using ordinary coated paper or low-quality thermal paper, as label failure may lead to missing information and medication safety risks.

Avoid Non–Solvent-Resistant Materials for External-Use Medicines
Never use coated paper or standard synthetic paper that lacks solvent resistance, as contact with medicinal liquids can damage labels and compromise information integrity.