Pharmacy style carton
18pt SBS, braille ready200 minimum · 10 to 14 business daysA pharmacy style carton is a folding carton in the format used for over the counter medicine, on 18pt SBS with a reverse tuck or seal end closure, embossed braille on request and room for the drug facts panel and a folded leaflet. We produce them from 200 units in 10 to 14 business days after proof, usually 1.5 by 1 by 3 to 3 by 2 by 5 inches.
When to choose it, and when not to
Choose a pharmacy style carton when the product is a medicine, a medical device, a first aid item or a supplement that sells alongside them and needs to look like it belongs. The format is familiar: clean white board, a strong color band, a drug facts panel on the back, a slit lock that stays shut and room for a leaflet. This is packaging guidance, not legal advice; reserve panel space for the text your regulator requires and check the wording with them.
Choose a supplement carton if the product is a vitamin bottle sold in a health food store, where the look is warmer and there is no leaflet. Choose a seal end carton if your only need is a tamper evident closure and the layout does not need to follow the pharmacy format.
Specifications
| Board | 18pt SBS, 16pt for cartons under 2 by 1 by 3 inches |
|---|---|
| Offset CMYK, one color, Pantone match, high legibility type | |
| Finish | Matte or gloss aqueous, gloss lamination, spot UV |
| Closure | Reverse tuck end with slit lock, or seal end with perforated tear strip |
| Insert | Space for a folded leaflet, optional blister card platform |
| Braille | Embossed braille on the front or top panel, standard dot height |
| Minimum | 200 units |
| Lead time | 10 to 14 business days after proof |
| Ships | Flat, glued, in bundles of 50 |
| Sizes we run | 1.5 x 1 x 3 in 2 x 1.25 x 3.5 in 2.5 x 1.5 x 4 in 3 x 2 x 5 in any size from 1 x 0.75 x 2 to 8 x 4 x 10 in |
Materials that suit it
Questions people ask
Can you emboss braille on the carton?
Yes. Braille is embossed on the board after print, on the front or the top panel, at the standard dot height and spacing used on medicine cartons. Give us the text and the cell layout you need, or the product name and strength, and we set the dots. It adds one pass and no lead time. Check the required content with your regulator.
Where does the drug facts panel go?
On the back panel, in a zone we reserve on the dieline before you place artwork. A pharmacy carton usually gives the whole back panel to it and the side panels to the lot number, expiry and barcode. Type down to about 0.06 in cap height stays legible on offset. We lay out the zones; the content is between you and your regulator.
How is the carton made tamper evident?
Two ways. A seal end carton glues both ends shut so opening it tears the board. Or a reverse tuck carton takes a perforated tear strip across the top tuck flap so the customer breaks the strip to open. You can also add a tamper seal label across the flap. We prepare the dieline for whichever your compliance team specifies.
Is there room for a folded leaflet?
Yes. We size the carton so a leaflet folded to about 1 by 3 inches fits beside a blister card or a bottle with a little room. If the leaflet is large, we add a paperboard platform that holds the product on one side and the leaflet on the other. Tell us the leaflet size and the fold before we draw the dieline.
What board and finish should I use?
18pt SBS with a gloss aqueous coating is the pharmacy standard: white, stiff, wipeable and cheap to print. Gloss lamination if the carton is handled a lot on a shelf. Avoid soft-touch on this format because it scuffs and it reads as cosmetic. High contrast type, black on white, in a sans serif at 8 point or larger for the front.
How is the pharmacy style carton different from the supplement carton?
The pharmacy carton follows the over-the-counter medicine format: 18pt SBS, a reverse tuck with slit lock or a seal end with a perforated tear strip, embossed braille on request, room for a folded leaflet and high-legibility type for a drug facts panel. The supplement carton is laid out for a supplement facts panel, with a straight tuck or crash lock base, and a warmer look for health food and wellness shelves. Both start at 200 units in 10 to 14 business days after proof. If the product carries a drug facts panel, the pharmacy carton.
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Ready to price your pharmacy style carton?
Send the size and quantity for a quote and a dieline, usually within one business day. Your digital proof follows, usually within one business day of your artwork. Design help and the Swatch Book of materials are free.