The Commitment of the Sterilization Packaging Manufacturers Council (SPMC®) to packaging education extends beyond the free guidance and learning tools it creates and offers. The organization also champions other educational opportunities created by the industry for the industry.
For example, SPMC® renewed its sponsorship of the Fundamentals of Medical Device Packaging Course for the fifth year in a row. Held in February during MD&M West in Anaheim, California, the class offers participants access to some of the medical packaging industry’s top experts. It also provides an experiential opportunity for participants to view demonstrations of the manufacturing equipment on the showroom floor.
Members of the Institute of Packaging Professionals’ Medical Device Packaging Technical Committee (MDPTC) created the course. Several of SPMC®’s Technical Committee members also serve on the MDPTC and were involved in developing the course’s curriculum and structure. Dhuanne Dodrill, SPMC® chair and PAXXUS, Inc., president and CEO, has been a key contributor since the course’s inception, teaching the medical packaging materials portion of the course.
“This course was conceived around the same time that SPMC® founded Sterile Packaging Day, and many of the same people were involved in creating and advancing both endeavors,” explains Kathleen Daly Mascolo, former marketing chair of the SPMC® and vice president of Beacon Converters, Inc. “It’s exciting that SPMC®’s sponsorship of the class coincides with Sterile Packaging Day, adding another layer of celebration to our industry segment.”
The Fundamentals of Medical Device Packaging Course is conducted over three half-day sessions, incorporating classroom instruction and in-depth discussions in an informal class setting. Topics range from the materials, design, and manufacturing of sterile barrier systems, to qualifying equipment and validating processes, to regulations, standards, and quality systems. Also covered are risk analysis and design assurance, as well as troubleshooting and remediation strategies.
While the class is ideally suited for early career packaging engineers, participants do not need a technical background to attend. Anyone new to medical device packaging and in need of a broad introduction to the industry’s unique requirements can benefit from the experience. This includes managers looking for a wider understanding of the industry as well as sales representatives, technicians, purchasing professionals, and packaging professionals transitioning into the healthcare space.
“SPMC®’s sponsorship of this course is an investment in our industry’s future,” Mascolo says. “We were one of the first to sponsor it back in 2021 because we knew that anyone attending the class would emerge stronger and better prepared to serve the industry.”
The course has secured 12 sponsors, which allows MDPTC to offer student sponsorship opportunities to events such as the [PACK]out®, a conference for healthcare packaging professionals.
The 2026 Fundamentals of Medical Device Packaging Course will be held February 3–5 in conjunction with MD&M West and the Sterile Packaging Day celebration at the Anaheim Convention Center. Participants who complete the course earn 11 continuing professional education credits.
Lourdes Pogue is partner and creative director at Merakke. Reach her at lourdes@merakke.com.