APL on the collaboration with Modulpac:
A Reliable, Service-Minded, and Quality-Conscious Partner
Modulpac has been supplying MedTech products and closures to APL for two decades. Fredrik Hedman, Strategic Purchaser at APL, highlights delivery reliability, high quality, and close dialogue as the key success factors in the collaboration.
Most medicines are manufactured on a large scale, but some patients have specific needs. In such cases, pharmacy-produced medicines—so-called extemporaneous preparations—can be the solution, for instance in liquid form for those who cannot swallow tablets. If demand increases, the medicine can be produced as a stock preparation, which offers longer shelf life and faster delivery.
Apotek Produktion & Laboratorier (APL) is a leading provider of extemporaneous and stock preparations and an established contract manufacturer within Life Science in Europe. As a state-owned company, APL’s mission is to provide quality-assured medicines for patients who cannot use standardized treatments. Since 2023, APL has also been responsible for the emergency supply of critical medicines in times of crisis and war. APL employs 450 people at four locations across Sweden.
Fredrik Hedman has worked at APL for 17 years and serves as Strategic Purchaser. He is responsible for supplier agreements and monitoring packaging materials—including caps, vials, pumps, tubes, and bottles—to ensure that suppliers and products support APL’s mission.
– Our main driving force is helping patients. To succeed, we need high-quality deliveries—at the right price and on time.
100% Delivery Reliability
APL and Modulpac have been partners for 20 years. Modulpac has developed and manufactured MedTech products and supplied various closures for APL’s products.
– We feel very confident in Modulpac as a supplier. They share our drive to help patients and understand how critical delivery reliability is. Over the past 1.5 years, they’ve maintained a 100% delivery rate with zero deviations,” says Fredrik Hedman.
He continues:
– I would describe our collaboration as a joint contribution for social benefits. A key success factor is that both companies prioritize long-term relationships with customers and suppliers. That makes us stronger—together and individually.
Strict Quality Requirements
Another important aspect of the collaboration is Modulpac’s cleanroom, which meets ISO Classification 8 at their production facility in Lagan, Småland.
– That’s a prerequisite for delivering safe products. The cleanroom is of a high standard, which enables us to meet our strict quality requirements. The work is also continuously monitored—both in daily operations and during audits,” says Fredrik Hedman.
– The audits have gone extremely well. And if we were ever to identify any deviations, we’ve found Modulpac to offer fast service, great support, and a very flexible approach.
Fredrik notes that APL is happy to involve Modulpac in the development of new products that require closures or other plastic components. After such a long-standing collaboration—where Modulpac has consistently met the demands for safe and timely deliveries—APL sees no need to look for other suppliers.
– We know that Modulpac is a reliable, service-minded, flexible, and quality-conscious partner. They know us well and have solid expertise, which explains why our collaboration has lasted so long.
The relationship between APL and Modulpac is governed by a quality agreement. It stipulates that APL must be informed in good time of any product changes. APL’s value chain is complex, and even small changes—like a modification to a cap used in a product registered with Läkemedelsverket (the Swedish Medical Products Agency) — can have significant consequences.
– That process works very well at Modulpac. We’ve always received all necessary information in good time,” says Fredrik Hedman.
When asked about trends that could affect Modulpac and other MedTech suppliers, Fredrik Hedman replies:
– AI and how software solutions can be used to streamline production, utilize resources more efficiently, and keep prices down. These are areas we may start setting requirements on in the future—and of course, we want Modulpac to be part of that journey. They’ve done a fantastic job as our supplier, and we want that to continue.
