diff --git a/.github/workflows/pythonapp.yml b/.github/workflows/pythonapp.yml
index 65f9a4dcf2..3c39166c1e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pythonapp.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pythonapp.yml
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Install dependencies
       run: |
         find  /opt/hostedtoolcache/* -maxdepth 0 ! -name 'Python' -exec rm -rf {} \;
-        python -m pip install --user --upgrade pip setuptools wheel twine
+        python -m pip install --user --upgrade pip setuptools wheel twine packaging
         # install the latest pytorch for testing
         # however, "pip install monai*.tar.gz" will build cpp/cuda with an isolated
         # fresh torch installation according to pyproject.toml
diff --git a/docs/requirements.txt b/docs/requirements.txt
index fe415a07b5..ff94f7b6de 100644
--- a/docs/requirements.txt
+++ b/docs/requirements.txt
@@ -41,3 +41,4 @@ onnxruntime; python_version <= '3.10'
 zarr
 huggingface_hub
 pyamg>=5.0.0
+packaging
diff --git a/monai/utils/module.py b/monai/utils/module.py
index 4d28f8d986..251232d62f 100644
--- a/monai/utils/module.py
+++ b/monai/utils/module.py
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ def version_leq(lhs: str, rhs: str) -> bool:
     """
 
     lhs, rhs = str(lhs), str(rhs)
-    pkging, has_ver = optional_import("pkg_resources", name="packaging")
+    pkging, has_ver = optional_import("packaging.Version")
     if has_ver:
         try:
             return cast(bool, pkging.version.Version(lhs) <= pkging.version.Version(rhs))
@@ -591,7 +591,8 @@ def version_geq(lhs: str, rhs: str) -> bool:
 
     """
     lhs, rhs = str(lhs), str(rhs)
-    pkging, has_ver = optional_import("pkg_resources", name="packaging")
+    pkging, has_ver = optional_import("packaging.Version")
+
     if has_ver:
         try:
             return cast(bool, pkging.version.Version(lhs) >= pkging.version.Version(rhs))
@@ -629,7 +630,7 @@ def pytorch_after(major: int, minor: int, patch: int = 0, current_ver_string: st
         if current_ver_string is None:
             _env_var = os.environ.get("PYTORCH_VER", "")
             current_ver_string = _env_var if _env_var else torch.__version__
-        ver, has_ver = optional_import("pkg_resources", name="parse_version")
+        ver, has_ver = optional_import("packaging.version", name="parse")
         if has_ver:
             return ver(".".join((f"{major}", f"{minor}", f"{patch}"))) <= ver(f"{current_ver_string}")  # type: ignore
         parts = f"{current_ver_string}".split("+", 1)[0].split(".", 3)
diff --git a/requirements-min.txt b/requirements-min.txt
index a091ef0568..21cf9d5e5c 100644
--- a/requirements-min.txt
+++ b/requirements-min.txt
@@ -4,3 +4,4 @@ setuptools>=50.3.0,<66.0.0,!=60.6.0 ; python_version < "3.12"
 setuptools>=70.2.0; python_version >= "3.12"
 coverage>=5.5
 parameterized
+packaging
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 202e7b0e24..dfa94fcfa1 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -137,6 +137,8 @@ pyyaml =
     pyyaml
 fire =
     fire
+packaging =
+    packaging
 jsonschema =
     jsonschema
 pynrrd =
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index b90d9d0976..576743c1f7 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 import sys
 import warnings
 
-import pkg_resources
+from packaging import version
 from setuptools import find_packages, setup
 
 import versioneer
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 
     BUILD_CUDA = FORCE_CUDA or (torch.cuda.is_available() and (CUDA_HOME is not None))
 
-    _pt_version = pkg_resources.parse_version(torch.__version__).release
+    _pt_version = version.parse(torch.__version__).release
     if _pt_version is None or len(_pt_version) < 3:
         raise AssertionError("unknown torch version")
     TORCH_VERSION = int(_pt_version[0]) * 10000 + int(_pt_version[1]) * 100 + int(_pt_version[2])