Packaging Flashcards
Packaging types
Primary, secondary, tertiary
e.g. corrugated boxes
Pharmaceutical pack
○ Container + closure; closure as part of the pack
Closure by heat/pressure sealing
Closure
○ LDPE – economical closure system
○ Ribbed – easy grip
○ Child-resistant, senior-friendly
○ Tamper-resistant, tamper-evident
Cap material, liner, inner seal
Unit dosage
○ Blister packaging, strip packaging
Advantages: Convenient, patient education, compliance, tamper-evident, stability
Compatibility
○ Primary pack in direct contact with the medicine
Must not change or contaminate the medicine
Covid vaccines
○ Vaccine storage and stability to heat
Packaging considerations for storage and delivery
Role of packaging is expanding - how?
○ Combat counterfeiting
○ Facilitate medicine administration
○ Incorporate IoT components
Branding and promotion
Packaging MUSTS
○ Be chemically inert, compatible with product
○ Protect against mechanical/environmental hazards
○ Be accessible, child-resistant, tamper-evident
Maintain integrity in the distribution system
Packaging materials
Glass, plastic, metal, paper packaging, laminates, rubber
Glass packaging
Advantages: Inert, transparent, sterilizable
Disadvantages: Fragile, heavy
Plastic packaging
Advantages: Lightweight, versatile, low cost
Disadvantages: Permeable to gases, leaching chemicals
Metal packaging
Advantages: Strong, shatterproof, impermeable
Disadvantages: Interaction with the product unless coated
Paper packaging material
Advantages: Cheap, recyclable, easily printed
Disadvantages: Poor barrier properties, moisture-sensitive
Packaging for product stability
Ensure stability against environmental factors
Examples: Use of opaque containers, desiccants, absorbers
Repackaging
Transfer from original to different packs
Consider errors, stability, cleanliness, and labelling
Packaging and safe medicine use - how to avoid errors?
Avoid errors due to similar names or packaging
Recommendations: Standardized designs, clear labels
Packaging and regulatory bodies - what agencies?
Regulated by agencies like FDA and MHRA
Packaging considered part of the product
Sustainability
Compare glass and plastic for environmental impact
Example: Astellas’ carbon-neutral blister packs
