If you are in the business of pharmaceuticals, packaging the product in a way that the contents remain pure over the course of its life cycle will be of paramount importance. And this requires a deep knowledge of how packaging can affect the medication over a period of time. Below, we look at a few things you should consider when packaging pharmaceuticals.
- Chemical Leakage
Chemical leakage refers to the process where the chemicals of the containers leak into the medication. This will essentially contaminate the whole medicine and render it unfit for human consumption. It is usually observed in some plastic containers which have certain ingredients added to it during manufacturing for stabilization or other such purposes. Ensure that you only hire an experienced packaging service like Signature Filling Company. This will help you avoid the problem altogether.
- Permeation
When the air and gases outside a container permeate inside and contaminate the medication, it is known as permeation. This process will have very negative consequences for the drug. In fact, the shelf life can fall dramatically depending on how permeable the container is. Medications which are sensitive to processes like oxidation are at very high risk of becoming useless because of permeation. Another reason for permeation is the temperature at which the container is stored. Some containers may not be permeable under normal room temperatures but can leak in outside vapors if stored in conditions of excess heat.
- Modification
It is also possible that the medication can cause physical changes in the packaging material. This usually happens when the contents of the container leak through it. The process is known by the name modification. A very good example of packaging being affected by modification is the deformation usually seen in polyethylene containers.
- Sorption
Sorption refers to the removal of ingredients of a medication by the container. In simple words, the container will absorb certain ingredients which react to it. This can cause some serious problems when taking medications. For example, the doctor might advise a patient to drink one spoon of a liquid medication. However, if the customer buys a product which has been on the shelf for several months and the container has been absorbing the drug’s ingredients during this time, it is very much possible that drinking one spoon of the medication will not produce the expected result. In addition, losing certain ingredients can also make the medication very vulnerable to the growth of microbes.
Keeping the above points in mind, it is essential that any product packaging created for pharmaceutical products be designed in such a way that it is completely impervious to outside environmental factors. The container should also not contain any ingredient which is known to react with the ingredients of the medication. In addition, the taste or odor of the drug must never be affected in any manner because of the packaging. Finally, ensure that the material to be used for packaging is approved by FDA and is completely non-toxic.