Your new product is ready to be packaged, but which type of pharmaceutical packaging should you choose—bottle or blister? The short answer is that it depends on the product. Let’s take a deep dive into the differences between blister packaging in the pharmaceutical industry and pharmaceutical bottle packaging.
The Basics of Pharmaceutical Bottle Packaging
In the pharmaceutical industry, bottles are commonly used for liquids, tablets, and capsules. Bottles can be manufactured with either glass or plastic, depending on the product. Glass is ideal for sensitive pharmaceutical products and liquids that are stored for long periods. Plastic bottles are more versatile and well-suited for a variety of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals, like vitamin D and ibuprofen.
Whether a bottle is manufactured with glass or plastic, the pharmaceutical bottle packaging must protect the product from damage and degradation. It’s common for bottled tablets to include a coil that keeps the product from breaking during shipping.
The Bottling Process
The bottle filling process uses several systems that work together to accurately fill and count tablets and capsules. Pharmaceutical bottling machines are typically designed with air cylinders to prevent spillage and allow bottle changes before filling takes place. Thanks to sophisticated and intuitive sensors, pharmaceutical bottling machines can count tablets and capsules accurately and efficiently.
Types of Pharmaceutical Packaging Equipment: High-Speed Pharmaceutical Bottling Machines
High-speed bottling machines use custom sets of slats for drug products of every size, offering a dedicated group of slats to ensure bottling line efficiency and accuracy. While cost may be a concern when purchasing slats for each drug product, you might not save money by using one set of slats for several products. A new set of customized slats can be more cost-effective in the long run, because using slats that aren’t applicable to the product you’re making may cost you more due to loss of product, time, and labor.
Explaining Blister Packaging in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Blister packaging in the pharmaceutical industry provides valuable solutions for common packaging challenges like:
- Retaining the medicinal quality of the product
- Newly developed drugs conflicting with packaging material
- Adhering to regulatory standards
- Efficiently protecting products from heat, moisture, and contamination
Typically, blister packs are used for solid unit doses of medicines and keep tablets or capsules separate and protected until used.
The Process
The blister packaging process is crucial to protect your product from moisture, heat, contamination, oxygen, and UV light. Easily integrated into your existing packaging processes, automatic blister packaging equipment creates high-quality packaging by forming a cavity made from aluminum foil or plastic. Once the product is placed inside the cavity, a second layer made from aluminum foil, plastic, or cardboard is added to the seal pack to protect the product from the elements and retain its medicinal properties.
Types of Pharmaceutical Packaging Equipment: Automatic Blister Packaging Machines
Automatic blister packaging machines are designed to reduce labor and material costs, improve efficiency, and eliminate safety issues for both small- and large-scale productions. Small-scale automatic blister packaging equipment is ideal for companies that need blister packaging but have limited space in their facility. This equipment is compact enough to fit into small labs or production rooms while still operating like a larger production-sized unit.
Types of Pharmaceutical Packaging Equipment: Semi-Automatic Blister Packaging Machines
Semi-automatic blister packaging machines are ideal for everything from tablets and capsules to medical devices. A perfect option for short-run clinical trials, semi-automatic blister packaging equipment offers a lab-scale solution that gives your operation complete control over new studies on stability or marketing. Semi-automatic machinery also offers multiple advantages for your blister packaging department, like eliminating complex toolup and setup.
Explaining Pharmaceutical Syringes
Many medications must be given subcutaneously (under the skin) to be effective and work faster. That’s when pharmaceutical syringes become essential.
There are three types of pharmaceutical syringes used today:
- External syringes: External syringes are often used to give medication to patients who struggle with taking tablets. They’re commonly made with a rigid form of polyvinyl chloride (RPVC). Instead of having a needle, they’re manufactured with an open end, allowing for medication to be pushed through to the patient orally.
- Pre-loaded spring syringes: Pre-loaded spring syringes are often used for patients who need ongoing care at home. They’re pre-filled with the correct dosage and equipped with a needle so the patient can push the medication under the skin seamlessly.
- Syringe drivers: Syringe drivers are infusion pumps that gradually administer small amounts of medication to the patient. They can be set to different timings and dosages, depending on the individual’s care requirements.
Types of Pharmaceutical Packaging: Blister Packaging for Pharmaceutical Syringes
As a part of good manufacturing practices (GMPs), blister packaging for pharmaceutical syringes must undergo an integrity and leak test to detect problems that could negatively affect the sterility of the syringe. Many companies use non-destructive leak testing to ensure the packaging meets requirements.
Providing Different Types of Pharmaceutical Packaging Equipment
Ascend Packaging provides different types of pharmaceutical packaging equipment for a variety of industries and products. Ascend is prepared to help you with all of your packaging equipment needs, from bottles to blister packaging for tablets, capsules, and medical devices. We even offer non-destructive leak testing equipment that eliminates the possibility of human error, saving you time and money while reducing waste. Contact us today to learn more about how we can take your packaging solutions to the next level.
