One of the most common types of packaging in the pharmaceutical industry is blister packaging. Blister packaging is made up of two main components: the cavity and the backing. The cavity, which is generally made of plastic, holds the product inside, while the backing, often made of foil or paperboard, attaches to the cavity to keep the product secure. Here are a few of the reasons blister packaging is a popular choice in the pharmaceutical industry.
Controlling Dosage
It is important for pharmaceutical companies to ensure that their customers know the proper dosage of a drug when using it. Blister packaging makes indicating dosage simple and intuitive, as it can be used to divide pills into individual compartments. Manufacturers can put the right amount of product in its own cavity so that customers can be sure they are taking the right dosage by simply taking the product from one compartment. Blister packaging helps consumers avoid the potential harm they could suffer from accidentally taking too much of a drug.
Protecting Sensitive Product
Some pharmaceutical products are sensitive to their environments, and can be easily damaged by external factors. Drugs that are damaged can lose their potency, and become ineffective. Making sure their products provide the expected medical benefits to their customers is crucial for pharmaceutical companies, so they often use blister packaging to keep their products safe from environmental factors that could render them useless to consumers.
Keeping Products Secure
Blister packaging is generally very durable, so pharmaceutical companies can rely on it to keep their products from being damaged in transit. Once a product is on the shelf, secure packaging also keeps it from being damaged by customers or employees. Blister packaging is also good for pharmaceutical applications because it is difficult to tamper with in a way that would go unnoticed, so consumers can buy products without having to worry about outside contamination.
Thanks to its ability to control dosage and keep products safe and secure, blister packaging is extremely useful in the pharmaceutical industry.
If you have ever taken an over the counter allergy medication, an oral contraceptive, a generic sleep aid, or any of many, many other pharmaceutical products, you have definitely seen and used pharmaceutical blister packaging.
Pharmaceutical blister packaging consists of two main parts: a plastic front with individual pill pockets molded into it, and a flat piece of backing, likely made of some type of cardboard or foil.
Each pill rests in its own individual pocket, held between the plastic bubble and the foil or cardboard backing, and separated from the rest of the pills.
If you have ever taken medication that came in pharmaceutical blister packaging (and you almost certainly have if you live in the United States), you may have noticed that it can take some effort to get your pill out of its pocket.
You may have even wondered why a company would choose to use such involved packaging.
Well, there are actually multiple reasons pharmaceutical blister packaging is so popular.
