Pharmaceutical Blister Packaging: How Barrier Films Work

This paper outlines a simple approach to explain how packaging material works to provide barrier to moisture, oxygen, and gases and its applications in solid oral-dose packaging.

The pharmaceutical industry has gone through significant changes during the last years. On one side, exciting and valuable drugs have been developed which save peoples’ lives, help them to get relief, and to cure serious diseases. On the other hand, the regulatory environment has changed leading to increased requirements for product safety and cost pressure due to changes in the healthcare systems. A clear example is the creation of the zone IV-b for stability testing. In order to provide a test condition that reflects the challenges of distributing drugs in the ASEAN countries, the WHO has proposed this new category for hot and very humid climates.

All these developments have a big influence on packaging requirements. Besides the best protection of the drug, the contribution of the packaging for greater efficiency and cost reduction has become a major criterion.