The Cost Savings Of Blow-Fill-Seal: More Than A Million Reasons To Switch

By Andy Goll, president, Weiler Engineering, Inc.

Doing business in the pharmaceutical industry comes at not only a high cost but also a high risk. For these reasons, there are concerns associated with making any major adjustments to a company’s manufacturing practices. It is difficult to imagine why a pharmaceutical manufacturer would want to do that. The traditional methods used today are the same ones the industry has relied on for decades. Nonetheless, there are few things in multiple facets of our lives that have not seen a facelift at some point over the last 50 years. By avoiding change, even as the capabilities and technologies available advance, the industry is potentially relying on practices that are no longer the most effective or the most efficient.

This is especially true when it comes to glass packaging versus blow-fill-seal (B/F/S) packaging. Despite the benefits of B/F/S over glass, some pharmaceutical companies refuse to make the switch because of a number of objections. One of these is the high capital cost of B/F/S equipment. On the surface, the numbers can be intimidating, but a closer look reveals an investment in B/F/S may yield incredible long-term savings.