Importance of blister packaging

Packaging is a $300 – $350 billion sector vital worldwide. Even though just 5% of its value ($14billion) is distributed in the global consumer healthcare market, it plays a significant role in the pharmaceutical business. Packaging is gradually becoming an essential aspect of the drug delivery system and a vital component of the marketing industry. Manufacturers have long identified packaging as a critical manufacturing step in differentiating their products from their competitors. In the pharmaceutical industry, demand for advanced packaging is increasing. This trend will continue as companies rely increasingly on packaging and labeling as a medium to protect and advertise their medicines and boost patient compliance.

Objectives of blister packaging –

The fundamental goals of packaging in the pharmaceutical sector are to safeguard pharmaceuticals and medicines from the following:

• external influences
• Physical damage,
• Mechanical damage,
• Biological contamination and degradation, and

What is blister packaging? 

Blister packaging is a pre-formed plastic packaging that includes a base card with artwork and a clear plastic pocket called the blister. The cavity is constructed of either plastic or aluminum foil, and the lid, made of paperboard, paper, plastic, or aluminum, is the two main components of blister packing. The product is contained in the cavity, and the lid seals the package, a process called blister lidding.

Blister packaging is used in the pharmaceutical sector to package tablets, pills, capsules, granules, lozenges, and other items such as pens and pencils. Blister packaging gets its name because each item is kept within its own small plastic bubble or blister. A drop or push-through-pack is another name for it. Clear plastic is utilized to pack the items, and aluminum foil for blister packaging is coated with adhesive bonding and heated together to create a separate sealed box.

Blister packaging – a special for tablets and capsules

In many aspects, blister packaging is distinctive for tablets and capsules. Tablets and capsules can be packed reasonably regulated using blister packaging. A stiff and fixed-size tablet or capsule is inserted into a rigid cavity, and the flexible cover material is stamped over it to finish the package. Tablet and capsule lines can generally handle goods with unwavering uniformity, making faults extremely unusual. The blister package has an attractive feature in that while each cavity is independent, it is also interdependent.

The sterility or quality of the product is not compromised if the seal between two cavities is broken unless one of the blister cavities leaks to the outside of the package. Certain medications are susceptible to moisture in today’s modern drug delivery devices. The drug delivery in these circumstances becomes ineffective within minutes of being exposed to average room temperature and humidity conditions. If there is a leak between two cavities, the quality of the second cavity is damaged as the product of the first cavity is consumed.

Blister packaging: Push-Through-Pack

Push-Through-Packing is another name for blister packing (PTP). The main benefits of unit-dose blister packs over other pharmaceutical packaging methods include the assurance of product or packaging integrity, including the shelf life of each dose, and the ability to create a compliance pack or calendar pack by printing the days of the week above each amount. The pharmaceutical business or designated contract packer uses a form-fill-seal procedure to make blister packs.

Plastics such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), PET polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), amorphous polyethylene terephthalate (APET), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and aluminum sheets or foils are commonly used in blister packing. There are two significant types of blister packets used in the pharmaceutical sector. The cavity is made of clear thermoformed plastic, while the lid is made of clear plastic or a combination of plastic, paper, and or foil in the first type. The second type of blister package, known as cold forming blister foil, has foil as an essential component of the web and the cavity. It is made by hard stretching.

Advantages of blister packaging –

The most significant benefit of blister packaging for patients is the ease of removing pills or capsules by pressing the blister and forcing the contents to the backing strip. The following are some of the other benefits of blister packaging:

• Compared to glass, which is commonly used for packaging medicine, blister packaging is very lightweight and consumes less volume. This saves a substantial amount of money on transportation.
• Improve the sealing of medications that must be stored in a dry, moisture-free environment. As a result, the shelf life of pharmaceuticals and medicines is extended, and they can be kept for more extended periods without being damaged.
• In blister packaging, dose precision may be readily maintained.
• Blister packaging may be automated to ensure the highest level of package safety.

blister packaging conclusion –

Blister packing ensures that pills and capsules are adequately sealed. In addition, it’s simple to perform a leak test after packing. Blister packaging is popular because of its convenience of packing, testing, reliability, and ensuring quality control, and its popularity is growing by the day.