September

Using quality products is not just the desire of every consumer, but in the case of many products, a question of legislation. The same goes for medicines, where there are strict requirements as to the quality of the product both at release (following manufacture) as well as the last day of possible use (termed as the shelf-life).

Packaging has an essential role in maintaining the quality, safety and effectiveness of products throughout the entire shelf-life. Therefore, choosing the right packaging is very important, and depends on a series of quality, legislative, commercial or logistics requirements.

Throughout the history of pharmacy, the packaging used to release medication has undergone transformation. The appearance of standardised (industrial) products, but also of new substances to use has led to a much greater variety in primary packaging. Thus, among the types of packaging used we find those made of paper, glass, metal and plastics as well as combinations of metal with plastics (e.g. blister packs).

And it is not only the raw material the primary packaging is manufactured from that has undergone changes, but the shape of the packaging as well. Obviously, the shape of packaging is closely correlated to the pharmaceutical form of the product, as well as the physical and chemical properties of the substances making up the medication.

The advantage of glass is tied to the fact that it is mostly a chemically inert and stable product, and causes no changes in the composition of the end product. The disadvantage concerns its weight and its brittleness, since it breaks relatively easily. Although pure glass can withstand much greater pressure than most metals, it cannot hold up to being fractured, especially due to the impurities and imperfections in its structure or on its surface (e.g. scratches). Therefore, its place in packaging solid pharmaceutical forms has been taken over by paper, plastic or metal packaging. It has also been replaced as primary packaging in the case of products in gaseous or liquefied form with much more resistant metal or plastic receptacles.

These days, glass as primary packaging is used for liquid or semi-solid pharmaceutical forms.

The picture above shows glass packaging from the historic portfolio of the company. The metal packaging is from a product manufactured at the company’s Bucharest facility in the Interwar period.

The pictures below show personalised glass packaging for liquid pharmaceutical forms (the name of the pharmacy is embossed on the glass), as well as a piece that is only labelled, yet featuring a beautiful and specific knot decoration at the stopper.