Pharmaceutical Product Plastic Packaging Analysis

The raw materials of plastic products produced for pharmaceutical products are mostly:

- Polyethylene (low or high density)
- Polypropylene
- Polyvinyl chloride
- Polystyrene
- Polyethylene terephthalate

Many parameters must be tested in the selection of suitable plastic packaging for pharmaceutical products. Some of these analyzes are:

- Permeability: The gas, vapor and liquid permeability of plastic packaging used for pharmaceutical products may affect the life of the product. If the dosage form is susceptible to hydrolysis and oxidation, it may be a problem for water vapor and oxygen to pass through the plastic wall to the drug.
- Leakage: Since most plastic containers have more than one component, there is a possibility of leakage or migration from the container to the product. Substance passing from the plastic packaging to the product may cause the product to deteriorate.
- Sorption: It is expressed as the binding of a solute to a plastic. This process is the binding of components from the packaging material to the product. Sorption can cause serious problems in drug preparation where important ingredients are in solution.
- Chemical Reactivity: Certain ingredients used in plastic formulations may react chemically with one or more ingredients of a drug product. Sometimes the ingredients in the formulation can react with the plastic. Even micro amounts of chemically incompatible substances can alter the appearance of the plastic or drug product.