Unit Dose Packaging – Everything You Need To Know

The world of medicine is ever changing and everyday brings something new and ground breaking to the fore. You can witness the growing effectiveness of our medicinal science just by looking at the mortality rates and quality of life that people enjoy overall. Diseases that once used to be epidemics are now curable. Conditions that were chronic once are now treatable. The advances made in the field everyday are nothing short of staggering.

At the same time, the ancillary services related to the pharmaceutical industry have also seen an astounding amount of improvement. Packaging medicines has come a long way too. Unit dose packaging is one of the most patient friendly means of getting their medication to them. Let’s look at what it is..

Meaning

This form of packaging can be simply understood as packing medical products in single doses meant for one person. The most common example of this format can be the medicine capsules that we buy – each capsule contains the required amount of dosage for one person meant for a single consumption. Each Capsule is then packaged into separate compartments in the strip which can be popped for use, one at a time.

Especially in hospital settings, you can find unit dose packaging to be in extensive use. Patients are frequently prescribed medicines that are then packed in single consumption dosages by nurses to help them in taking the exact amount of medication required. The patient then, doesn’t have to check out a large bottle of medicine from the pharmacy and simply has to consume one unit dose at a time, taking out the hassle and risk of overdosing.

Other uses

Apart from the pharmaceutical industry, this form of packaging is also used in the world of cosmetics. Single doses of topical creams, gels and other products can be frequently seen in shops and retail stores. That sachet of shampoo that you have seen displayed at your local departmental store is the most basic example of unit dose packaging.

Features

This form of packaging is first of all categorised by its size. The product being packaged here is packed in small doses meant for a single use. The material used for packaging is thus strong and durable enough to withstand the rigors of transportation and distribution. Yet it is designed with the aim of use-and-throw. Generally, unit dose packaging containers cannot be reused as such once they are opened. The containers’ strength and durability will be less as compared to larger containers but it will be enough to safely carry the amount of product they are meant for.

Material used

Different product types require different materials to be used for designing their unit dose containers. The material should not only be suitable to the product but also has to be FDA approved in many cases, especially for medicines. These materials are chosen after running extensive tests to ensure that they do not induce any chemical change in the product and can effectively secure and store it, till it reaches the end user.

For more information about unit dose packaging, visit http://lfofamerica.com/.

About The Author

Gayle Adams is an expert in personal care and Over The Counter Products and offers all kinds of industry related advice in her articles for people to benefit from. LFofAmerica.com is the name that she will recommend for contract filling, manufacturing, formulation as well as packaging solutions.

Gayle Adams is an expert in personal care and Over the Counter Products and offers all kinds of industry related advice in her articles for people to benefit from.