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Practical Pharmaceutics pp 501–536Cite as

Containers

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Abstract

Packaging is an integral part of any medicinal product. Not only from a regulatory point of view, but also the patients’. It is only the packaged medicinal product which is stable and suitable for use. The stability of the product follows from the successful combination of formulation, packaging materials and method of production. The correct choice of container and closure system will impact every aspect of product life and usage. This is true for industrial as well as pharmacy (re-) packaged products.

Packaging technology encompasses knowledge from fields as material science, chemistry, engineering and ergonomy. With appropriate development, the packaging system and the many different functions it serves will go almost unnoticed. However, an unsuitable packaging system will result in the product’s failure to meet the patient’s needs.

This chapter aims to introduce the reader to the many different aspects of pharmaceutical packaging technology. It provides basic and applied knowledge, enabling the right choice of container system for almost every medicinal product found in the pharmacy.

Based upon the chapter Verpakkingen by Adrie de Jong and Yvonne Bouwman-Boer in the 2009 edition of Recepteerkunde.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Groningen University Hospital, EB 70, NL-9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Jan Dillingh

  2. Viridian Pharma Ltd., Yew Tree House, Hendrew lane, LIandevaud, Gwent, NP18 2AB, UK

    Julian Smith

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  1. Jan Dillingh
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  2. Julian Smith
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Correspondence to Jan Dillingh .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Dutch Pharmacists, Royal Dutch Pharmacists Association KNMP, The Hague, The Netherlands

    Yvonne Bouwman-Boer

  2. Former Quality Control Pharmacist to the Welsh Hospitals, Cardiff, United Kingdom

    V'Iain Fenton-May

  3. The Hague Hospital Pharmacy, The Hague, The Netherlands

    Paul Le Brun

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Dillingh, J., Smith, J. (2015). Containers. In: Bouwman-Boer, Y., Fenton-May, V., Le Brun, P. (eds) Practical Pharmaceutics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15814-3_24

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15814-3_24

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-15813-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-15814-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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