Publications
in the trade press

Article published in "pharmind" on March 2019
Authors: Prof. Dr. Martin Angerhöfer und Dipl. Ing. Roland Kleissendorf

Packaging defects are still the largest proportion of quality defects in medicinal products. In recent years, this has always amounted to more than 40 % in Germany, a value which, in the opinion of the authors, is unnecessarily high and could be avoided with suitable measures. On the basis of their experience in counselling practice, the authors show how packaging defects can be recognised, found and eliminated, using the packaging types of sealed-edge pouches, blisters with aluminium press-through foil and plastic tablet glass closures as examples. Just as important as recognising packaging faults is the application of suitable avoidance strategies, which are also explained. A prerequisite for their use is knowledge of the packaging process and its limitations, as well as comprehensive knowledge of the relevant packaging material and packaging material properties. In this context, flawless, regularly checked and constantly adapted packaging material specifications/descriptions are the essential guarantees for success.

The demands on folding cartons for medicinal products have increased steadily in the past, and will continue to do so in the future. If these demands are to be met in everyday practice, it will become increasingly important to understand the material-specific characteristics of folding cartons and how they can be affected by changes at every stage, from production through to their use by the final consumer. This article provides an overview of the key requirements for folding cartons in terms of their efficiency in the packaging process, suggests solutions to problems that may occur, identifies potential areas for optimization and concludes by outlining the demands that will need to be met in the future when specifying folding cartons for medicinal products.