Oral Solid Dose (OSD) Packaging Maximizes Convenience

How new developments extend packaging choices for tablets and capsules.

By Chris Gilmor is Director of Sales at Sanner of America

OSD packaging needs to address the key challenges of convenience packaging. Sanner TabTec® CR achieves this by providing a container suitable for a wide range of OSD formats and an integrated desiccant solution to ensure product stability without affecting product dosing. Image courtesy of Sanner.

More and more people rely on the use of prescription, over-the-counter (OTC), and nutritional supplement products to optimize health and well-being. Almost 50% of the U.S. population is now living with at least one chronic health condition like diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol, with 40% of adults suffering from two or more.[1] From vitamins, minerals and, in select regions, cannabidiol (CBD) to OTC products and prescription drugs – oral solid dose (OSD) products play a vital role in meeting requirements for both self-care and chronic disease management. Key to their popularity is their safety, shelf life (stability), convenience, and cost. But what is the right packaging to enhance these factors?

The factors shaping OSD product packaging

Patient-centricity has become a maxim within the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industry – and for good reasons, since user preference and accessibility have a defining impact on the success of a product.[2] Aside from its primary purposes of preservation and protection, packaging can define and improve handling, ease of use, convenience, and aesthetic appeal of the product in a crowded OTC marketplace.

The development of patient-centric packaging calls for a good understanding of how products are prescribed, purchased, and used every day by different groups. For instance, more people now purchase OSD products online, increasing the need to consider e-commerce supply chain requirements.[3]  This route imposes extra demands on the packaging due to the additional transport and handling and the associated risk of squashing, denting, or breakage. There is also an increasing trend for OSD product use ‘on the go’. Rather than remaining at home, patients and consumers routinely keep their tablets and capsules in pockets, handbags, or in the car.

Additional challenges include the need for packaging that is childproof while still being convenient to use, and that ensures product stability and acceptable shelf-life for every product, for instance through the optimized use of desiccants. For pharmaceutical products, regulatory authorities such as the FDA provide clear guidance for the design, content, and labelling of packaging, covering requirements relating to tamper resistance, childproofing, and protection from external factors such as moisture. Innovations in pharmaceutical packaging necessarily take such requirements into account.⁴ Though there is greater flexibility in packaging for non-pharmaceuticals, many of the same factors are equally important for safeguarding the consistent product quality on which brand reputations are built.

Assessing the options for OSD product packaging

OSD products need safe protective packaging. Apart from TabTec® CR, Sanner also offers tubes and bottles with desiccant integration and childproofing options. Image courtesy of Sanner.

In terms of established OSD packaging solutions, blister packs are one of the most common. Easily manufactured at high throughput from thermoformed mono- or multi-layer transparent plastic, they are lightweight and made in various sizes. They offer an individual dose that patients and consumers can easily check they have taken and are relatively difficult to tamper with. These factors make blister packs convenient to use, though some product formulations that are extremely sensitive to moisture and/or light require the use of opaque barrier materials, such as aluminum or other commercially available high barrier multi-layer films.

All products provided in thermoformed blisters require the use of a secondary packaging carton to ensure product integrity during transport and handling, inclusion of the product use leaflet as a medium for printed regulatory information, security/tracking, and product identification/branding. Desiccants, where needed, may be added as a thermoplastic layer inside the thermoforming film, which, however, can increase unit prices significantly.

Bottles are also a popular packaging choice, particularly in the U.S. Available in a variety of sizes, they are usually made of plastics such at HDPE, PET, or polypropylene, and typically accommodate 10 to 30 tablets for products destined for ‘on the go’ use. Bottles are generally fitted with a standard push-and-turn child-resistant closure, which is effective but may pose difficulties for other groups such as the elderly. Tamper proofing is usually achieved through a shrink sleeve, foil laminated heat seal with an additional seal on any secondary packaging. Desiccants can either be incorporated into the bottle itself, usually within the cap, or simply dropped in. Most bottles are, however, far from optimal with respect to discreet storage in a pocket.

Less common but still widespread packaging options include convenience vials and pouches, both of which are a discrete, pocketable choice for the on-the-go market. For vials, however, desiccant incorporation is a major limitation; commercial options for vials with built-in desiccants are minimal, as are drop-in solutions, and potentially unviable based on cost. Pouches are made from thin multi-layer plastic, paper and/or foil and usually used for just one or two doses since once they are opened by tearing, the packaging loses its integrity. Pouches provide minimal resistance to crushing but offer good protection from moisture, typically due to the presence of an aluminum layer in the film. As with blister packs, the material weight is relatively small.

Extending the choice for OSD Product Packaging

Slim pill dispensers have become a patient and consumer favorite, especially for on-the-go use, as they slide into pockets discreetly. Childproofing options vary by manufacturer, the most effective being push-and-flip solutions that protect children but do not pose problems for groups with impaired dexterity. Tamper evidence features can be incorporated into the labels or be provided by secondary packaging such as cartons or hanging face-seal blisters for point-of-sale positioning.

A range of color options enable an eye-catching branding. Pill dispensers provide ample space for labelling, e.g., with panels or shrink sleeves. Desiccant can be inserted via drop-in, but pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies particularly appreciate the variations with integrated desiccant chambers in the base. This solution increases overall line efficiency as it eliminates desiccant insertion as an individual process step and is compatible with existing bottle filling and packaging lines. At the same time, patients and consumers have a better dosing experience. This solution comes at a unit price that is directly comparable to that of a convenience vial or traditional bottle/CRC closure with drop in desiccant.

This combination of features makes slim pill dispensers a remarkably stable and safe packaging solution, particularly regarding moisture management and shelf life – a key concern for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical manufacturers as well as patients and consumers. It allows them to manage their conditions conveniently and easily wherever they are, without worrying about the stability of their pills, tablets, and capsules. Manufacturers, in turn, benefit from integrated desiccant, combining efficiency and cost-effectiveness with high product protection, making them a compelling addition to the OSD packaging market.

About the Author

Chris Gilmor is Director of Sales at Sanner of America, which provides OSD pharmaceutical packaging and customized solutions for medical devices, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, and consumer healthcare. Drawing on over 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical packaging and 15 years of experience in active packaging (i.e., including moisture management and oxygen and odor absorption), Gilmor also serves as a board member for the Canadian Rare Disease Foundation. Visit: https://www.sanner-group.com/

References:

1. R. Numerof, “Our Nation’s Chronic Disease Epidemic is Getting Worse So Who’s Responsible?” Forbes, November 22, 2022
2. B. Hauber et al “Patient Acceptability and Preferences for Solid Oral Dosage Form Drug Product Attributes: A Scoping Review. Patient Prefer Adherence,” June 21, 2024; 18:1281-1297
3. Meussling, T. “Packaging for the Modern Patient: Key Considerations for e-Commerce,” Packaging Technology Today, July 9, 2019
4. FDA Guidance for Industry, “Container Closure Systems for Packaging Human Drugs and Biologics. Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls Documentation,” May 1999

[1] R. Numerof ‘Our Nation’s Chronic Disease Epidemic is Getting Worse So Who’s Responsible?’, Forbes, November 22, 2022

[2] B. Hauber et al ‘Patient Acceptability and Preferences for Solid Oral Dosage Form Drug Product Attributes: A Scoping Review. Patient Prefer Adherence’, June 21, 2024; 18:1281-1297

[3] Meussling, T. ‘Packaging for the Modern Patient: Key Considerations for e-Commerce’, Packaging Technology Today, July 9, 2019