Primary and secondary packaging serve different purposes and therefore the materials used for preparing them are discrete and unalike:
Primary packaging
1. Glass - commercial packaging solutions: Allows inspection of container contents and is available in a wide array of shapes. However, it is expensive as compared to plastic and can be fragile to handle. Ampoules and vials containing fluids for injections and bottles usually come in glass containers.
2. Plastic - innovative packaging solutions: It is flexible, lightweight, cheap and cannot be broken easily. However, they are not as chemically inert and impermeable to gasses and vapors as glass containers. Plastic is generally used for pill/tablet bottles, squeezable bottles for eye drops and nasal sprays, and flexible tubes.
3. Metal - pharma packaging solutions: Used solely in the packaging of non-parenteral drugs (not orally ingested). It is strong, opaque, ideal for pressurized containers, impermeable to moisture, gases, odors, light, etc. Disadvantages include corrosion, concealment of container contents, increased weight, and rigidity, etc. They are commonly used for manufacturing cans, aerosols, screw caps, strip & blisters packs.
Secondary packaging- Fibrous Materials:
1. Cardboard
2. Paper
3. Corrugated fiberboard
The applications and advantages of using fibrous materials in secondary medical packaging are that they increase the area for display, provide better stacking options, provide physical protection to primary packaged items, assemble leaflets, and outers (either as solid or corrugated boards) that aid in bulk shipment. Cartons, bags, labels, trays, boards, etc. are all constructed from fibrous materials, however, plastic may also be used for producing secondary custom pharmaceutical packaged goods.