Application Note: Using Handheld Raman To Identify Plastics In GMP Environments

Despite frequently going unnoticed by consumers, pharmaceutical packaging is carefully designed to provide a trusted protection for drug tablets, pills, capsules, and other dosage forms. In addition to providing protection against physical damage, chemical alteration (i.e. natural degradation), and environmental contamination, packaging plays an important role in offering evidence of temperature control in the supply chain and product sterility. According to the Code of Federal Regulations for pharmaceutical product packaging, components used to temporarily or permanently store drug products — such as blisters, films, plastic containers, or vials — must be identified before use by Quality Control (see 21 CFR Part 211.84). This is similar to how raw materials are used in the composition of the drug product.