WEBVTT

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<v Speaker 1>There is this really stark, almost uncomfortably simple truth at

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<v Speaker 1>the very foundation of pharmacology. And it goes like this,

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<v Speaker 1>a liquid which is not contained is simply a puddle on.

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<v Speaker 2>The floor, right. Yeah, it really paints a vivid picture,

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<v Speaker 2>doesn't it. It does, and you know, it captures the

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<v Speaker 2>absolute fundamental reality of this entire industry. I mean, you

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<v Speaker 2>can spend a billion dollars, you can dedicate a decade

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<v Speaker 2>of research and develop this miraculous life saving molecule, but

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<v Speaker 2>if you cannot get it from the sterile laboratory to

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<v Speaker 2>the patient's actual bloodstream entirely intact, will that molecule is completely.

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<v Speaker 1>Useless, exactly, And that is exactly our mission for this

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<v Speaker 1>deep dive. So, if you are a pharmacy student and

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<v Speaker 1>maybe a young professional just entering the field, or honestly

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<v Speaker 1>just someone who wants to understand the immense, invisible science

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<v Speaker 1>behind the objects sitting in your medicine cabinet, right now,

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<v Speaker 1>we're going to completely change how you see a simple

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<v Speaker 1>pill bottle today. Oh absolutely, because a package is it's

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<v Speaker 1>never just a box. It is a highlight regulated active

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<v Speaker 1>component that literally guarantees the efficacy, the safety, and the

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<v Speaker 1>stability of a drug. So we are going to explore

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<v Speaker 1>the rigorous science of pharmaceutical packaging technology, which is a

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<v Speaker 1>massive topic. It is, so to start, let's just look

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<v Speaker 1>at what a package actually have to accomplish. Obviously, it

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<v Speaker 1>has to contain the drug, preventing the puddle on the floor,

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<v Speaker 1>but it also has to present and identify the drug,

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<v Speaker 1>giving you the legal information and the confidence you need.

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<v Speaker 1>It has to be convenient, and it has to drive

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<v Speaker 1>patient compliance. But I think the most complex function by

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<v Speaker 1>far is protection.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh, without a doubt. Protection is where the pure engineering

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<v Speaker 2>comes in because think about it, the moment a drug

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<v Speaker 2>leaves the tightly controlled manufacturing line, it enters a highly

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<v Speaker 2>chaotic world. It has to survive this massive gauntlet of hazards.

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<v Speaker 2>Broadly speaking, packaging technologists categorize these threats into physical shock,

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<v Speaker 2>chemical degradation, and biology contamination.

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<v Speaker 1>Right, And there's actually an amonic for this in the industry, right, Yes.

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<v Speaker 2>There is. It's a scrap cart mismarred, which is a

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<v Speaker 2>bit of a mouthful.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, that is a long acronym, it is, but.

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<v Speaker 2>It covers everything. It stands for shock, compression, rattle, abrasion, puncture, contamination,

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<v Speaker 2>aging rodents, theft, moisture, insects, sunlight, temperature, microbes, atmospheric gases,

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<v Speaker 2>the four hours of recycling, and finally disposal.

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<v Speaker 1>Wow, okay, so that really is everything. Physically a package faces,

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<v Speaker 1>vibration on trucks, compression from being you know, stacked high

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<v Speaker 1>in warehouses, the risk of puncture, ye, and then biological

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<v Speaker 1>threats like the rodents and insects you mentioned, plus microscopic pathogens.

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<v Speaker 1>But it will pause in moisture for a second because

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<v Speaker 1>outside of pharmacology we just think of moisture as things

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<v Speaker 1>getting a little.

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<v Speaker 2>Damper, right, just a bit wet.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, But in the context of a drug, water isn't

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<v Speaker 1>just wet. It is a highly reactive chemical agent.

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<v Speaker 2>Precisely, water is a catalyst. When moisture penetrates a poorly

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<v Speaker 2>designed path, it can initiate hydrolysis.

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<v Speaker 1>And just to break that down simply, that's.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh yeah, that is a chemical reaction where the water

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<v Speaker 2>molecule literally cleaves the active pharmaceutical ingredient apart, It breaks

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<v Speaker 2>its chemical bonds and basically renders it inert.

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<v Speaker 1>Which is terrifying if you're relying on that medicine.

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<v Speaker 2>To work exactly, and even if it doesn't destroy the

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<v Speaker 2>molecule outright. Moisture can cause severe weight and volume changes.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, it can turn a precisely measured free flowing

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<v Speaker 2>powder into a solid, completely unusable brick inside the bottle.

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<v Speaker 1>Or it can provide the exact micro environment a dormit

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<v Speaker 1>microbe needs to you know, bloom into a full scale

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<v Speaker 1>of biological contamination.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, which is a worst case scenario. So to prevent

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<v Speaker 2>all of this, the industry divides the globe into specific

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<v Speaker 2>kinetic mean temperature zones for stability testing. So they range

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<v Speaker 2>from lower temperate climates all the way up to tropical

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<v Speaker 2>humid environments zones one through four.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, but here is where I kind of have to

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<v Speaker 1>push back a little on the science of this testing. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>because the industry uses these incredibly precise, pristine, climate controlled

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<v Speaker 1>cabinets to test stability in the lab. But if you

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<v Speaker 1>think about the end user, you know, the patient isn't

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<v Speaker 1>their own bathroom cabinet. Actually the most extreme chaotic hazard

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<v Speaker 1>z own of all.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh, it's awful.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, you take a hot shower, creating this tropical

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<v Speaker 1>rainforest of humidity. Then the air conditioning kicks on, the

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<v Speaker 1>temperature plummets it just seems like a nightmare for chemical stability.

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<v Speaker 2>The home environment is absolutely chaotic. You're right, but the

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<v Speaker 2>reality of the supply chain is actually much.

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<v Speaker 1>Worse, really worse than the bathroom.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh yeah, Before the drug ever reaches your bathroom, it

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<v Speaker 2>goes through distribution channels that are notoriously harsh. Consider the

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<v Speaker 2>trunk of a pharmaceutical sales representative's car. Okay, if that

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<v Speaker 2>rep parks in the direct sun in the middle of summer,

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<v Speaker 2>the temperature inside that closed trunk can easily hit sixty

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<v Speaker 2>degrees celsius.

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<v Speaker 1>Wait, sixty degrees Celsius's that's like one hundred and forty

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<v Speaker 1>degrees fahrenheit.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, it essentially becomes an off And that is exactly

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<v Speaker 2>why baseline room temperature testing just even enough. The industry

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<v Speaker 2>relies really heavily on what's called accelerated.

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<v Speaker 1>Testing, meaning they don't just test it at room tim right.

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<v Speaker 2>Technologists don't just test the product at a comfortable twenty

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<v Speaker 2>five degrees. They intentionally stress test the combined product and

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<v Speaker 2>package at forty degrees celsius with seventy five percent relative humidity. Wow,

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<v Speaker 2>And sometimes they push it even higher for short bursts.

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<v Speaker 2>And they do this specifically to replicate the brutal, chaotic

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<v Speaker 2>reality of the supply chain, basically ensuring the drug will

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<v Speaker 2>still work after surviving that sweltering car trunk, and.

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<v Speaker 1>Because the drug has to survive that entire journey. Intact,

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<v Speaker 1>the legal authorities so like the FDA in the US

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<v Speaker 1>or the European Medicines Agency, they do not view the

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<v Speaker 1>drug and the bottle as two different things.

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<v Speaker 2>No, not at all.

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<v Speaker 1>Legally speaking, they are a single, inseparable entity, and that.

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<v Speaker 2>Is a crucial concept for anyone working in pharmacy to understand.

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<v Speaker 2>Regulators look at the package with an entirely different legs

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<v Speaker 2>then say a marketing department does. To a regulator, the

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<v Speaker 2>package is a dosage controller, it's the sole vehicle for

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<v Speaker 2>legal compliance labeling. It is a consumer protector, meaning it's

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<v Speaker 2>engineered for child resistance. And most importantly, regulators recognize that

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<v Speaker 2>the package itself is a primary source of potential contamination.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean stability testing has to be conducted in the

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<v Speaker 1>exact final container that will go to market. Yep, you

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<v Speaker 1>can't just test your liquid antibiotic and a giant glass

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<v Speaker 1>vat in the lab, prove it stable and then decide

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<v Speaker 1>to sell it. In a cheap classic squeeze bottle. You

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<v Speaker 1>have to prove the safety of that specific plastic.

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<v Speaker 2>It's to prove it absolutely.

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<v Speaker 1>And that introduces the terrifying world of chemical compatibility, because

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<v Speaker 1>when you put a drug in a new container, you

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<v Speaker 1>are introducing four distinct chemical hazards absorption, absorption, extraction, and leaching. Right,

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<v Speaker 1>could you break down how these mechanisms actually differ, because

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<v Speaker 1>they sound very similar.

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<v Speaker 2>They do sound similar. Yeah, Let's start with the first two,

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<v Speaker 2>which are forms of absorption. So absorption with a D

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<v Speaker 2>is basically a surface phenomenon. It happens when active drug

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<v Speaker 2>molecules physically stick to the inner surface of the container.

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<v Speaker 1>So they just kind of cling to the walls exactly.

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<v Speaker 2>And if too much of the drug sticks to the plastic,

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<v Speaker 2>the actual concentration of the liquid drops, which effectively lowers

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<v Speaker 2>the dose the patient receives.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh wow.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, But then absorption with a B is much deeper.

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<v Speaker 2>That is when those drug molecules actually soak into the

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<v Speaker 2>molecular structure of the packaging material itself.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, So sorption is the drug being lost to the package,

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<v Speaker 1>but extraction and leeching those are the reverse, right, that's

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<v Speaker 1>the package invading the.

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<v Speaker 2>Drug exactly right. So extraction usually implies an active solvent

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<v Speaker 2>within the liquid drug aggressively pulling chemical additives out of

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<v Speaker 2>the plastic like.

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<v Speaker 1>It's stripping the plastic.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, leeching is similar, but it's more like the slow, passive,

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<v Speaker 2>continuous migration of packaging components into the medication over time. Okay,

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<v Speaker 2>Because when manufacturers to make plastic, they use plasticizers to

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<v Speaker 2>make it flexible, lubricants to help it release from manufacturing molds,

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<v Speaker 2>anti static agents, and all of those chemicals can passively

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<v Speaker 2>leach into the drug. And it's not just solid physical

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<v Speaker 2>contact either. Gases and volatile compounds can actually permeate right

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<v Speaker 2>through solid plastic walls.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, there is a fantastic example of this in the

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<v Speaker 1>text involving Volagle preservatives. So let's say you have a

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<v Speaker 1>liquid medication preserved with phenol or two fenil ethanol and

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<v Speaker 1>you bottle it in low density polyethylene often called LDPE.

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<v Speaker 2>Right, So LDPE is highly permeable to certain volatile compounds.

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<v Speaker 2>If you use it in that scenario, the phenol will

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<v Speaker 2>literally vaporize inside the bottle, move into the plastic matrix

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<v Speaker 2>and permeate right. Through the walls into the outside atmosphere.

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<v Speaker 1>It disappears.

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<v Speaker 2>The preservative silently escapes, so the patient opens the bottle

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<v Speaker 2>expecting sterile medicine, but because the preservative is gone, the

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<v Speaker 2>liquid is completely vulnerable to bacterial growth.

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<v Speaker 1>Stop that.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, the primary way to prevent that specific permeation is

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<v Speaker 2>to wrap the LDPE bottle in an external aluminum foil

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<v Speaker 2>overwrap that creates an absolute blockade.

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<v Speaker 1>Let me see if I can summarize this in a

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<v Speaker 1>way that makes sense. Approving a primary package is essentially

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<v Speaker 1>like vetting a roommate for your active pharmaceutical ingredient.

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<v Speaker 2>Huh okay, I like that right.

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<v Speaker 1>You have to prove to the FDA that this new

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<v Speaker 1>roommate won't steal your belongings, which is sorption, and you

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<v Speaker 1>have to prove they won't leave their toxic trash everywhere,

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<v Speaker 1>which is leeching.

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<v Speaker 2>That is a brilliant analogy. I'm going to use that.

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<v Speaker 2>And remember, this roommate is going to live in extremely

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<v Speaker 2>close quarters with your drug for three to five years.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, that's a long lease exactly.

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<v Speaker 2>Their behavior has to be completely predictable. That is why

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<v Speaker 2>technologists cannot just pick a material off a shelf. They

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<v Speaker 2>must select highly specified, chemically defined barriers with proven track records.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, so let's look at the actual materials they choose

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<v Speaker 1>to pass these strict regulatory rooms mate checks. Historically, and

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<v Speaker 1>actually still today, the foundation of the industry relies on paper,

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<v Speaker 1>board and metals.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it surprises a lot of people just how dominant

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<v Speaker 2>cellulose based materials are. I mean, paper and board, ninety

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<v Speaker 2>eight percent of which comes from the wood pulp route,

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<v Speaker 2>represent a massive portion of all pharmaceutical packaging. Now, you

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<v Speaker 2>won't often see paper in direct contact with a liquid

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<v Speaker 2>or a sterile pill, obviously, but it completely dominates secondary packaging.

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<v Speaker 1>Right, So we are talking about the patient information leaflets,

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<v Speaker 1>the folding cartons you see in the pharmacy shelf, and

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<v Speaker 1>the heavy duty corrugated shipping outers. Yeah, and those corrugated

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<v Speaker 1>boxes are highly engineered. They're constructed in single, double, or

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<v Speaker 1>triple walls, specifically to provide the vertical compression strength necessary

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<v Speaker 1>to survive being stacked on pallettes in a massive distribution warehouse.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, the engineering there is intense.

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<v Speaker 1>But beyond just physical strength, paper and board are really

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<v Speaker 1>the frontline for product security, aren't They?

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<v Speaker 2>Absolutely the folding paper cart is typically where tamper evidence

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<v Speaker 2>seals are anchored, but crucially it is also the information

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<v Speaker 2>security system.

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<v Speaker 1>For the drug because of the bar codes. Right.

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<v Speaker 2>These cartans carry high resolution barcodes and specific pharma codes.

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<v Speaker 2>When you have a high speed packaging facility processing hundreds

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<v Speaker 2>of thousands of units an hour, highly sensitive optical scanners

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<v Speaker 2>constantly read those barcodes to ensure the exact right drug

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<v Speaker 2>is going into the right box.

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<v Speaker 1>Wow, okay.

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<v Speaker 2>It is the primary defense against catastrophic batch mix ups.

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<v Speaker 1>So paper handles the information and the physical buffer, but

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<v Speaker 1>for primary packaging the material actually touching the drug, we

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<v Speaker 1>historically relied really heavily on metals, specifically template and impact

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<v Speaker 1>extruded aluminum. And metal is fascinating because whether it's used

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<v Speaker 1>in an aerosol can, a collapse b ointment tube, or

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<v Speaker 1>the foil backing of a blister pack, metal provides an

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<v Speaker 1>absolute barrier. Doesn't just resist hazards, it entirely blocks UV, light, moisture,

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<v Speaker 1>and atmospheric gases per fit containment. But here's what I

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<v Speaker 1>don't understand. If metal provides this perfect, impenetrable absolute barrier,

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<v Speaker 1>why is the modern pharmaceutical industry actively moving away from it.

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<v Speaker 1>For primary liquid and solid containers.

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<v Speaker 2>It really comes down to the physics of the material

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<v Speaker 2>and the reality of the patient experience. I mean, metal

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<v Speaker 2>is dense and heavy, right, which drastically increases global shipping costs.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh, that makes sense.

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<v Speaker 2>It's also energy intensive and expensive to process. But honestly,

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<v Speaker 2>the main driver of its decline is a lack of

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<v Speaker 2>patient convenience and compliance. You cannot squeeze a rigid metal

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<v Speaker 2>bottle to dispense a thick liquid and have it easily

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<v Speaker 2>returned to its original shape, right, And you cannot look

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<v Speaker 2>through a metal wall to see how many doses you

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<v Speaker 2>have left.

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<v Speaker 1>What about those collapsible metal tubes used for creams and ointments,

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<v Speaker 1>Because those are still around.

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<v Speaker 2>They are, and collapsible metal tubes actually have a fantastic

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<v Speaker 2>technical advantage. When you squeeze them, they stay squeezed.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh right, They don't suck air back in.

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<v Speaker 2>Exactly, they do not suck air in bacteria back into

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<v Speaker 2>the tube, which protects the remaining product. However, as the

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<v Speaker 2>metal crinkles and rolls up, it can develop microcracks huh okay,

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<v Speaker 2>And more importantly, think about an elderly patient with arthritis

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<v Speaker 2>attempting to tightly roll up a stiff metal tube to

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<v Speaker 2>get the last dose out. That can be painful and

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<v Speaker 2>really frustrating.

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<v Speaker 1>So despite offering an absolute barrier, the weight, the cost,

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<v Speaker 1>and the poor user experience became a liability, and that

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<v Speaker 1>demand for lightweight, transparent, squeezeable and patient friendly designs ushered

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<v Speaker 1>in the era we live in now. The complex paradigm

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<v Speaker 1>of plastics.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, the adoption of thermoplastics completely revolutionized how we deliver medication.

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<v Speaker 2>The industry relies heavily on a few core polymers, the polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polystyrenes,

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<v Speaker 2>polyvinyl chloride or PBC, and polyesters.

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<v Speaker 1>Like PT the economical four plus.

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<v Speaker 2>PET right, and these materials offer incredible versatility because of

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<v Speaker 2>how they are manufactured.

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<v Speaker 1>But those manufacturing processes, they're intense, and they actually introduce

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<v Speaker 1>new risks to the drug, don't they do?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, let's look at the mechanisms of how we shape plastic.

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<v Speaker 2>In extrusion, raw melted plastic is forced through a dye

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<v Speaker 2>to create continuous films or tubes. Okay, Then an injection

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<v Speaker 2>blow molding, hot plastic is injected into a small preform

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<v Speaker 2>and then high pressure air is blown into it inside

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<v Speaker 2>a mold, stretching it out to form a bottle like

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<v Speaker 2>blowing up a balloon exactly. And then in thermoforming, a

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<v Speaker 2>flat sheet of plastic is heated until it's pliable and

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<v Speaker 2>a vacuum sucks it down into a mold to create

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<v Speaker 2>the individual cavities of a blister pack.

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<v Speaker 1>And while that versatility is great, the physical act of

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<v Speaker 1>heating and stretching those polymer chains creates internal stress.

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<v Speaker 2>It does. When you stretch plastic during blow molding or thermoforming,

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<v Speaker 2>you are pulling the molecular chains taut. This makes the

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<v Speaker 2>material highly susceptible to what we call environmental.

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<v Speaker 1>Stress cracking, which means it just breaks.

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<v Speaker 2>Basically, if that stressed plastic comes into contact with certain

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<v Speaker 2>chemical agents like say a specific oil in a lotion,

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<v Speaker 2>or even a trace amount of soap on a patient's hands,

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<v Speaker 2>the chemical rapidly degrades the polymer bonds and the plastics

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<v Speaker 2>suddenly fractures or shatters.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh wow.

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<v Speaker 2>Furthermore, unlike glass or metal, plastics breathe. Depending on the polymer,

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<v Speaker 2>they allow microscopic amounts of oxygen and moisture to permeate over.

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<v Speaker 1>Time, and going back to our roommate analogy. Because plastics

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<v Speaker 1>require so much processing, they are notorious for leeching, oh heavily. Right,

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<v Speaker 1>Because to get that newly blown plastic bottle to release

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<v Speaker 1>cleanly from its metal mold, manufacturers often use slip additives

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<v Speaker 1>or mold release lubricants, and if those aren't carefully controlled,

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<v Speaker 1>those additives migrate directly into the liquid medication, Which is

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<v Speaker 1>why the absolute baseline rule in pharma packaging is that

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<v Speaker 1>any plastic used must at a bare minimum meet rigorous

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<v Speaker 1>FDA food grade standards. Yes, absolutely, because if a palmer

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<v Speaker 1>is not certified save for food contact, it won't even

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<v Speaker 1>be considered for a pharmaceutical application. Right.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know, even if you engineer the perfect non

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<v Speaker 2>leeching plastic bottle, you still have to seal it. The

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<v Speaker 2>closure system. The cap is almost always the weakest physical

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<v Speaker 2>link in the entire package. Really yeah, It endures the

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<v Speaker 2>most physical torque during assembly and opening, and closures face

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<v Speaker 2>a uniquely difficult contradictory engineering challenge.

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<v Speaker 1>You mean, the tension between keeping kids out and letting

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<v Speaker 1>the elderly in, exactly because regulators demand incredibly robust child

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00:16:28.879 --> 00:16:33.080
<v Speaker 1>resistant closures to prevent accidental pediatric poisonings. But at the

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<v Speaker 1>same time, the package must be accessible to an aging

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<v Speaker 1>population who may suffer from joint pain, arthritis, or severely

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<v Speaker 1>reduced grip strength.

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<v Speaker 2>It's a huge paradox.

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<v Speaker 1>It is engineering a cap that a highly motivated toddler

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<v Speaker 1>cannot figure out, but an eighty year old experiencing an

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00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:51.840
<v Speaker 1>arthritis flare up can open easily. That is an immense

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<v Speaker 1>mechanical puzzle.

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<v Speaker 2>It requires precise torque specifications and really complex push and

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<v Speaker 2>turn mechanisms. But you know, modern end engineering isn't just

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<v Speaker 2>solving closures. It is completely blurring the line between what

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<v Speaker 2>is a package and what is a medical device.

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<v Speaker 1>I was thinking about this. Let's look at a specialized inhaler,

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<v Speaker 1>right like a spinhailer, perfect example. It uses a small,

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<v Speaker 1>precisely formed plastic blister that contains dry powder medication. The

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<v Speaker 1>device punctures the blister and the patient inhales the powder

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<v Speaker 1>directly into their lungs. At what point does the packaging

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<v Speaker 1>end and the delivery device begin?

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<v Speaker 2>In modern pharmacology, they are one and the same. The

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<v Speaker 2>package is no longer just a passive vessel for transport.

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<v Speaker 2>It is the active administration mechanism in your spinhiler example,

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<v Speaker 2>the exact physical and chemical properties of that plastic blister

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<v Speaker 2>are critical. If a manufacturer slightly alters the plastic formulation,

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<v Speaker 2>it might change the static electrical charge on the inside

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<v Speaker 2>of the blister.

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<v Speaker 1>And why does that matter?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, if the static charge is too high, the finely

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<v Speaker 2>milled dry powder will just cling to the plastic walls

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<v Speaker 2>instead of aerosolizing into the patient's breath. The dose delivery

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00:17:58.279 --> 00:18:01.519
<v Speaker 2>fails completely, all because of a microscopic change in the

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<v Speaker 2>packaging material.

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<v Speaker 1>That is incredible. And to guarantee that level of precision

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<v Speaker 1>where the package in the dose act in perfect harmony,

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<v Speaker 1>requires a flawless assembly process. Yes it does, because when you,

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<v Speaker 1>as a patient or a pharmacist, open a pristine bottle

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<v Speaker 1>and see exactly thirty perfectly intact tablets, you're looking at

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<v Speaker 1>the end result of a highly choreographed mechanical ballet. So

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<v Speaker 1>let's look at how these packages are actually assembled on

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<v Speaker 1>the manufacturing line.

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<v Speaker 2>A high speed packaging line is an absolute marvel of synchronization,

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<v Speaker 2>but its pace is entirely dictated by its slowest, most

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<v Speaker 2>critical component, which is the filling machine.

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<v Speaker 1>Right the machine dropping the pills.

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<v Speaker 2>Exactly the mechanism that actually drops the tablets into the

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<v Speaker 2>bottle or pumps the liquid into the vial is the

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<v Speaker 2>primary bottleneck.

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<v Speaker 1>Because it has to be flawlessly accurate. You cannot rush

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<v Speaker 1>a liquid fill without risking spillage, splashing, or underdosing.

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<v Speaker 2>Precisely because the filling machine sets a strict, unyielding pace.

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<v Speaker 2>The machine's upstream like the unscramblers that feed the empty bottles,

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00:19:02.880 --> 00:19:06.279
<v Speaker 2>and downstream like the labelers and cartiners. They're engineered to

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<v Speaker 2>run slightly faster.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, but machines jam right sensors trips all the time,

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<v Speaker 1>So if a labeler downstream pauses for half a second,

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<v Speaker 1>you can't have the filling machine stop abruptly or you'll

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<v Speaker 1>ruin the doses currently being filled. Right, So how do

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<v Speaker 1>they solve that?

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<v Speaker 2>To solve this, engineers install what are called accumulator tables, and.

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<v Speaker 1>These are basically giant, rotating physical buffer zones. Right.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, They sit between the major machines and store about

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<v Speaker 2>one to two minutes worth of product. So if the

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<v Speaker 2>labeler pauses, the filling machine keeps running perfectly and the

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00:19:38.079 --> 00:19:41.279
<v Speaker 2>filled bottles simply accumulate on the table. That is so

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<v Speaker 2>smart it is Once the labeler restarts, it clears the table.

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<v Speaker 2>It basically absorbs the shock of the mechanical hiccups, so

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<v Speaker 2>the critical filling process remains completely continuous and accurate.

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<v Speaker 1>And the engineer gets even more fascinating. When we talk

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<v Speaker 1>about sterile liquids like eye drops or IV fluids, there

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<v Speaker 1>is a technology called a set form fill seal, with

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<v Speaker 1>the RAMA like system being a prime example in the text.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, the rama like system is brilliant.

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<v Speaker 1>In this process. The machine heats and extrudes the raw plastic,

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<v Speaker 1>uses high pressure air to blow it into a bottle shape,

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00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:18.079
<v Speaker 1>instantly fills it with the steril liquid drug, and seals

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<v Speaker 1>the top shut, all in one continuous, completely enclosed, sterile motion.

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00:20:22.160 --> 00:20:23.599
<v Speaker 2>It's all done in one step.

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<v Speaker 1>The bottle literally doesn't physically exist until the exact fraction

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00:20:27.400 --> 00:20:29.079
<v Speaker 1>of a second before the medicine enters it.

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00:20:29.079 --> 00:20:32.599
<v Speaker 2>It is the ultimate defense against biological contamination because the

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00:20:32.640 --> 00:20:34.799
<v Speaker 2>inside of the container is never once exposed to the

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00:20:34.839 --> 00:20:35.759
<v Speaker 2>outside environment.

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<v Speaker 1>Wow.

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00:20:36.279 --> 00:20:39.759
<v Speaker 2>And this level of precise individual protection is driving a

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<v Speaker 2>massive global shift in how we dispense solid doses as well. Historically,

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<v Speaker 2>a pharmacist would open a bulk jar and count loose

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00:20:46.559 --> 00:20:50.400
<v Speaker 2>pills into a smaller amber vile. Today, the industry is

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<v Speaker 2>heavily shifting toward unit dose packaging, specifically individual blister and

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00:20:54.640 --> 00:20:55.640
<v Speaker 2>strip packs.

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<v Speaker 1>And there are a few reasons for this shift. Right. First,

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<v Speaker 1>modern formulations are becoming incredibly potent, and we are seeing

399
00:21:04.640 --> 00:21:09.480
<v Speaker 1>complex sustained release matrix drugs where patients might only take

400
00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:13.000
<v Speaker 1>one pill a day instead of four, So each individual

401
00:21:13.039 --> 00:21:17.519
<v Speaker 1>dose is highly valuable and requires absolute sealed protection until

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00:21:17.519 --> 00:21:21.160
<v Speaker 1>the exact second it is consumed. But the second reason

403
00:21:21.359 --> 00:21:24.759
<v Speaker 1>connects directly to clinical outcomes and the role of the pharmacist.

404
00:21:24.920 --> 00:21:28.480
<v Speaker 2>Yes, the movement toward patient pack or original pack dispensing

405
00:21:28.839 --> 00:21:30.440
<v Speaker 2>changes the dynamic entirely.

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00:21:30.519 --> 00:21:32.079
<v Speaker 1>If you are listening to this and you work in

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00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:35.119
<v Speaker 1>a pharmacy, you know exactly what I mean. Compliance packaging

408
00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:36.759
<v Speaker 1>like a blister pack with the days of the week

409
00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:40.720
<v Speaker 1>printed on the foil directly improves patient adherents.

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00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:43.279
<v Speaker 2>They know exactly if they took their Tuesday dose exactly, And.

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00:21:43.240 --> 00:21:46.440
<v Speaker 1>For the pharmacist, it fundamentally elevates your role because you

412
00:21:46.440 --> 00:21:48.200
<v Speaker 1>are no longer standing in the back acting as a

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00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:51.440
<v Speaker 1>pill counter dispensing loose tablets from a jar. You are

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00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:55.519
<v Speaker 1>handing the patient a highly engineered, sealed, quality controlled system.

415
00:21:55.880 --> 00:21:58.160
<v Speaker 1>It frees up your time to step out from behind

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00:21:58.200 --> 00:22:01.640
<v Speaker 1>the counter and act as a true clinical counselor the

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00:22:01.720 --> 00:22:05.279
<v Speaker 1>technology of the package literally alters the job description.

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00:22:05.559 --> 00:22:09.839
<v Speaker 2>It's a profound shift. However, we must address the environmental

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00:22:09.920 --> 00:22:13.799
<v Speaker 2>pressures that come with millions of individual plastic blister packs

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00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:15.119
<v Speaker 2>and complex polymers.

421
00:22:15.319 --> 00:22:16.240
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, it's a big topic.

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00:22:16.279 --> 00:22:21.039
<v Speaker 2>The pharmaceutical industry is constantly scrutinized under the four RS Recovery, recycle,

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00:22:21.240 --> 00:22:25.640
<v Speaker 2>reuse and reduce. Technologists are now required to run extensive

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00:22:25.759 --> 00:22:30.559
<v Speaker 2>life cycle analyzes on their packaging designs to minimize environmental impact.

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00:22:30.680 --> 00:22:32.680
<v Speaker 1>And the industry does take a lot of heat for

426
00:22:32.759 --> 00:22:36.519
<v Speaker 1>generating plastic waste. But there is a really vital perspective

427
00:22:36.519 --> 00:22:39.759
<v Speaker 1>to keep in mind here. Despite the highly visible evidence

428
00:22:39.759 --> 00:22:43.480
<v Speaker 1>of pill bottles and blisterfoils in our household trash, domestic waste,

429
00:22:43.559 --> 00:22:46.960
<v Speaker 1>all of it combined, including every piece of pharmaceutical packaging,

430
00:22:47.240 --> 00:22:50.359
<v Speaker 1>only accounts for roughly four percent of total solid waste

431
00:22:50.359 --> 00:22:50.880
<v Speaker 1>in the UK.

432
00:22:51.119 --> 00:22:52.200
<v Speaker 2>It's surprisingly low.

433
00:22:52.480 --> 00:22:56.759
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, the vast overwhelming majority of waste is industrial and commercial.

434
00:22:57.279 --> 00:23:00.319
<v Speaker 1>But because a medicine bottle is something you personally handle

435
00:23:00.359 --> 00:23:03.400
<v Speaker 1>and throw away in your home. Pharmaceutical packaging takes an

436
00:23:03.559 --> 00:23:06.279
<v Speaker 1>entirely disproportionate amount of public blame.

437
00:23:06.519 --> 00:23:09.960
<v Speaker 2>It is an important statistical reality to understand. The focus

438
00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:12.240
<v Speaker 2>has to remain on the fact that the package is

439
00:23:12.279 --> 00:23:16.759
<v Speaker 2>an active medical necessity, not a disposable luxury. And as

440
00:23:16.799 --> 00:23:20.359
<v Speaker 2>we look toward the future of pharmacology, the very concept

441
00:23:20.440 --> 00:23:22.480
<v Speaker 2>of the package is going to get even more radical.

442
00:23:22.880 --> 00:23:25.480
<v Speaker 2>We are seeing trends that take everything we've just discussed

443
00:23:25.519 --> 00:23:29.240
<v Speaker 2>and completely flip the rules. Consider advanced dermal patches.

444
00:23:29.440 --> 00:23:32.599
<v Speaker 1>Now, this is truly mind bending because for this entire

445
00:23:32.680 --> 00:23:35.599
<v Speaker 1>deep dive, we have discussed how a package must offer

446
00:23:35.640 --> 00:23:39.839
<v Speaker 1>an absolute barrier. It must prevent moisture, block gases, and

447
00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:44.440
<v Speaker 1>absolutely prevent leeching. But a transdermal patch intentionally does the

448
00:23:44.519 --> 00:23:45.440
<v Speaker 1>exact opposite.

449
00:23:45.559 --> 00:23:46.200
<v Speaker 2>Yes, it does.

450
00:23:46.400 --> 00:23:49.799
<v Speaker 1>It entirely relies on the drug actively diffusing in leeching

451
00:23:49.880 --> 00:23:53.240
<v Speaker 1>through a specialized palmer matrix and directly into the patient's skin.

452
00:23:53.440 --> 00:23:57.200
<v Speaker 2>Exactly in a transdermal patch. The leeching is not a hazard,

453
00:23:57.359 --> 00:24:01.839
<v Speaker 2>it is the precise delivery mechanism. Packaging material is scientifically

454
00:24:01.880 --> 00:24:06.200
<v Speaker 2>engineered to have a very specific permeability, and that permeability

455
00:24:06.319 --> 00:24:10.000
<v Speaker 2>ensures a highly controlled, slow release of the active molecule

456
00:24:10.039 --> 00:24:13.319
<v Speaker 2>into the bloodstream over twenty four or seventy two hours.

457
00:24:13.799 --> 00:24:16.319
<v Speaker 2>The package is no longer just holding the drug. The

458
00:24:16.359 --> 00:24:18.240
<v Speaker 2>package is the dosing engine.

459
00:24:18.599 --> 00:24:20.400
<v Speaker 1>Okay, before we wrap up, we want to make sure

460
00:24:20.440 --> 00:24:23.400
<v Speaker 1>these concepts really stick with you if you are preparing

461
00:24:23.400 --> 00:24:25.359
<v Speaker 1>for an exam or just want to solidify what we've

462
00:24:25.359 --> 00:24:29.799
<v Speaker 1>covered today. Here's a practical review exercise for you based

463
00:24:29.799 --> 00:24:33.559
<v Speaker 1>on our deep dive. Can you name three specific mechanisms

464
00:24:33.559 --> 00:24:37.160
<v Speaker 1>by which a plastic container might compromise the efficacy of

465
00:24:37.200 --> 00:24:40.599
<v Speaker 1>a sterile liquid drug? And as a follow up, can

466
00:24:40.640 --> 00:24:44.599
<v Speaker 1>you explain how the concept of accelerated stability testing specifically

467
00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:48.039
<v Speaker 1>forces those risks to reveal themselves before the product hits

468
00:24:48.039 --> 00:24:48.480
<v Speaker 1>the market.

469
00:24:48.559 --> 00:24:51.279
<v Speaker 2>And to answer that, think closely about the chemical compatibility

470
00:24:51.319 --> 00:24:54.160
<v Speaker 2>hazards we explored earlier, Think about the physical mechanics of

471
00:24:54.200 --> 00:24:58.200
<v Speaker 2>absorption and absorption, think about active extraction versus passive leaching,

472
00:24:58.559 --> 00:25:02.640
<v Speaker 2>and the physical permeation of volatile gases. Accelerated testing takes

473
00:25:02.680 --> 00:25:06.680
<v Speaker 2>that exact final plastic container, fills it with the liquid drug,

474
00:25:06.880 --> 00:25:10.160
<v Speaker 2>and subjects it to harsh environments like forty degrees celsius

475
00:25:10.200 --> 00:25:14.440
<v Speaker 2>and high humidity, specifically to accelerate the kinetic energy of those.

476
00:25:14.240 --> 00:25:17.920
<v Speaker 1>Molecules, forcing those precise failures to happen in the lab

477
00:25:18.160 --> 00:25:20.559
<v Speaker 1>rather than in a patient's home. Exactly, if you can

478
00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:24.039
<v Speaker 1>clearly articulate the mechanics of those chemical hazards, you are

479
00:25:24.079 --> 00:25:29.000
<v Speaker 1>analyzing problems exactly like a clinical packaging technologist. So to

480
00:25:29.079 --> 00:25:31.279
<v Speaker 1>close out, I want to leave you with one final

481
00:25:31.400 --> 00:25:34.839
<v Speaker 1>provocative thought to ponder on your own. We just discussed

482
00:25:34.880 --> 00:25:38.160
<v Speaker 1>how transdermal patches flip the rules by making the package

483
00:25:38.200 --> 00:25:42.200
<v Speaker 1>the delivery engine. But as medical science evolves into implantable

484
00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:47.759
<v Speaker 1>drug depots, targeted nano encapsulations, and smart biodegradable polymers, the

485
00:25:47.839 --> 00:25:50.519
<v Speaker 1>packaging is literally entering the human bloodstream.

486
00:25:50.599 --> 00:25:51.200
<v Speaker 2>It really is.

487
00:25:51.519 --> 00:25:54.640
<v Speaker 1>At what point in the near future will pharmaceutical packaging

488
00:25:54.720 --> 00:25:58.400
<v Speaker 1>cease to be a separate, external protective shell entirely and

489
00:25:58.559 --> 00:26:01.119
<v Speaker 1>instead fundamentally because the medicine itself.

490
00:26:01.400 --> 00:26:05.000
<v Speaker 2>It is a profound question that challenges the very definition

491
00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:07.599
<v Speaker 2>of drug delivery. I mean, we are moving away from

492
00:26:07.640 --> 00:26:12.839
<v Speaker 2>mere containment and moving toward active, seamless biological integration.

493
00:26:13.039 --> 00:26:15.000
<v Speaker 1>So the next time you are stalking the shelves in

494
00:26:15.039 --> 00:26:19.000
<v Speaker 1>your pharmacy checking a delivery, or simply popping a daily

495
00:26:19.039 --> 00:26:21.920
<v Speaker 1>tablet out of a foil blister packet home. I hope

496
00:26:21.960 --> 00:26:24.599
<v Speaker 1>you look at that molded plastic and stamp metal with

497
00:26:24.720 --> 00:26:27.200
<v Speaker 1>a completely new level of scientific respect.

498
00:26:27.319 --> 00:26:31.279
<v Speaker 2>It is a highly engineered, chemically precise regulatory marvel.

499
00:26:31.400 --> 00:26:33.680
<v Speaker 1>It's the only thing keeping that life saving medicine from

500
00:26:33.680 --> 00:26:36.519
<v Speaker 1>becoming nothing more than a puddle on the floor. Yeah,

501
00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:38.279
<v Speaker 1>thank you for joining us on this deep dive