The Future of Glass in Parenteral Packaging

Glass has been used for millennia to package precious liquids, from sacred fragrances and oils in ancient Egyptian rituals to complex drug and biologic formulations in the 21st century. Glass’ unique combination of hermeticity, transparency, strength, and chemical durability makes it the optimal material for such an important role. Even with the advent of materials such as plastics, glass remains the most common packaging container for parenterals, and advancements continue to be made in the area of pharmaceutical glass. An in-depth review of the history of tubular glass for pharmaceutical packaging in an upcoming issue of the PDA Journal of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology will explore the evolution of its composition, forming, durability, and regulatory requirements (1).