A two-piece “shell,” Shellpak is injection-molded of FDA-grade high-impact polystyrene by AGI Polymatrix, a MeadWestvaco company. It functions as a secondary pack for blister-packed pharmaceutical pills and tablets. Commercial use of the product for prescription and over-the-counter drugs is anticipated sometime this year, according to MeadWestvaco.
Shellpak containers can be inventoried for multiple products, and then labeled online. With infeed modifications, cartoning equipment can be used to fill blisters into the thin pack. Shellpak can be made in different sizes for custom applications. The DuPont awards sample measures 105-mm L x 80-mm W. The highest level of child resistance, F=1, is achieved through a button device on the back of the pack that has to be pushed before the pack can be pulled open to access the blister card inside.
The Shellpak eliminates the need for a pharmacist to count pills when filling a prescription. MeadWestvaco touts Shellpak as appropriate for friable (fragile) medications, and as a unit-dose package that could also be used for candy, gum, and confectionery products. —Jim Butschli
