If you’ve ever had a skunked beer, you’re familiar with the negative effect sunlight can have on products. Photo-degradation is a very real issue even in pharmaceuticals where sunlight and fluorescent lighting can affect the color steadfastness of packaging and even negate the effects of a drug’s active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). About 1/3 of pharmaceutical products require some form of light resistant packaging. That’s where Atlas Material Testing Solutions comes in. Their SUNTEST suite of products tests the weather durability of powders, pills, and immediate packaging such as blister packs.
According to ICH guidelines, pharmaceuticals must be tested annually for the life of the product. This includes testing the effects of ultraviolet light, visible light, and infrared. Al Zielnik, the representative speaker for Atlas, noted that the next generation of millennial consumers places importance on natural colorants and flavors; they actually want to see the product before they buy it. Packaging trends may lean toward visual transparency, but it’s important to know how that affects the product. Another concern is how consumers store smaller doses of medication when they travel. Oftentimes they employ a ziplock bag or portable pill organizer. It’s important to educate consumers on best practices for storing and transporting medication. Failure to do so could lead to inadvertent placebos. View the Atlas SUNTEST product suite here.
