Have you ever wondered what Primary and Secondary Packaging in Pharmaceuticals is? This guide offers you an insight into the various levels of protective packaging that can be found around Pharma products and the different purposes of each:

Primary Packaging: Any material that is in direct contact with the pharmaceutical preparation is referred to as the Primary Packaging. A common example of this is pill packs with thin foil lids, that are torn-open, to access the individual pill inside.

Secondary Packaging: This is an overpacking material that is located outside of the primary packaging. A good example is small retail cartons that contain headache pills, which often carry branding, or usage messages and may be in a bright colour to attract the customer. They may also be in a local language, to suit the given geographic marketplace.

Tertiary Packaging: A further layer of packaging that is outside of the primary and secondary packaging. A good example of this would be large cardboard boxes that are used to ship the goods from the manufacturer to the retailer. These are usually disposed of at the retailer and are not seen by the end consumer, so they do not carry any consumer messages or bright colours.