CONTAINERS and CLOSURES

AMBER COLORED CONTAINERS

FUNCTION Amber is the most common colored glass, and is produced

by adding together iron, sulfur, and carbon. Amber is a “reduced” glass because of the relatively high

level of carbon used. All commercial container glass formulations contain

carbon, but most are “oxidized” glasses. Amber glass absorbs nearly all radiation consisting of

wavelengths shorter than 450 nm, offering excellent protection from ultraviolet radiation (critical for products such as beer and certain drugs).

Examples of drugs

Cefuroxime Clarithromycin Cefixime Amoxi-clav Vitamins

CHILD RESISTANT

FUNCTION A.k.a C-R packaging Special packaging used to reduce the risk of children

ingesting dangerous items. This is often accomplished by the use of a special safety

cap. It is required by regulation for prescription drugs, over-

the-counter medications, pesticides, and household chemicals.

In some jurisdictions, unit packaging such as blister packs is also regulated for child safety

Examples of drugs

Hermetically sealed containers

FUNCTION

Aka as airtight containers Designed by Hermes Trismegistos Completely sealed, especially against the escape or

entry of air.

Single dose container

Multi-dose containers

MULTI-DOSE CONTAINERS Intended for parenteral administration (injection or

infusion) that contains more than one dose of medication.

Contain an antimicrobial preservative to help prevent the growth of bacteria.

The preservative has no effect on viruses and does not protect against contamination when healthcare personnel fail to follow safe injection practices.

When Multi-dose be discarded? If a multi-dose has been opened or accessed (e.g.,

needle-punctured) the vial should be dated and discarded within 28 days unless the manufacturer specifies a different (shorter or longer) date for that opened vial.

If a multi-dose vial has not been opened or accessed (e.g., needle-punctured), it should be discarded according to the manufacturer’s expiration date.

SINGLE-USE CONTAINERS

A single-dose or single-use vial is a vial of liquid medication intended for parenteral administration (injection or infusion) that is meant for use in a single patient for a single case/procedure/injection. 

Single-dose or single-use vials are labeled as such by the manufacturer and typically lack an antimicrobial preservative.