Tamper-proof closures

Plastic packaging has contributed in several ways to improved quality of life through enhancements in medical and pharmaceutical packing, through tamper-proof closures, hermetically-sealed packages, and longer shelf-life for medicines. 

The integrity of the container and its closure should be discussed. Factors such as child resistance or tamper evidence, etc., should be discussed. The PhEur includes a requirement for certain types of product to be supplied in tamper proof container-closure system-s—which is not possible if the product is to be used by a patient ... 

As the pilferage of pharmaceutical products can be a profitable business, particularly with highly priced items in countries of either high unemployment or low wages, the use of tamper-resistant (a preferred term to pilfer-proof) closures or packs may be advised. Such systems may also be used and are indeed a mandatory requirement with certain sterile products to indicate that the container seal has not been disturbed and the product has not been subjected to contamination from external sources. 

Closures may be of cork, glass, aluminum, tin, or any other suitable material that has no effect on the product. Containers should be provided with a tamper-proof seal on the closure. 

Tamper-Proof Innovations One smart material solution to the problem of tampering is the incorporation of a piezochromic polymeric material into the package construction so that the package changes color at a certain threshold. In this way, a self-bruising closure on a bottle or jar might indicate that attempts had been made to open it. 

The closure must effectively and safely seal the container, while remaining inert with respect to the contents. Inertness is often achieved by using a polytetraflu-oroethylene (PTFE) washer on the inside of the closure. In some applications, some form of additional seal, double-containment may be used because the contents of the container are either dangerous or proof is required that the container has not been tampered with and/or the contents disturbed (for example, forensic samples). 

Note that pilfer-proof is early terminology, now replaced by TE (tamper-evident) or TR (tamper-resistant). This process usually applies only to metal shells made from aluminium alloy. But plastic caps with compound lining can also be formed on a container finish. The caps may contain either conventional wadding or a flowed-in gasket. In theory this type of closure provides a more consistent first seal than a prethreaded screw cap in that ... 

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