Question

What is the major limitation of plastic containers in pharmaceutical packaging?

• A. High cost
• B. Prone for damage
• C. Brittleness
• D. Interaction with drugs by sorption

Hint:

The main packaging problem with plastic containers is drug-plastic interaction such as adsorption, absorption, leaching, and permeation.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Concept:
Plastic containers are widely used in pharmaceutical packaging because they are light in weight, easy to handle, and less fragile than glass. However, plastics may interact with drug products.

Step 1: Meaning of sorption.
Sorption includes two processes:
• Adsorption: Drug molecules stick to the surface of the plastic.
• Absorption: Drug molecules penetrate into the plastic material.

Step 2: Why sorption is a problem.
If a drug interacts with the plastic container by sorption, the actual amount of drug available in the formulation may decrease. This can affect:
• Drug potency
• Drug stability
• Therapeutic effectiveness
• Accuracy of dose

Step 3: Checking the other options.
Plastic containers are generally not very costly compared to glass or metal containers.
They are usually less prone to breakage than glass.
Brittleness is not the major general limitation of plastic containers.

Step 4: Final answer.
The major limitation of plastic containers is their possible interaction with drugs by sorption. \[ \boxed{\text{Interaction with drugs by sorption}} \]