Glass: The best material for pharmaceutical packaging

Glass is the most used material in pharmaceutical packaging, and the produc-tion volumes are continuously growing. The reasons why glass can be consid-ered the best material for pharmaceutical containers are discussed. A currentpicture of this area, which was showcased during the Covid-19 pandemic, isprovided. Borosilicate glass products, which are currently the most used amongthose described by the Pharmacopoeia, are mostly considered, but new glassesthat may be introduced in the future are also mentioned. A short view on theevolution of this type of glass and the current market situation are provided. Par-ticular emphasis is given to chemical durability. Glasses are generally consideredinert from the chemical point of view, but this is not exactly true. Phenomenasuch as the release of elemental impurities into solution, buffer interaction, anddelamination have caused much concern in the last decade or so, especially asthe complexity and value of drugs has been increasing. These phenomena aredescribed, and it is pointed out that, thanks to the increasing scientific knowl-edge and production technologies, these issues are now under control, and theproducts on the market are of very high quality and very reliable.