How Long Do Tablets Last Out of Blister Pack?

1.Why Tablets Need Blister Pack?

Tablets are either made from the mixture of powders or granules through punching and compression process. Therefore, they are highly sterile and susceptible in nature, due to which they require strong protection against any sort of humidity, temperature, air, and light.

Even a minimal ingress of water or exposure to contamination can degrade their quality, texture as well as shelf life. To combat this situation, blister packs are used for storing all types of coated and coated pharmaceutical, nutraceucal, veterinary, and chemical tablets. Hence, blister packs provide them extraordinary safety, easy dosage control, and, lifespan from packaging through transit to end user.

2.What Are The Different Categories Of Blister Packs And Effect On Tablets Longevity?

Blister packs are available in multitude of forms, shapes, and sizes. There categorization has also been done on the basis of material used in their formation. These are as follows:

Alu-Alu Blister

Alu Alu Blister Tablets Packs-Picture Courtesy: svamtoyal.com

Aluminum-Aluminum blister packs are made from the foil of aluminum. They have both the upper covering layer and blister tray of aluminum material, resulting in giving your tablets high protection barrier against air, moisture, and especially ultraviolet rays. Although, Alu-Alu blister packaging has high production cost, due to its cold forming and sealing process, but it is more robust due to which your tablets are safeguarded against physical damage and having up to 2 years of life span.

Alu-PVC Blister

Alu-PVC Capsules Blister Pack-Picture Courtesy: Pinterest

Aluminum-Plastic blister packaging refers to the combination of an aluminum foil covering and a plastic formed cavity tray. Such type of tablets blister packs facilitate clear visibility, low packaging costs, and greater customization. But the flip side of coin is that Alu-PVC blister packs are not suitable for light-sensitive medications. Similarly, the shelf life of tablets remain the same as that of Alu-Alu blister packaging, but the color or quality of drugs may degrade.

Alu-PVC-Alu Blister

Alu-PVC-Alu Blister packaging presentation idea-Picture Courtesy: jornen.com

In order to cope up with the side effects of Alu-Alu packaging and Alu-PVC blister packaging, the pharmaceutical packaging industry has introduced the third and most viable tablets blister packs called Alu-PVC-Alu. Here, a tropical aluminum forming is carried out over the Alu-PVC blister packs to give them extraordinary safety from light and oxygen, and at the same time, cut down the cost of using cold forming Alu-Alu blister packaging. By utilizing this type of blister packaging can keep the life of tablets secure until expiration.

3.How Long Do Tablets Last Out of Blister Pack?

Understanding this questions is, somehow, tricky and it depends entirely upon how you store the tablets after getting them out of blister packs. For instance, if you are about to make the grouping of your tablets and keep them in an airtight bottle, or compartment boxes, so, they will last for 1-2 weeks, condition that they are not susceptible to light and moisture.

Deblistering of capsule blister pack-Picture Courtesy: packagingoftheworld

Along with that, you also have to be well aware of the nature and expiration of tablets before you go for deblistering your tablets. It is because the expiry date of tablets are calculated together with blister packs. In this case, you will end up with tablets losing their effect.

4.Differentiate Between Shelf Life Of Tablets With Blister Pack And Tablets Out Of Blister Pack?

The table below will provide you a valuable insight regarding the shelf life of tablets with and out of blister packs:

No	Points	Tablets With Blister Pack	Tablets Out Of Blister Pack
1	Shelf Life	The shelf life of tablets with blister packs last up to 24 months	In contrast, tablets out of blister pack can be only taken under the duration of 6-12 days
2	Integrity	The structural integrity of tablets with blister pack remain the original and unharmed	While as, tablets out of blister pack may get harmed. For example, the coated tablets may start sticking and compressed tablets often disperse when placed together with other tablets
3	Quality	Blister packs fully assures the preservation of tablets' superior quality until their shelf life and expiry date collide	The quality of tablets start diminishing when they are piled in a container because the smell and residues of tablets spread around and create mess
4	External Protection	As we have mentioned earlier, the blister packs are molded in various forms in order to provide your tablets the strength to resist air, light, and temperature effects. Hence, these environmental factors become stagnant and unable to affect the tablets inside blister	On the other hand, you might not be able to create such an airtight and moisture proof sealing for your tablets out of blister packs. Ultimately, they will be in contact with external environment until consumed
5	Picture	Tablets with blister pack-Picture Courtesy: iStock	Tablets out of blister pack-Picture Courtesy: iStock

5.What Are The Other Ways Of Storage For Tablets Out Of Blister Packs?

This question is carrying great importance, as it is crucial to know what other feasible options are there for you to pack your tablets after exerting them out of blister packs. These are as follows:

Bottles

Tablets with bottle presentation idea-Picture Courtesy: Pinterest

Bottles are commonly used for tablets and pills. You may also have empty bottles of tablets available in your home. You can use them for storing your tablets if going on a trip or outing and want to get rid of carrying with you an additional long strip of tablets blister. But, you must take care of the bottle hygiene, sealing, and most importantly the labeling around it, because it might mislead anyone and cause health risks.

Tablets Compartment Boxes

Tablets filled compartment boxes-Picture Courtesy: temu.com

Tablets compartment boxes, also known as dosette boxes or pill boxes, are the most convenient and user friendly containers made up of plastic. They provide much ease in terms of holding various tablets in different compartments. It thus enables patients to take their medication without getting confused in dosage and timing.

Plastic Bags

Tablets & capsules in plastic bags-Picture Courtesy: made-in-china.com

Plastic bags are small bags made from Polyethylene. They are transparent, lightweighted, and have a recloseable mini ziplock for easy opening. You can also use these little bags for taking your medication along with you whenever intending to go out of your home.

6.How Do Tablets Actually End Up Inside Their Blister Packs?

Defected tablets in blister pack-Picture Courtesy: vuletech.com

You may wonder after knowing that tablets can actually lose their effect even laying inside blister packs. Thinking how? Here is the answer! It does happen because of the inconsistencies and malfunctions occur during tablets packaging in blister. It can be better understand by looking into the fact, that around one-third of the faulty medicines were returned to Germany for the course of their packaging issues in 2021.

These packaging issues involve the pressing error during process, which leave the aluminum covering foil poorly attached to the tablets blister, resultantly, create room for moisture and air to spoil medication. Apart from that, blister leak test failure, thermal expansion, and clean-up issues can harshly deteriorate the quality, integrity, and shelf life of tablets. As a result, they end up their life inside blister packs.

Conclusion

In the end, knowing how long do tablets last out of blister pack, is the most crucial factor for the preservation and maintenance of tablets' shelf life. We hope, this blog has equipped you with the diverse aspects associated with tablets and their packaging particularly in blister packs. It is important, to keep the tablets, out of blisters, in an area free from access of temperature, air, and moisture. By doing so, you will be able to take your medication without losing their essence. Stay tuned and show concern by knowing proper life span of tablets out of blister pack!