MILLIKEN CHEMICAL AND REXAM CO-OPERATE ON INNOVATIVE SEE-THROUGH COLOURED PILL JAR DEVELOPMENT

Gent, Belgium – Milliken Chemical, the global leader in clarifying and colouring agents for polypropylene (PP), and Rexam Pharma, have co-operated in an exciting development with the potential to bring new aesthetics and functionality to pill jars for over-the-counter (OTC), non-prescription drugs.

Traditionally, pill jars are moulded in white opaque polyethylene (PE), which meets the necessary barrier properties in respect of moisture and UV light shielding, as well as providing a clean clinical appearance. But, with an eye to the future and the almost limitless demands of consumers for stylistic changes and functional improvements, Rexam Pharma, a division of world leading consumer-packaging manufacturer Rexam plc, is presenting a new pill jar concept that breaks from tradition.

The new jar is moulded in clarified polypropylene (PP), which gives glass-like clarity, and Rexam has worked with Milliken to utilize the company’s unique ClearTint® colourant technology to provide the required transparent colouring, as well as UV resistance according to United States Pharmacopaea specifications. ClearTint® in conjunction with clarified polypropylene is already the colourant of choice in a wide variety of applications requiring clear colour. These include food and beverage, and cosmetic and pharmaceutical packaging, to which ClearTint® can be instrumental in bringing a competitive advantage over more expensive clear PET and glass packaging.

“A see-through pill jar is a novel idea,” says Marc Hämel, sales and marketing director for Rexam Pharma, “particularly for the pharmaceutical market which is by nature very conservative. However, a clear coloured jar can provide advantages both for the consumer and the marketer.”

“For example transparent packaging gives the consumer an immediate visual indication of how many pills are left in the jar and, therefore, a timely reminder of when replenishment is needed. For the OTC drug manufacturer the addition of colour can provide an important product differentiation factor. In fact coloured packaging offers the possibility of use as a coding reference for prescription drugs. This could be a positive benefit to patients by helping them to keep track of their medication when undergoing multi-tablet treatments,” Hämel suggests.

In addition to supplying ClearTint® masterbatch, Milliken has supported the project with technical assistance in fine-tuning colours and colour levels in the pilot production of the new pill jars. This has complemented Rexam’s considerable knowledge in moulding operations, which ranges from conventional pharma packaging such as pill jars, eyedroppers and nasal sprays to medical devices, including pumps, valves and drug delivery systems.

“Working with Milliken we have developed samples in two transparent colours - green and red. These give an example of what is possible but the range of colours can, of course, be extended to meet specific needs,” Hämel explains. “Even so, they have already stimulated a good deal of interest and we expect that to grow as we broaden our marketing of the concept.”

Rexam believes the new transparent, coloured pill jars will find a fit in the packaging of new OTC drugs coming onto the market. “The approvals process both for drugs and packaging is quite long,” says Hämel, “which makes it unlikely that a manufacturer would replace the existing packaging of an established drug. But for products coming to the market for the first time, the new pill jars offer the potential for immediate on-shelf differentiation, in addition to user friendliness.”

In combination with clarified PP, ClearTint® from Milliken brings together the transparency of dyes and the migration resistance of pigments. Although dyes provide colour transparency they present issues with extraction and migration. And, whilst pigments do not migrate they are inherently contaminants that impart haze into the plastic and can be the cause of inconsistent shrinkage, warpage and part-to-part variation, as well as contributing to the abrading o