Moisture permeation of newer unit dose repackaging materials.

Moisture permeation of some unit dose repackaging materials currently available was tested and compared with the results of an earlier study. Seventeen unit dose containers marketed for hospital pharmacy repackaging were tested. Most of the samples were prepared in a laboratory under optimal physical and mechanical conditions. The methodology involved packaging a desiccant pellet, storage at 75 +/- 3% relative humidity and 20 +/- 2 C, and weighing at various time intervals. Each container was placed into one of four classes depending upon the amount of weight gain. In general, moisture permeation values for all types of materials were much lower than in the previous study. The results show that improved moisture protection can be achieved through modifications in typical repackaging systems.