The experts in glass announce pharma glass recalls webinar series

The consequences of pharmaceutical product recalls can be huge. Not only is company reputation and profits at stake, but most importantly, deviating pharmaceuticals can cause patient harm and even death.

With the causes of 59 product recalls between January 2014 and July 2021 being cited as specifically related to glass packaging materials [1], it is critical that the correct packaging is selected for the product it contains.

In light of this, Glass Technology Services is hosting a free to attend webinar series to help drug producers and pharmaceutical glass manufacturers make decisions around their packaging choices. The series will offer guidance and tips on how to ensure the selected packaging is fit for purpose.

This series titled Pharma glass recalls: Causes and preventative measures will focus on three key areas: glass cracking/breakages, drug product and glass interaction, and glassware that doesn’t conform to dimensional specs. These topics were chosen because they are the most frequently occurring causes of product recalls the experts at Glass Technology Services help customers prevent.

Each session will start with an example of a recall relating from the specific cause in question. The content will include: how issues can arise, related recall causes, and the testing and analysis that can be carried out to determine the exact cause. In some cases, the recommended preventative steps that can be taken will also be shared.

The details of the upcoming live webinars are as follows:

Webinar 1 – Recall cause: Drug product and glass interaction (Tuesday 1 March at 11am, UK time)

Presented by: Amy Ashton, chemistry laboratory manager

There are a number of different mechanisms in which particulate can arise from drug product and glass interaction. It has a variety of causes, some of which can be reduced or excluded. This webinar will look at both the mechanisms and causes and explore the ways in which we can reduce these to increase confidence in the packaging selection.

Webinar 2 – Recall cause: Cracking/breakages (Tuesday 8 March at 11am, UK time)

Presented by: Nick Kirk, technical director

Aside from particulate related to drug product and glass interaction occurring, it can arise from cracking and breakages. There are many events which can lead to cracking and breakages, with handling and glass to glass contact being the biggest concern. Cracking and breakages can cause particulate to be present within the container, or a loss of drug sterility – which is the main causes of pharmaceutical recalls. This webinar explores the causes, consequences and preventative measures.

Webinar 3 – Recall cause: Dimensional non-conformance (Tuesday 15 March at 11am, UK time)

Presented by: Daniel Capon, technical manager and Graham Morris, product performance manager

Dimensional non-conformance can cause incompatibility of components which can lead to opening for the ingress or egress of materials. This may result in a number of eventualities which can ultimately lead to product recalls. This webinar looks at the critical measurements for pharmaceutical glass packaging and the consequences of deviating from these specifications.

Amy Ashton, chemistry laboratory manager at Glass Technology Services commented:

“We’re really excited to share our expertise around this topic. It brings together the key points to help inform and guide those involved in packaging selection in the pharmaceutical industry. This is also the first time we’ve chosen a series of topics which spans over multiple departments in our business and is definitely something we are keen to do more of in the future.”

Sign up for all three webinars at: www.glass-ts.com/training-webinars/pharma-glass-recalls-causes-and-preventative-measures
 

Notes

[1] www.sio2ms.com/glass-related-recalls-in-pharma-2014-july-2021