PET glass bottles medicines Argument continues - Arhive

As Maharashtra grapples with its ban on certain plastic products, the attempt to move away from plastic is not as easy as it seems. And this is being borne out by an earlier attempt to shift from PET (plastic) bottles to glass containers for medicines, especially for children and the elderly. A proposal that has been hanging fire for over three years now. PET glass bottles medicines Argument continues

In late 2014, the Health Ministry had issued a draft notification to get PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) containers replaced with glass. A move that would have had a knock-on effect across other food and consumer products as well. After tracing a litiguous path across different courts, the issue now comes up for hearing at the National Green Tribunal early next month. PET glass bottles medicines Argument continues

In an effort to be even handed and scientific in its approach, the Indian Council of Medical Research had reportedly asked the National Institute of Nutrition to study the impact of PET packaging on medicines. But the study is yet to commence, an NIN official told BusinessLine. PET glass bottles medicines Argument continues

At present, pharmaceutical packaging is being done in line with the recently revised Indian Pharmacopoeia guidelines, a person familiar with the development said. A similar study needs to be done for food articles and beverages too, he said, so similar guidelines can be laid down for this category of consumables as well.

The concern over PET use for medicines had been raised by non-governmental organisation Him Jagriti who said that elements leaching from plastic could cause endocrine disruption leading to birth defects, immunity issues and cancer.

And an earlier report of the DTAB (Drugs Technical Advisory Board) had said, that “the ‘absence of evidence’ may not be considered as ‘evidence of absence’ of the potential harmful effects of packaging of pharmaceutical products in plastic containers.”

It added, “A scientific evidence needs to be generated in a time-bound manner through systematic studies as elaborated above, to arrive at answers to the following questions a) The extent of leachbility from plastic container used for packing different drugs formulation, b) The type of toxicants leached, c) Health hazard due to exposure of the leached toxicant.” PET glass bottles medicines Argument continues

Regulate use & reuse

A scientist familiar with the issue observed that it was difficult to entirely eliminate PET from the supply chain.

The requirement was to have strong regulation on the testing and use of these products, he said, adding that internationally too high density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic was being used in food and medicine containers. There needs to be checks on the quality of plastic used, how long it can be used and reused etc, he added.

While glass seems to be the preferred choice for medicines, there are issues on reuse here too, he said, and not just with breakability and price issues but also on reuse.

“Milk bottles are to be re-used just once and beer bottles just two times. But that is not the case, as the bottles get reused, and often sent to rural areas. And that can be dangerous if the bottle contains remnants of milk, for example, contaminating the liquid it is refilled with,” he said, unwilling to go on record, but raising the all-important issue of a well-intended law faltering on its implementation.