The U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention announced its intent to develop a new general chapter in the U.S. Pharmacopeia-National Formulary (USP-NF) related to packaging materials: Proposed <662> on Metal Packaging Components and their Materials of Construction. The chapter will be used to ensure the safety and suitability of metal packaging systems for pharmaceutical products, and will provide test methods and standards for metal materials and components that make up a primary packaging system. Currently, there are no compendial standards for metal packaging systems (e.g., aerosols, canisters, collapsible tubes) or metal materials (e.g., aluminum and alloys, stainless steel, tinplate) used in the construction of packaging for pharmaceutical products.
More information on the development of the new chapter on metal packaging for drug products can be found on USP’s website.