Blister packs are now widely used for medicinal and food supplement tablets and capsules, whereby these tablets or capsules are contained between a normally transparent, flexible plastic sheet, thermoformed so as to define a plurality of pockets, with each pocket being just large enough to receive the shape of the individual tablet or capsule, and a flat aluminium foil, heat sealed to the said plastic sheet.
The main advantage of this type of packaging is the extended shelf life, due to protection against oxygen and humidity that it provides for these medicinal tablets and capsules, compared to conventional packaging in bottles and containers. With blister packaging, the tablet or capsule does not get exposed to external air and humidity until such time that the aluminium foil is broken. The aluminium foil is not supposed to be broken until just prior to the user ingesting the tablet or capsule.
In the case of conventional bottles and containers, all of the tablets or capsules inside that bottle or container are exposed to external air and humidity every time that the cap is taken off in order to take out just one of these tablets or capsules. This is the reason why when opening a food supplement or vitamin stored in a conventional bottle there is a smell that means that many of the ingredients that were in the capsule or tablet is being lost. In some cases because of the oxygen and humidity, the ingredients change their chemical form. This does not happen when buying food supplements in blister form because the tablets and capsules are protected from oxygen and humidity.
The second advantage of blister packs is the convenience to the user of being able to carry around in his or her pocket or handbag just one flat and light blister card of tablets instead of having to carry the whole bulky and heavy bottle. The need to carry tablets on one's person applies to many tablets, such as headache, anti-histamine, contraceptive, antacid, anti-inflammatory and heart tablets etc.
When buying a tablet or a capsule in a blister it is also possible to see the size and type of the capsules or tablet. When buying a tablet or capsule in a conventional bottle container it is not possible to see the tablet or capsule.
Blistering is a process that is more expensive for a pharmaceutical company than simply putting the food supplements or vitamins in bottles that are have the same size and shape but just a different label.
From now on make sure to ask your pharmacist for a blistered food supplement or vitamin so that you are guaranteed really high quality. High quality in food supplements and vitamins is very important.