Medicine Envelopes

Generally, when we buy medicine from pharmacies, we often receive plastic bags as the primary packaging for various types of medication. However, did you know that there are different types of materials used to make medicine envelopes? They can be broadly categorized into three main types: plastic, aluminum, and paper.

Today, let's take a look at medicine envelopes made from paper, which have become increasingly popular as an alternative to plastic. Some types of medication may require paper envelopes to ensure the highest effectiveness in preserving the medication.

Can medicine envelopes be made of paper?

Nowadays people are increasingly paying attention to and actively seeking ways to reduce plastic usage to minimize the long decomposition time of plastic waste. Paper has become a popular alternative to plastic for packaging due to its biodegradable nature. However, many may wonder if medicine envelopes can also be made of paper.

Professor Parun Rutjanathamrong from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Thammasat University, the responsible regulatory agencies for medicine envelope regulations include the Ministry of Public Health, the Institute of Quality and Research for Medicines, and the Food and Drug Administration. According to the law, it is not specified that only plastic must be used for making medicine envelopes. As commonly seen in general pharmacies, medicine envelopes can be made of any suitable material that effectively preserves the medication and, most importantly, must have complete information about the medication printed on the envelope.

Therefore, "Medicine envelopes can be made of paper," as long as they are manufactured to standard to prevent the medication from deteriorating quickly. This has led to an increasing number of pharmacies switching to paper envelopes.

Materials for Medicine Envelopes

1. Plastic

Standard medicine envelopes are commonly seen and often come in the form of zip-lock bags with the medication inside. The advantages include portability and good waterproofing.

However, the choice of plastic material is crucial as some types may not provide sufficient light protection, leading to a decrease in medication effectiveness. Moreover, plastic envelopes are difficult to decompose after use, posing environmental concerns when disposed of as plastic waste.

2. Aluminum

Medicine envelopes made of aluminum are less common compared to plastic ones. They share similar characteristics with plastic envelopes but offer better temperature resistance.

While they may have attractive external appearances, a disadvantage is that text cannot be directly printed onto the envelope; it must be printed on another material and then attached to the envelope, increasing production costs.

3. Paper

Envelopes made of paper, which are less common compared to plastic ones, are widely seen and considered a necessary standard for certain types of medication. Paper has the advantage of being able to absorb moisture from the air better than other materials, thus improving the efficacy of the medication.

Being made from natural materials, paper envelopes can be disposed of after use without concerns about being difficult to decompose, as paper naturally decomposes quickly. Moreover, they have low production costs. However, a disadvantage is that paper has the lowest water resistance among other materials.

Organizations in Medicine Envelope Production

1. Ministry of Public Health

Ministry of Public Health is a very large organization, and within this organization, there are units called the Hazardous Substance Control and the Medicines Regulation Division. They are responsible for setting and overseeing the standards for packaging medicine envelopes in Thailand.

2. Institute of Quality and Research for Medicines

Institute of Quality and Research for Medicines has the responsibility of overseeing medicine envelope production in the country, with a focus on local levels. Additionally, it acts as an inspector for the quality of drug manufacturing and pharmaceutical laboratories nationwide.

3. The Department of Food and Drug Administration

The Department of Food and Drug Administration is responsible for inspecting pharmaceutical manufacturing and packaging, conducting evaluations before allowing drugs to enter the market.

The production of paper medicine envelopes.

Thai Envelope is a company that manufactures envelopes of all types according to customer requirements. We are also capable of producing paper medicine envelopes. The general format of paper medicine envelopes is similar to document envelopes but smaller in size.

We can produce envelopes in various formats according to the customer's design, in any size, and for any purpose. Additionally, we can print various details onto the envelopes as per the customer's requirements.

General Format of Paper Medicine Envelopes