This paper discusses the impact of high-altitude shipments of glass and plastic bottles on package integrity. High altitudes are encountered when trucks travel over mountain passes and when cargo and feeder aircraft transport packages in non-pressurized or partially pressurized cargo holds. This is the second research study conducted on liquid product shipments. The first was performed on liquid hazardous material combination packaging. The testing of pharmaceutical packaging is critical since the integrity of the product may be compromised during shipping and handling. Current shipping tests performed in labs do not account for simultaneous pressure changes and vibration together. This study shows that packages currently being used for shipments of liquid pharmaceuticals that perform well when tested to existing American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) and International Standard Organization (ISO) shipping tests are often inadequate, and can result in a significant number of leakers. Testing under combined vibration and pressure is necessary to insure integrity.
