This perspective article addresses the critical issue of container-content interactions in the administration of intravenous medications, with a focus on radiopharmaceuticals used in nuclear medicine. Medication administration errors pose a significant challenge to patient safety. The \"five rights\" framework-ensuring the right patient, drug, time, dose, and route-serves as a cornerstone for safe drug administration. In the context of radiopharmaceuticals, notable for their use in nuclear medicine, adherence to these principles is paramount due to their unique properties and role in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The article explores the impact of container materials, particularly in syringes, on radiopharmaceutical stability and administration accuracy. It delves into the complexities of sorption phenomena, highlighting studies demonstrating its occurrence and potential consequences, including variations in administered doses and compromised diagnostic or therapeutic outcomes. Noteworthy factors influencing sorption include the type of radiopharmaceutical, container composition, molecular properties, and dilution. Findings revealing residual activity in syringes and identifying specific components, such as lubricants, silicon gaskets, and plungers, contributing to adsorption are presented. Migration of metal contaminants from container to content is discussed, emphasizing the potential impact on radiochemical yield and stability. There is a need for comprehensive studies to characterize drug-container interactions and poses crucial questions about the true benefit patients derive from prescribed activities. It challenges current practices, suggesting a need for tailored activity levels, container validation protocols, and rigorous testing of hospital preparations. Ultimately, this perspective paper calls for a deeper understanding of these interactions, urging regulatory consideration and standardization to ensure optimal drug administration and patient outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Medical syringes are widely used in hospitals to store and administer drugs, and the contact time between the drugs and these syringes can vary from a few minutes to several weeks like for pharmaceutical preparations. The aim of this comparative study was to evaluate the potential sorption phenomena occurring between three drugs (paracetamol, diazepam and insulin aspart) and polypropylene syringes (PP) or syringes made of Cyclic Olefin Copolymer (COC).
METHODS: 50 mL 3-part syringes made of either COC with crosslinked silicone on the barrel inner surface (COC-CLS) and a bromobutyl plunger seal, or PP lubricated with silicone oil (PP-SOL) with a polyisoprene plunger seal were used.
RESULTS: COC-CLS syringes induced less sorption of diazepam and insulin than PP-SOL syringes and the plunger seal material seemed to be the main cause of these interactions. An alkalinization of the medications in contact with the PP-SOL syringes was observed. It could be caused by leachable compounds and should be investigated further.
CONCLUSIONS: This work shows once again that it is essential to consider content-container interactions to help improve the safe use of parenteral drugs.

Migration of molecules from packaging into products is a well-known phenomenon of which the studies in the food and medical industries are regulated in Europe by several legislations. However, for cosmetic packagings, there is no protocol nor specific migration limits available. The objective of this work was to use glycerin and liquid paraffin as cosmetic product simulants to perform a safety assessment on phthalates in 11 plastic packagings used in the cosmetic industry. To study these compounds in the matrices, 2 extraction techniques were compared: liquid-liquid extraction and solid-phase microextraction (SPME). The optimization of the 2 processes of extraction showed that SPME was more adapted to the study. Finally, samples of glycerin and liquid paraffin were analyzed by a SPME-GC-MS method to quantitate 10 regulated phthalates. In glycerin, only DEP was quantitated above the LOQ in 3 packagings, but the concentrations measured were under the set concentration threshold of 0.5 ppm. In liquid paraffin, DEP was quantitated above this concentration threshold. A safety evaluation was so performed by calculating the systemic exposure damage, and the results were finally considered to be safe for consumers.

Container-content interactions are common in the food and pharmaceutical industries. However, these studies are more complicated in the cosmetic industry, and it is necessary to ensure consumer safety. The objective of this work was to develop a strategy for the toxicological evaluation of leachables for cosmetic packagings. Eleven common plastic packagings were selected to evaluate interactions with 5 simulants (acidic, alkaline and neutral water, 30% and 96% ethanol) chosen to mimic cosmetics behavior. A GC-MS method was developed to screen for 12 non-intentionally added substances of particular concern: 10 phthalates, bisphenol A and distearyl thiodipropionate (European Pharmacopoeia plastic additive 17). Results were analyzed using a toxicological procedure established for this study. Some phthalates and bisphenol A were detected in several samples, but only one contaminant, diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), was found to be above the set concentration threshold. Using toxicological data, this concentration was found to be safe for users. 96% ethanol appeared to be the strongest simulant in term of extraction, with a maximum concentration of 491 μg/L for DiBP in a 100% styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer packaging. In water simulants, less contaminants were extracted, with concentrations under 20 μg/L.