According to a Freedionia Group report, the US pharmaceutical packaging market will grow 5.5% per annum and be worth US$16 billion by 2012. Advanced functionalities will dominate the drug packaging market in the coming years.
 
 The report expects good growth potential for certain types of packaging, such as dispensing bottles, pre-fillable inhalers and syringes, RFID labels, unit dose pouches and other added-value containers, which will drive the pharmaceutical packaging market expansion.
 
 Also, the market for pre-fillable syringes and vials will grow to a value of US$9.6 billion, encouraged by the production of new injectable biologic therapies.
 
 The researchers predict that plastic bottles will remain the most widely used packaging system for oral medication, including both bulk and prescription drug products. Plastic bottles are also expected to maintain their dominance of the OTC market, particularly those for products that are sold in quantities of 50 capsules or more.
 
 Freedonia forecast that the market for blister packaging, based on their flexibility, will undergo strong expansion. The group points out that because blister packs offer additional space for extended labeling information and can be easily matched with RFID labels, they are attractive to drug makers wishing to limit potential counterfeiting and to include more user information.