The Cotton Ball Conundrum: A History of Pharmaceutical Packaging

The humble cotton ball, once a staple in pill bottles, had a surprising origin. Introduced by Bayer in the early 1900s, it was intended to prevent pills from rattling and breaking during transport. However, this seemingly innocuous addition proved to be a relic of the past. With the advent of enteric coatings in the 1980s, cotton balls became obsolete. While many pharmaceutical companies continued to use them, the National Institutes of Health later revealed that they could actually harm the medication. By drawing moisture into the bottle, cotton balls could cause pills to stick together, potentially affecting their potency. Despite their widespread use for decades, it seems that cotton balls were more trouble than they were worth.