In post-medieval Europe, laypeople and physicians sought out apothecaries for medicine. Responsible for formulating and selling their own drugs, these professionals were skilled chemists with a penchant for healing. Since then, apothecaries have evolved into the contemporary pharmacist—and while advancements in science have made medicines safer and more effective, today’s pharmacists share the same goals as their historical counterparts. January 12 marks National Pharmacist Day, and to celebrate our modern healers, we are going to highlight how our PureSteel® metal belts and conveyor systems help keep the medical and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries moving.
The Important Role of Pharmacists
While physicians prescribe us with the medicine we need to recover from an illness, it’s not their job to provide us with their suggested remedies. That’s why we head to our neighborhood pharmacy to pick up medicine—but pharmacists do much more than just hand over a drug.
Pharmacists are indeed responsible for providing medicine, but they are also experts in how to correctly store, preserve and take drugs. In the United States, pharmacists must earn a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, and are exceptional resources for people and physicians who are looking for advice on general health topics like diet, how drugs will interact with one another and the side effects of medicine. Pharmacists are crucial in providing information so that people don’t misuse prescription drugs—the manufacturing of which benefits heavily from hygienic metal belts.
Stainless Steel: Sanitary and Safe
In today’s day and age, manufacturing and material handling equipment in the medical and pharmaceutical industries are heavily regulated for safety purposes. Due to this, automated conveyor systems that are used to handle pharmaceutical materials must be completely sanitary, easy to clean and resistant to corrosion. Our PureSteel® metal belts live up to these requirements as they are made from stainless steel, a material known for its smooth and impermeable surface that does not hang on to microbes and bacteria.
Compared to other belt materials such as flat neoprene or HTD, our PureSteel® stainless steel belts do not generate particulate, making them ideal for cleanroom environments. Stainless steel is resistant to corrosion, meaning it can be sanitized by high-pressure steam, high-pressure wash or chemical cleaning. A lack of hidden gaps, recesses and crevices on stainless steel belts also makes them much easier to keep clean than other belt materials. PureSteel® metal belts are also extremely durable, as they are virtually non-stretchable. Combined with a protective chromium oxide surface layer, our belts are the longest-lasting and most hygienic surface for transporting medical equipment and pharmaceutical products.
PureSteel® Helps Make a Pharmacist’s Job Possible
When it comes to adhering to the strict regulations of the pharmaceutical and medical industries, there’s no better product to use in conveyor systems than PureSteel® metal belts. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you implement our belts in your facility.
