What is a “Dram” in Pharmacy Packaging?
If you’ve ever visited a pharmacy and filled a prescription behind the counter, chances are you’ve encountered the term “dram.” But what exactly is a dram, and why does it matter in the modern pharmacy setting?
A dram is a traditional unit of measurement dating back to Ancient Greece and the apothecary system.
Let’s break down the concept of drams, explore their pros and cons from a pharmacist’s point of view, and show how Parcel Health, creators of the world’s first paper pill bottle, uses intuitive dram-based sizing to simplify both packaging logistics and environmental impact.
🧪 Understanding the Dram
A dram is a traditional unit of measurement dating back to Ancient Greece and the apothecary system. In pharmacy packaging, it has a very specific role: it measures volume, not weight. One dram equals approximately 3.7 milliliters (mL).
That means a 16-dram vial holds about 59 mL, while a 30-dram vial holds about 111 mL. Standard prescription bottles typically range from 6 dram to 60 dram, with larger “bulk” vials going up to 180 dram or more for institutions or long-term care settings.
This system, while historic, is still the go-to language for ordering and dispensing prescription packaging. When a pharmacy technician says, “Give me a 30-dram bottle,” everyone behind the counter knows exactly what size to grab.
⚖️ The Pros and Cons of Dram-Based Packaging
✅ Pros: Why Drams Still Work
1. Standardization Across the Industry
The use of dram sizes ensures that packaging systems are interoperable. Whether you're using automation or filling scripts manually, dram-based bottles and caps are consistent across most manufacturers.
2. Easy Matching to Fill Volumes
Pharmacists know, based on common prescriptions, which dram sizes are appropriate. For example:
16 dram: ideal for up to 40 small tablets
30 dram: accommodates most 90-count fills
60 dram: suitable for large capsules or bulky medications
3. Compatibility with Automation Systems
Automated central-fill and robotic dispensing systems are calibrated to standard dram sizes. Deviating from those sizes can introduce friction or errors.
4. Supplier Compatibility
Major suppliers like Total Pharmacy Supply, Centor, and others have standardized their products using the dram system. This makes procurement more predictable.
⚠️ Cons: Challenges in Real-World Settings
1. Not Patient-Centered
While drams are familiar to pharmacy staff, they’re confusing to patients. There’s no intuitive connection between “30 dram” and how much medication it holds. For older adults and caregivers, this language barrier creates friction.
2. Overstocking and SKU Complexity
Many pharmacies stock dozens of vial sizes and matching caps. This drives up costs, complicates inventory, and increases the risk of grabbing the wrong item.
3. Dispensing Errors
In high-volume settings, it’s easy to select a vial that looks similar but is the wrong size—especially when vial shapes and cap types vary ever so slightly. According to Pharmacy Times, size mismatches and unlabeled or mismarked containers can increase medication error risks.
4. Excess Plastic Use
Most dram-sized vials are made from polypropylene or polyethylene plastic. Each new size often requires a different cap diameter, adding more single-use plastic into circulation.
💡 Our Approach: Rethink Size; Keep Familiarity
At Parcel Health, we use dram-equivalent sizing, but with more intuitive names:
Core, 16–20 dram, 60–75 mL: Short-term fills, generics
Tall, 30 dram, 110 mL: Most common 90-count scripts
Plus, 40 dram, 150 mL: Larger capsule fills
Mega, 75 dram, 275+ mL: Bulk prescriptions, vitamins
Why This Naming Works:
✔️ Familiar Sizing, Modern Labels
Parcel Health retains the dram-based logic for compatibility, but avoids archaic units in its marketing and ordering interface. Buyers can choose by “Core” or “Mega,” which are more intuitive and accessible than “30 dram.”
✔️ One Cap to Rule Them All
Unlike traditional plastic vials, every Tully Tube uses a universal cap and opening. This reduces:
Inventory confusion
Misfit errors
The total number of SKUs a pharmacy must stock
The result? Simpler procurement,fewer plastic components in circulation, fewer errors.
✔️ Dram Coverage with Fewer SKUs
Four packaging sizes cover the majority of prescription use cases. That means pharmacies don’t need to stock 10+ vial sizes—they can work with just four, simplifying training, storage, and automation integration.
✔️ Plastic Reduction
Parcel Health’s Tully Tube in its smallest size, Core, uses 53% less plastic than standard prescription bottles by combining a paper-based body with a recyclable cap. The uniform neck design eliminates the need for a wide array of child-resistant cap formats, drastically reducing environmental waste.
🧑⚕️ Why Pharmacists Appreciate the Shift
Pharmacists have long felt the tension between operational efficiency and environmental responsibility. Parcel Health’s design, rooted in familiar sizing yet geared for sustainability, bridges that gap.
Time-saving: No more cap-vial mismatch issues.
Eco-friendly: Paper tubes mean fewer microplastics in landfills and oceans.
Patient-first: Simplified names and senior-friendly opening mechanisms reduce user error and frustration.
Automation-friendly: Sizes are aligned with typical prescription workflows and can be adapted to central-fill dispensing technologies.
🌍 A Simpler, Greener Future
The healthcare industry produces millions of pounds of plastic waste annually. While other sectors have moved toward circular, compostable, or refillable packaging, the pharmacy sector has largely remained stuck in using single-use plastics.
Parcel Health’s Tully Tube system embraces the structure pharmacists are used to (like dram sizing), while offering:
Scalability
ESG alignment
Operational simplicity
Patient usability
By anchoring innovation in tradition, Parcel Health helps the industry move forward—one “dram” at a time.
📦 Final Thoughts
If you're a pharmacy owner, buyer, or health system operator, it's worth asking:
Do you really need 10+ dram sizes and cap types?
Could your team benefit from a universal opening system?
Is your packaging aligned with your organization’s sustainability goals?
By retaining what works and redesigning what doesn’t, Parcel Health offers an easy on-ramp to better systems.
Fewer sizes. Fewer caps. Less plastic. Same reliability.
What do you think? We would love to hear if you appreciate the dram system, wish there would be a different measurement that suits your workflows or if there’s anything else on your mind. Just email us at team@parcelhealth.co. We’ll feature your remarks in a follow-up blog post this October, 2025.