Role of a Pharmaceutical Inspector Flashcards
What are the roles of a regulator (inspectors, reviewers, analysts)?
- to weed out adulterated, counterfeits and falsified products
- to ensure safe, efficacious and quality products
- to oversee drug/API manufacturing and supply chain
What should pharmaceutical inspectors follow for inspecting manufacturers’ compliance to PICS GMP Standard?
- under SG Medicines Act/ HPA, a Manufacturer’s Licence is required for manufacture of medicinal products (therapeutic products)
- compliance with PIC/S GMP standard is pre-requisite for issuance and retention of Manufacturer’s Licence
- GMP compliance assessed through periodic audits by Inspectors from HSA
What is PIC/S’ Goal?
- means impt
- harmonised GMP standard (for manufacturers)
- quality system (for inspectorates)
What is GMP?
- good manufacturing practice(s)
- quality system standard to help ensure that:
~ medicinal product is CONSISTENTLY manufactured and controlled
~ to the QUALITY appropriate for its intended use(s),
~ as required by its MARKET AUTHORISATION (product licence)
What is the process of conventional manufacturing flow?
** means impt
- input
- starting materials (APIs, excipients, packaging materials) (WAREHOUSE)
- production and packaging
Processes (weighing, mixing, granulation, drying, compression, coating, packaging/labelling)
(WEIGHING ROOM, PRODUCTION AREAS, PACKAGING ROOM) - QC testing (QC LAB chem lab, microbiology lab; DOCUMENT AUDIT sop, records, reports, etc.)
- Output
Finished dosage forms
What are the objectives of warehouse inspection?
- all starting materials (APIs, packaging materials and finished products) have approved specifications, and materials are purchased from approved suppliers
- Procedures (SOP) are in place for handling receipt, quarantine, sampling (incl availability of Sampling Room), release of materials and for handling rejected materials and products.
- Environment of warehouse (e.g. temp, relative humidity RH monitoring and pest control programmes) preserves quality of materials and products stored
- CHAP 3 (premises: storage areas)*
- CHAP 5 (production: starting materials)*
What are the objectives of weighing room inspection? (why is the weighing (dispensing) room inspected?)
** means impt
- calibrated, accurate and reliable weighing balances are used
- weighed materials are of correct identity, qty and qly
- authorised personnel wear PPE and env of weighing room controlled to *prevent CROSS-CONTAMINATION *
Item covered during audit of weighing room:
- calibration of weighing balances
- labelling of starting materials
- personnel wear PPE and proper gowns
- SOP for weighing method (And records of weighing)
- dust extraction system and housekeeping of weighing room
CHAP 5 (production: dispensing)
What are the objectives of inspecting production department? (why are production areas inspected?)
** means impt
- premises are designed to prevent cross-contamination
- equipment are effectively cleaned and regularly maintained
- personnel control programmes in place: restricted access only to authorised personnel; authorised personnel wear PPE
- Materials of correct IDENTITY, QTY and QLY are used for production
- Process controls are in place (e.g. critical processes are validated/re-validated; in-process qly controls are in place; comprehensive batch processing records are kept)
* CHAP 5 (production: para 5.1-5.71)*
What are the items/areas covered during inspection of production department?
just need to know what is PMMM
- Production rooms (PREMISES)
~ design/construction
~ partition/segregation, air-handling & containment
~ connecting pipe-work (stainless steel) and drainage (no back-flow)
~ change room (Approp class and air shower)
~ cleaning/maintenance and records)
~ environmental and microbiological monitoring - Production equipment (MACHINE)
~ design and construction
~ cleaning/maintenance, calibration and usage records
~ status labelling of equipment - Production process (METHOD)
~ labelling/control of weighed starting materials
~ gowning of production personnel
~ batch production records
~ process deviation and investigation
~ process validation, re-validation and change controls - Personnel (MANPOWER): wear approp PPE and DONT wear cosmetics and jewelry
What are the items/areas covered during inspection of PACKAGING room?
- Packaging rooms (Premises)
- design & construction
- cleaning/ maintenance and calibration
- environmental and microbiological monitoring - Packaging Equipment (Machine)
- Cleaning/Maintenance, Calibration and usage records
- status labelling of equipment - Packaging process (Method)
- control of labels and packaging Materials, bulk and finished products
- validation, re-validation and change controls - Personnel (Manpower)
- gowns and ppe of operator
What are the objectives of inspecting QC department? Why are the QC labs inspected?
** means impt
- properly trained analysts are available & there is Independent Authority for head of QC
- QC test methods are Approved by HSA & are robust, sensitive, accurate and reliable for testing as evident from Records of Analytical Method Validation and Routine QC test results
- Procedures are in place for Maintenance, Calibration, Status Labelling and Assuring Integrity of QC test equipment, e.g. HPLC, GC, Dissolution tester
- procedures are in place for Receipt, Storage, Security, Record keeping of test samples, Reagents, and Reference standards
- CHAP 6 (quality control: para 6.1 to 6.41)*
Which chapter is the PICS Guide GMP on “QC department”?
Chap 6
quality control: para 6.1 to 6.41
How many chapters are there in the PIC/S GMP Standard?
9
Which chapter is the PICS Guide GMP on “Warehouse”?
- Chap 3 (Premises: Storage Areas)
- Chap 5 (Production: Starting materials)
Which chapter is the PICS Guide GMP on “Weighing Room”?
- Chap 5 (production: dispensing)