Compliance Issues in Manufacturing of Drugs

The therapeutic process relies on the assumption that the prescription written by the clinician is what is dispensed to the patient. In this article, we review the many factors involved in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products so that they consistently meet quality standards as approved by regulatory agencies. Industry and government agencies have developed procedures and laws to assure quality in Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) for pharmaceuticals, addressing conditions that may be harmful to patient health. This includes procedures for receipt of materials, production, packaging, labeling, quality control, release, storage and distribution, known as current Good Manufacturing Practice. Special control considerations for ophthalmic products include foreign particulate matter control, preservative effectiveness tests, sterility and leaching of chemicals from the packaging into the product. We also describe the “form, fill and seal” manufacture process as used in unit-dose, non-preserved ophthalmic products; product expiration dates; stages of drug development; and financial considerations for pharmaceutical companies.