Post-Validation: Gate Nine of the Nine Gate Transfer Process
As the pharmaceutical supply chain evolves, at some point product/technology transfers will become part of the improvement process. When transferring production from site to site, an array of complex...
Manage Speaker Program Risk More Effectively with a Needs Assessment
Over the past several years, pharmaceutical company Corporate Integrity Agreements (CIAs) have routinely required needs assessments in connection with the engagement of healthcare professionals...

Quality & Compliance
Quality System Professionals: Learn how to Speak “Executive-ese”
It is amazing to me that more C-Level Executives do not perceive their Quality Systems as a powerful vehicle to reduce costs, improve productivity, and benefit their bottom line. Rather than embrace...
GAMP® 5 Basis for Quality System Compliance
Next week I’ll be in San Francisco conducting an ISPE training class on Risk Based Approach to GxP Process Control Systems. Attendees will include employees from a variety of regulated life cycle...
Process Validation: Gate Eight of the Nine Gate Transfer Process
Today we have the next phase of the Nine Gate Transfer Process: Gate 8 Process Validation. To review the previous steps before continuing, examine Gates 1-7 here: Gate 1: Assessment Gate 2:...
Cleaning Disaster or True Worst Case?
How robust are your cleaning validation measures? Could your storage procedures withstand the impacts of a fire within your facility, or would such a disaster set back your production time...

Improving Computerized System Quality Through Design Verification
Unverified Design – An Example For those of us who travel routinely, one of the most sought-after treasures in the typical airport terminal is an electrical outlet. With our dependency on mobile...
Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Corporate Compliance Program: How Does Your Program Measure Up?
At the recent Pharmaceutical Compliance Congress (PCC), Zane Memeger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania stated that one of the key questions that a company should ask about its...
Ready for cGMP Validation: Gate Seven of the Nine Gate Transfer Process
Today, Bob Beall is back with the next gate in the Nine Gate Transfer Process. If you have missed any of the previous steps in this process, you can review them here: Gate 1: Assessment Gate 2:...
To Requalify or to Continuously Monitor, That is the Question
Your manufacturing equipment and processes have been established, qualified and validated; all you have to do now is rake in the profits right? Think again, the process of maintaining the validated...
Computer System Validation: Resolutions for the New Year
How are you doing with those New Years’ resolutions? Whether or not you’re a resolution maker (or breaker), you can use this time of year to take stock of where things stand, including your validated...
Impact of Wavelength Accuracy and Precision on Spectrophotometric Measurements
A while back I was involved in a Quality Assurance project reviewing calibration specifications for analytical instrumentation. The client had implemented a new requirement that all calibrated...
Formulation and Process Development: Gate 6 of the Nine Gate Transfer Process for Moving Production
Today, we are continuing our blog series on the Nine Gate Transfer Process for Moving Production from Site to Site, with Gate 6: Formulation and Process Development. If you have missed any previous...
Regulatory Sciences
U.S. Attorneys Send Strong Message that a Company’s Response to a Compliance Issue is Key Element of an Effective Compliance Program
A common theme among the government enforcers speaking at last week’s Pharmaceutical Compliance Congress (PCC) was the importance of putting in place an effective corporate compliance program to...
Quality & Compliance
What’s the Skinny on Dietary Supplements?
One doesn't have to spend much time in a pharmacy, grocery store or even a typical American house to see that dietary supplements have found a place in people's lives. In fact, roughly 54% of U.S....
GMP Documentation: Gate Five of the Nine Gate Transfer Process for Moving Production
Today we’re back with the next step in the Nine Gate Transfer Process for Moving Production from site to site. So far we’ve covered the first four gates, which you can review in our last blog post....