The Four Main Sources of Pharmaceutical Contamination
To effectively prevent contamination and ensure high levels of safety in the pharmaceutical industry, it is crucial to understand the main sources of contamination.
The top four sources include:
One: The People
People who are performing or supervising pharmaceutical manufacturing and packaging processes can be a strong source of contamination.
This primarily happens due to:
- Lack of training
- Inadequate cleanliness and hygiene standards
- Direct contact with the materials & products
- Lack of personnel protective equipment
- Malpractices like eating or drinking in the manufacturing or storage areas
- And Entry or use of key manufacturing units by unauthorized personnel
Two: The Manufacturing Facility
The facility or the building may be another primary source of contamination:
- Poor design and inadequate space that can lead to cross-contamination and mix-ups
- Lack of adequate pest control and waste management measures
- Improper ventilation, lighting, and air filtration system
- Inadequate cleanliness and sanitisation practices
Three: The Materials
The quality, handling and control of raw materials can also cause pharmaceutical contamination:
- Improper handling and storage
- Poor labelling, sampling and testing of raw materials
- Degradation of materials due to environmental conditions
- Using materials that do not meet acceptance guidelines
Four: The Manufacturing Process
There are high chances of contamination throughout the manufacturing process:
- Lack of dedicated production facility for each product
- Absence of compliant hygiene and cleanliness standards
- Lack of proper zoning, resulting into mix-up or cross-contamination
- No/insufficient cleaning & maintenance status labelling on materials and equipment used in the manufacturing processilewhcbbj7
