Abstract
The International Council for Harmonisation Quality Guideline 10 (ICH Q10) describes the Pharmaceutical Quality System (PQS), indicating it is intended to apply throughout a product's lifecycle, in conjunction with good manufacturing practice (GMP) requirements, in order to achieve quality in a consistent and reproducible manner. Implementation of an effective PQS is essential for a company to achieve product realization, establish and maintain a state of control, and facilitate continual improvement (1). When changes are made during the commercial life of a product, an effective PQS, product and process understanding, and use of quality risk management should ensure that product quality, patient safety, and adequate supply to patients are maintained; this, according to ICH Q10-Annex 1, should provide companies the opportunity to manage post-approval changes (PAC) with reduced regulatory oversight (1). But what exactly constitutes an effective PQS? And how does it support change management for PACs? This paper intends to answer these questions and guide companies to seize the opportunities outlined in ICH Q10-Annex 1, to manage product and process changes within the PQS, and downgrade the level of regulatory submission required. This is the second of a series of PDA "Points to Consider" papers on technical product lifecycle management; the first paper focused on the technical product lifecycle management strategy including communication and knowledge exchange between Marketing Authorization Holders and Health Authorities.
- Received February 3, 2017.
- Accepted February 6, 2017.
- Copyright © 2017, Parenteral Drug Association
PDA members receive access to all articles published in the current year and previous volume year. Institutional subscribers received access to all content. Log in below to receive access to this article if you are either of these.
If you are neither or you are a PDA member trying to access an article outside of your membership license, then you must purchase access to this article (below). If you do not have a username or password for JPST, you will be required to create an account prior to purchasing.
Full issue PDFs are for PDA members only.
Note to pda.org users
The PDA and PDA bookstore websites (www.pda.org and www.pda.org/bookstore) are separate websites from the PDA JPST website. When you first join PDA, your initial UserID and Password are sent to HighWirePress to create your PDA JPST account. Subsequent UserrID and Password changes required at the PDA websites will not pass on to PDA JPST and vice versa. If you forget your PDA JPST UserID and/or Password, you can request help to retrieve UserID and reset Password below.
