Información de la revista
Vol. 44. Núm. 1.
Páginas 32-33 (enero 2020)
Vol. 44. Núm. 1.
Páginas 32-33 (enero 2020)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Acceso a texto completo
The importance of quality control in raw materials used in pharmaceutical formulations
La importancia del control de calidad de las materias primas empleadas en formulación magistral
Visitas
2522
Beatriz Ramos-Martínez1,
Autor para correspondencia
bramosm@salud.madrid.org

Author of correspondence Beatriz Ramos Martínez, Servicio de Farmacia, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, c/ Diego de León, 62, 28006 Madrid, Spain
, José María Alonso-Herreros2, Ana María Martín de Rosales-Cabrera3
1 Pharmacy Service, La Princesa University Hospital, Madrid. Spain. Pharmacotechnics working group of the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy
2 Pharmacy Service, Los Arcos del Mar Menor University General Hospital, La Manga del Mar Menor, Murcia. Spain. Pharmacotechnics working group of the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy
3 Pharmacy Service, Alcorcón Foundation University Hospital, Alcorcón, Madrid. Spain. Pharmacotechnics working group of the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy
Este artículo ha recibido
Información del artículo
Texto completo
Bibliografía
Descargar PDF
Estadísticas
Tablas (1)
Table 1. Alerts and informative notes ratio related to raw materials registered in 2019 by the Spanish Agency of Medicine and Sanitary Products (AEMPS)5
Tablas
Texto completo

Dear Ms. Director:

During a medicine manufacturing process, compliance with good manufacturing practices (GMP) that guarantee optimal quality, safety and efficacy for the patient is mandatory, and are applicable for both the starting raw materials manufacturing, and for the medicine itself, as well as for the storage and distribution phases that take place between each stage of the process. For this reason, current legislation determines that manufacturers and distributors of pharmaceutical raw materials as well as drug-producing entities are all responsible to guarantee the quality of the raw materials used in accordance with these GMPs1,2.

In pharmacotechnics, raw materials quality is routinely certified through the analytical bulletins provided by suppliers, since currently it is only mandatory to perform a complete quality control according to the Royal Spanish Pharmacopoeia (RFE by its Spanish acronym) when acquired to unauthorized suppliers. However, current legislation recommends that the responsible pharmacist performs at least one identification test even if they come from authorized centers and comply with the RFE specifications3.

However, following the cases of infants who have developed hypertrichosis by taking omeprazole syrup containing minoxidil, and due to the subsequent media impact, it has been inevitable for many of us to analyze the risks of our quality systems in terms of raw materials, despite the fact that pharmaceutical processors have been exempted from liability4.

Taking this fact into account and other recent alerts related to raw materials in Table 15, we deem it important to recall that manufacturers, importers and distributors of active ingredients used in pharmacotechnics must be registered in the Unified Register of Producers of Active Substances (RUESA by its Spanish acronym), which can be consulted at the Spanish Agency of Medicine and Sanitary Products (AEMPS by its Spanish acronym). In the case of excipients, it is also necessary to guarantee their suitability through a formal risk assessment.

Table 1.

Alerts and informative notes ratio related to raw materials registered in 2019 by the Spanish Agency of Medicine and Sanitary Products (AEMPS)5

Alert/informative note No.  Date:  Registered trademark and branding  Supplier  Description 
R_19/2019  July 11, 2019  Omeprazol Ph. Eur. 
  • Distributor: Farma-Química Sur, S.L.

  • Manufacturer: Smilax Laboratories Limited (India)

 
Potential result out of specifications during identity test. Affected lot: 11072/10/42, expiration date: 03/2021 
ICM (MI) 12/2019  August 5, 2019  Omeprazole, orlistat, lidocaine, nystatin, itraconazole, praziquantel, tacrolimus, fluorouracil, dexametasone, finasteride, eritromycin, oxalic acid, tretinoin, meloxicam and fluoxetine  Vencaser, C.B.  Non-compliance by the company of legal obligation to be registered in Unified Register of Producers of Active Substances (RUESA by its Spanish acronym) 
R_19/2019 (Extension)  August 6, 2019  Omeprazol Ph. Eur. 
  • Distributor: Farma-Química Sur, S.L.

  • Manufacturer: Smilax Laboratories Limited (India)

 
Potential result out of specifications during identity test. Affected lots: 11072/10/41, 11072/10/43, 11072/10/44, 11072/10/45, 11072/10/46, 11072/10/47, 11072/10/48, 11072/10/49, 11072/10/50, 11072/10/51, 11072/10/52, 11072/10/53, 11072/10/54, 11072/10/55, 11072/10/56, 11072/10/57, 11072/10/58, 11072/10/59, 11072/10/60, 11072/10/61, 11072/10/62 y 11072/10/63, expiration date: 03/2021 

In the light of the foregoing considerations, and being fully aware of the technical limitations and the daily great care burden of pharmacy services, we recommend performing quality controls through simple analytical methods, such as colorimetric tests, determination of pH, solubility, or melting point, and prioritizing these controls when they are going to be used for either preparations of systemic administration, pediatric or geriatric use, or in the case of drugs, with a narrow therapeutic margin. This arrangement would provide analytical results that could be crosschecked with those of the supplier's, and therefore its receipt could be either accepted or rejected during manufacturing.

On the other hand, to procure an integral management program is crucial to assure total traceability of the manufacturing process, as well as rapidly and easily identifying magistral formulas manufactured in each raw material batch.

To have working standards and procedures for handling, preserving, risk management and raw materials inspection is vital, as well as assuring that professionals involved are appropriately trained to detect any change or alteration in the drug's organoleptic and physicochemical properties –in which case the personnel would facilitate its withdrawal or quarantine–.

Finally, to enforce quality control on final products is essential. Non conformity of the final product results can derive from a raw material that does not meet the necessary quality standards.

Implementing new quality control standards on raw materials will be a challenge, however we deem it crucial to work on it in order to avoid future incidents such as those that occurred with omeprazole syrup.

Funding

No funding.

Conflict of interests

No conflict of interests.

Bibliography
[1.]
Real Decreto 824/2010, de 25 de junio, por el que se regulan los laboratorios farmacéuticos, los fabricantes de principios activos de uso farmacéutico y el comercio exterior de medicamentos y medicamentos en investigación. Boletín Oficial del Estado, n° 165 (8 de julio de 2010).
[2]
Casaus Lara ML, coordinadora. Guía de buenas prácticas de preparación de medicamentos en servicios de farmacia hospitalaria [internet].
Subdirección General de Calidad de Medicamentos y Productos Sanitarios, Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad, (2014),
[3.]
Real Decreto 175/2001, de 23 de febrero, por el que se aprueban las normas de correcta elaboración y control de calidad de fórmulas magistrales y preparados oficinales. Boletín Oficial del Estado, n° 65 (16 de marzo de 2001).
[4]
Torrente Villacampa C .
Un auto judicial exime de responsabilidad a los farmacéuticos que emplearon minoxidil en fármacos para bebés. [Internet], Correo Farmacéutico, (2019),
[5]
Agencia Española de Medicamentos y Productos Sanitarios: secciones de acciones informativas de alertas y notas de seguridad de medicamentos de uso humano [internet], (2019),
Copyright © 2020. Sociedad Española de Farmacia Hospitalaria
Descargar PDF
Idiomas
Farmacia Hospitalaria
Opciones de artículo
Herramientas
es en

¿Es usted profesional sanitario apto para prescribir o dispensar medicamentos?

Are you a health professional able to prescribe or dispense drugs?

es en
Política de cookies Cookies policy
Utilizamos cookies propias y de terceros para mejorar nuestros servicios y mostrarle publicidad relacionada con sus preferencias mediante el análisis de sus hábitos de navegación. Si continua navegando, consideramos que acepta su uso. Puede cambiar la configuración u obtener más información aquí. To improve our services and products, we use "cookies" (own or third parties authorized) to show advertising related to client preferences through the analyses of navigation customer behavior. Continuing navigation will be considered as acceptance of this use. You can change the settings or obtain more information by clicking here.