The process of quality assurance and quality control is a vital stage in any manufacturing process. Whether you’re considering a career in pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics, or testing laboratories, professionals in the quality field are always in demand. Each production batch for a company must be tested to ensure it meets a set criteria, and to determine whether a product is safe for market release. As such, quality professionals must have the technical and practical skills suited to working in a well-regulated environment. The ability to work analytically, precisely, and responsibly in a pharmaceutical laboratory are invaluable skills. To learn more.. READ MORE »
There are many steps between the idea of a food product, and what is sold on grocery store shelves and in restaurants. Quality control professionals play a major role in this process to make sure food is good and safe, but many argue that the consumer is the ultimate decision maker as to whether a food product fails or succeeds. How do food developers make products that consumers will say yes to? One of the important steps in food development is sensory evaluations. Keep reading to find out more about this area of food quality control! Food Sensory Evaluation and.. READ MORE »
According to Health Canada, fruits and vegetables are the best food sources of vitamin C. Things like red cabbage, strawberries, and citrus fruits have this vitamin, which helps the body absorb iron, heal wounds, and acts as an antioxidant. How else can people get vitamin C? This natural health product is also available in tablet form. Other Natural Health Products (NHPs) include: Herbal remedies Homeopathic medicines Probiotics Amino acids Much more NHPs are regulated by Health Canada to ensure that Canadians are getting safe, effective, and quality goods. How is the quality of NHPs assured and maintained? Keep reading to.. READ MORE »
The Canada Food and Drugs Act is an important part of consumer safety in Canada. Whether hazards are accidental or caused by fraudulent behaviour, the statute protects people from these risks in food, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics. The first version of the Food and Drugs Act came into effect in 1920, undergoing many revisions afterwards. This is important legislation, as it forms the basic core of food and drug safety laws in the country. In order to pursue a career involved in keeping standards high for these products, you should have an understanding of the act and its history… READ MORE »
What is Quality by Design (QbD)? It’s an approach to pharmaceutical product development, where an objective is defined prior to starting the process and quality is instilled before manufacturing. Risk assessment and management are a priority and are used as the basis for process control. This can help to: Shorten development times Improve manufacturing quality Further assure safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products While it takes more time at the beginning of a process, it allows for less stop-and-start along the rest of the development journey. Quality is implemented directly into the workflow, taking into account how the product’s characteristics.. READ MORE »
Digitization is causing major changes in pharmaceutical quality assurance and quality control. Here are 3 changes pharmaceutical students should know about.
The raw materials used in pharmaceuticals always need to be of the highest quality. After all, without high-quality raw materials, a high-quality end product isn’t a possibility. Raw materials come in a dizzying variety of options. Some raw materials may be derived from natural substances such as plants, while others contain parts of living organisms such as blood cells. Still others are synthetic. Want to know a little more about the different types of raw materials often seen during a career in quality control? Read on to find out! A Quick Overview of APIs for Students in Pharmaceutical School As.. READ MORE »
Health Canada lays down thorough labelling guidelines for pharmaceutical products, so here’s a helpful guide for those in quality control courses.
In 2009, the swine flu pandemic swept across the world. Everybody panicked and once vaccines became available, people jumped at the opportunity to take them to inoculate themselves from contracting the virus. However, in the seven years since, it has come to light that declaring the swine flu a ‘pandemic’ was questionable at best. What was once considered a legitimate health threat, backed up by increasing death tolls that incited panic, is now considered a relatively ‘mild’ strain of the flu. Given how much the scare was amplified by the reactions of governing bodies as well as the population in.. READ MORE »
Last week, a group of AAPS students performed an identification (ID) test on Acetaminophen drug substance with High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Acetaminophen – brand name Tylenol is over the counter drug that could treat headaches, muscle aches, arthritis and reduce fever. This experiment in our Quality Control (QC) laboratory provided students with hands-on experience preparing in standards, samples and mobile phase. Furthermore, students learned how to set-up the HPLC and how to operate the HPLC software, Empower/Millennium. HPLC labs, such as this one, are particularly valuable to students because they prepare them with the necessary technical skills needed for.. READ MORE »
