Basic Aspects of Process Validation of Solid Oral Dosage Forms
Basic Aspects of Process Validation of Solid Oral Dosage Forms
Review Article
Basic Aspects of Process Validation of Solid Oral Dosage Forms
Sharma Tejal
Department of Pharmaceutics, B. N. Girls College of Pharmacy, Udaipur (Raj.)
313002(India)
Validation of the manufacturing process is performed in order to ensure that the
manufacturing process does what it purported to do. Pharmaceutical validation guarantees the
reliability and reproducibility of the manufacturing process. Validation is the collection and
evaluation of data, from the process design stage throughout production, which establishes
scientific evidence that a process is capable of consistently delivering quality products.
Process validation should normally be completed prior to the distribution and sale of the
medicinal product (prospective validation), if it is not possible, it may be necessary to
validate processes during routine production(concurrent validation) and processes in use
some time should also be validated(retrospective validation).this article examines the need for
pharmaceutical validation, the various approaches, processing stage and control variables
and sampling plan related to tablets dosage form.
Key word: Validation, Process validation, Control variables, tablets dosage form,
reproducibility
INTRODUCTION
The documented act of demonstrating that and the evaluation of data, from the
any process and activity will consistently process design stage throughout
lead to the expected results. It also production, which establishes scientific
includes the qualification of systems and evidence that a process is capable of
1
equipment . Manufacturer should plan consistently delivering quality products.
validation in a manner that will ensure
European Commission (EC):4
regulatory compliance and ensuring that
Validation is defined as “Action providing
the product quality, safety and consistency
in accordance with principles of GMP
are not compromised.2 Validation itself
(Good Manufacturing Practice), that any
does not improve processes but confirms
procedure, process, equipment, material,
that the processes have been properly
activity or system actually lead to the
developed and are under control. Different
expected results”.
agencies defined the validation as follows:
FDA:3 World Health Organization (WHO):5
Validation is defined as “The collection Validation is defined as “Action providing
*Address for correspondence that any procedure, process, equipment,
[email protected]
may include batch documents process regulations. Where deviations from device
control charts, maintenance logbook, specification could occur as result of
process capability studies, finished product manufacturing process itself. There shall
data, including trend data, and stability be written procedures describing any
data. process controls necessary to assure
conformance to specifications.
Revalidation:
Re-validation provides the evidence that
changes in a process and /or the process
environment that are introduced do not
adversely affect process characteristics and
product quality. Documentation
requirements will be the same as for the
initial validation of the process.
Government regulations
Validation is considered to be integral part
of GMPs essentially worldwide, Figure 1: Phases in Process validation
compliances with validation requirements
How validation is done
is necessary for obtaining approval to
The principle is characterized by harmony
manufacture and to introduce new
between the results obtained and
products. The FDA’s cGMP refer to the
requirements. This supposes Specific
concepts of the validation in both sections.
requirements and objectives
They state that such control procedure
Available means
shall be established to monitor out put and
Choices, which are justified in
to validate the performance of those
relation to objectives
manufacturing process that may be
Each stage should begin when the
responsible for causing variability in the
previous stage is over
characteristics of in process materials and
Certain depositions should be defined
drug materials. The Accuracy, sensitivity,
How norms should be dealt with
specificity and reproducibility of test
How modifications should be dealt
methods employed by the firm shall be
with controlling evaluation will
established and documented. A generally
involve
stated requirement for process validation is
contained in the medicinal device GMP Set data for decision making
Control
Quality assurance
Head – QA
Production
2. Wet Granulation
What type of wet granulation technique
will be used? Will it be low shear (e.g.,
Hobart), high shear (e.g., Diosna, GEI-
Collette) or fluid bed (e.g., Glatt, Fluid
Air)? Each technique will produce
granules with different physical properties
and will require monitoring of different
(2) Poor chemical stability as a result of needs to be known. A larger load will
hydrolysis. require more moisture to be removed on
An over dried granulation could result in drying and will affect the drying time. In
poor hardness and friability. Moisture the case of fluid bed drying, a maximum
content analysis can he performed using dryer load is that load above which the
the conventional loss-on-drying techniques dryer will not fluidize the material.
or such state-of-the-art techniques as near
5. Milling
infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. The milling operation will reduce the
Inlet/outlet temperature: The inlet particle size of the dried granulation. The
temperature is the temperature of the resultant particle size distribution will
incoming air to the dryer, while the outlet affect such material properties as flow,
temperature is the temperature leaving the compressibility, disintegration, and
unit. The inlet temperature is critical to the dissolution. An optimal particle size/size
drying efficiency of the granulation and distribution for the formulation will need
should be set high enough to maximize to be determined. Factors to consider in
drying without affecting the milling are:
chemical/physical stability of the
Mill type
granulation. The outlet temperature is an Screen size: A smaller screen size will
indicator of the granulation temperature produce a smaller particle size and a
and will increase toward the inlet greater number of fines.
temperature as the moisture content of the
Mill speed: A higher mill speed will result
granulation decreases (evaporization rate).
in a smaller particle size and possibly a
Airflow: There should be sufficient wider particle size distribution. It can also
airflow to ensure removal of moisture generate more heat to the product,
laden air from the wet granulation. depending on the screen size and feed rate,
Insufficient airflow could prolong drying which could affect the stability of the
and affect the chemical stability of the product.
drug. Airflow and the inlet/outlet
6. Lubrication
temperature are interrelated parameters
Amount of lubricant added: How much
and should be considered together.
lubricant is required? Too much lubricant
Equipment capability/capacity: The load will form hydrophobic layer on the tablet
that can be efficiently dried within the unit resulting in dissolution problems.
Mixing time: How long should the materials being compressed will need to
material is mixed to ensure proper have adequate flow and compression
formation? Should mixing stop after the properties. The material should readily
addition of the lubricant or should flow from the hopper onto the feed frame
additional mixing be required? If not and into the dies. Inadequate flow can
mixed long enough form problems like result in “rat holing” in the hopper and/or
chipping, capping, etc. segregation of the blend in the hopper/feed
Table 4: Table of contents frame. This can cause tablet weight and
S. Title Page content uniformity problems. As for the
No. No.
1 Protocol Approval Sheet compressibility properties of the
2 Table of contents
3 Objective formulation, it should be examined on an
4 Scope
instrumented tablet press. Factors to
5 Validation term and responsibility
6 Steps for validation and consider during compression are as
acceptance criteria
7 Process flow chart follows:
8 Procedure
9 Form–A : Review of raw
material/packing material Tooling: The shape, size, and concavity of
10 Form–B : Evaluation of active raw
the tooling should be examined based on
material
11 Form–C : Evaluation of inactive the formulation properties and commercial
raw material
12 Form–D : Qualification of specifications. For intagliated (embossed)
equipment
13 Form–E : Test instrument tablets, factors such as the position of the
calibration
14 Form–F : Dry mixing
intagliation on the tablet and the
15 Sampling point diagram of RMG intagliation depth and style should be
16 Form –G : Wet mixing
17 Form –H : Drying examined to ensure that picking of the
18 Sampling point diagram of FBD
19 Form–I : Lubrication intagliation during compression or fill-in
20 Sampling point diagram of RMG
of the intagliation during coating does not
21 Form–J : Compression
22 Form–K : Coating occur.
23 Form–L : Bulk packing
24 Re validation criteria
25 Change control Compression speed: The formulation
26 Stability
27 Deviations should be compressed at a wide range of
28 Conclusion compression speeds to determine the
29 Report and Approval
operating range of the compressor. The
7. Tablet Compression
adequacy of the material’s flow into the
Compression is a critical step in the
dies will be determined by examining the
production of a tablet dosage form. The
tablet weights. Is a force feeder required to
ensure that sufficient material is fed into tablets will have a rough surface
the dies? appearance. For tablet shape, a round
tablet will be easier to coat than tablets
Compression/ejection force: The
will multiple sides or edges because of the
compression profile for the tablet
uniformity of the surface. For intagliated
formulation will need to be determined to
tablets, the intagliation style and depth
establish the optimal compression force to
should be developed to prevent fill-in or
obtain the desired tablet hardness. The
chipping of the intagliation.
particle size/size distribution or level of
lubricant may need to be adjusted in order Equipment type: The type of coater will
to have a robust process on a high speed need to be selected. Conventional or
compressor. The following in-process tests perforated pan and fluid bed coaters are
should be examined during the potential options.
compression stage: Coater load: Having too large a pan load
1. Appearance could cause attrition of the tablets because
2. Hardness of the overall tablet weight in the coater. In
3. Tablet weight the case of a fluid bed coater, there may
4. Friability
not be sufficient airflow to fluidize the
5. Disintegration tablets.
6. Weight uniformity
Pan speed: This will be interrelated to
8. Tablet Coating other coating parameters, such as inlet
Tablet coating can occur by different temperature, spray rate, and flow rate.
techniques (e.g., sugar, film, or
compression). Film coating has been the Spray guns: The number and types of
most common technique over recent years guns should be determined in order to
and will be the focus of this section. Key efficiently coat the tablets. The spray
areas to consider for tablet coating include nozzles should be sized properly to ensure
the following: even distribution over the tablet bed and to
Tablet properties: Tablet properties such prevent clogging of the nozzles. The
as hardness, shape, and intagliation (if location and angle of the spray gun(s)
required) are important to obtain a good should be positioned to get adequate
film-coated tablet. The tablet needs to be coverage. Having the guns positioned too
hard enough to withstand the coating close together can lead to a portion of the
process. If tablet attrition occurs, the tablets to be over wet.
Solid dosage form validation should be the quality and reproducibility required