Quality Inspection Solutions for the Pharmaceutical Industry | mt.com

Pharmaceutical Quality Inspection Applications

Quality Inspection for the Pharmaceutical Industry

Physical Contamination Detection

In the pharmaceutical industry, physical contamination can lead to catastrophic consequences that compromise the safety of patients and staff, in addition to damaging the brand. Foreign contamination on pharmaceutical production lines can occur when bits of metal, plastic, glass, or other items are introduced into the line through contaminated raw materials, damaged equipment, or accidently by employees. Learn how to avoid physical contamination and support due diligence and quality control in the pharmaceutical industry.

Quality Inspection for the Pharmaceutical Industry

Package Fill Level Control

Incorrect fill levels could place your business at risk of product recall or litigation. Flexible quality inspection systems can monitor fill-levels and automatically adjust fill-heads to support compliance needs without wasting valuable product through giveaway or the need to rework. Find out how quality control solutions like pharmaceutical visual inspection machines, checkweighers and x-ray inspection can help.

Quality Inspection for the Pharmaceutical Industry

Packaging Quality and Integrity

The final quality check of a packaged product is essential not only for meeting vital pharmaceutical packaging regulations, but also for knowing that the end consumer receives the safe and complete product they expect. There are a range of inspection machines available for the pharmaceutical industry. Selecting the correct technology will depend on the type of pharmaceutical inspection being performed, the process application, the quality standards to be met and the defined inspection parameters. Find out which technology fits best for you.

Quality Inspection for the Pharmaceutical Industry

Label Inspection

Label-related defects and errors are one of the most common causes of product recalls. These recalls can be prevented through the implementation of pharmaceutical quality control procedures such as installing automatic pharmaceutical vision inspection machines that use image-based camera technology on the product line. For consistently high-quality pharmaceuticals, we offer a wide range of solutions that spot mislabeling errors through the visual inspection of vials, bottles, packages, medical devices and more.

Track & Trace Solutions

Track & Trace and Serialization

Our track and trace solutions for the pharmaceutical supply chain provide traceability through the whole pharmaceutical and biotechnology production packaging process. As a proven end-to-end supplier of pharmaceutical serialization solutions, we provide hardware, software, OEM solutions and integration kits to support regulatory compliance for serialization and aggregation in pharmaceutical products. Read more

What Track & Trace workflows are available for pharmaceutical serialization and traceability?

Track & Trace solutions from METTLER TOLEDO can provide:

  • Hardware to install on conveyors, case packers or palletizers without changing product flow
  • Integrated pharmaceutical track and trace software
  • Mark and verify checks label information on packages
  • Serialization – handling and printing of unique serial numbers and 2D codes
  • Aggregation – serial numbers on cartons are linked to a shipping case, and cases loaded to pallets have their codes linked to the aggregate 2D code on the pallet

Learn more and download our free track and trace workflow infographic

What levels of sensitivity can pharmaceutical metal detectors reliably work to?

First, for the most accurate answer to the level of sensitivity you can expect from your metal detector in pharma and biopharma products, you need to consider:

  • The type of product being inspected
  • The size of metal detector being used

Our pharmaceutical metal detectors can detect calibrated and validated spherical samples of stainless steel down to 0.3 millimeters in diameter, and even smaller samples of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. 

Learn more about sensitivity in metal detectors in our downloadable PDF:

Understanding Sensitivity in Metal Detectors

What validation documentation is available with your metal detectors to assist with pharmaceutical due diligence?

Prior to shipment of your equipment, we can supply a DQ pack for the system. After shipping your equipment, we can supply an EQ pack, which includes protocols for:

  • IQ
  • OQ
  • PQ

Our annual Performance Validation Service can support your validation processes through independent testing and subsequent certification. 

Can pharmaceutical metal detectors detect difficult-to-see contamination such as very small and thin wires?

Yes, pharmaceutical metal detectors do have the capability of detecting small, thin metal wire pieces. The actual size of wire (in length and diameter) that is detectable will depend on the spherical operating sensitivity of the metal detector and the orientation of the wire as it passes through the metal detector.

To achieve the best detection levels for wire contamination, you must operate the metal detector at the best possible spherical sensitivity level.

Learn more about selecting the right metal detector in our PDF guide:

Practical Tips for Metal Detector Selection

detecting small wires in pharmaceuticals

How can a checkweigher help to avoid recalls in the pharma industry?

Thanks to the high accuracy of our pharmaceutical checkweighers, they are able to detect the difference between a package that contains the required documentation (such as the leaflet detailing proper use and health warnings) and a package which is missing the vital information leaflet.

This simple due dilligence check prevents costly recalls or customer safety issues due to pharmaceutical products going to market without these critical components.

How can a pharma checkweigher optimize effectiveness in pharmaceutical production lines?

METTLER TOLEDO pharmaceutical checkweighers help prevent downstream issues in the production line - which can happen due to improper product spacing - by using product handling to support smooth transportation and maintain the correct distance between products on the line.

In addition, pharma checkweighers can help prevent lost time due to askew packages causing a stop in the conveyor line by automatically rejecting the package from the line before they have a chance to become a problem.

Do x-rays affect the quality and efficacy of a drug during product inspection?

pharmaceutical x-ray inspection

X-rays used in the inspection of pharmaceutical products are not generated from naturally occurring radioactive materials. These x-rays are man-made, generated within the inspection equipment itself, and like an electric light bulb, they can be turned on and off at will. They are as safe as any other equipment while the correct process maintenance routines are followed.

The level of exposure to x-rays, is generally much lower in pharmaceutical inspection when compared to other sources of radiation, such as medical x-rays, security scanning, food irradiation or naturally occurring background radiation. This is because the energies of the x-rays are low, the quantity of x-rays used is minimal and the exposure time is very short.

Learn more in our white paper pdf download: Effects of X-ray Inspection on Pharmaceutical Products

Are your products GMP Compliant, especially for the application case 21 CFR Part 11?

Yes, our products are fully compliant under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for proper procedures for quality control in the pharmaceutical industry. 

How do you support pharmaceutical guidelines of data integrity?

The reliability and integrity of pharmaceutical data is fundamental to regulatory compliance and patient safety. Solutions from METTLER TOLEDO can help to make sure that documentation is complete, accurate and traceable.

Explore how solutions from METTLER TOLEDO can be implemented to improve processes from lab to production. Learn more from our interactive workflow:

Pharmaceutical Inspection Brochure

Delivering Added Value to Pharmaceutical Production

Through Sophisticated Product Inspection Technologies

Improving Product Inspection of Liquid Pharmaceuticals | Free Guide

Improving Product Inspection of Liquid Pharmaceuticals

Five Key Steps for Quality Assurance
Along the Production Process

Guide to Track & Trace Technology for use in the Pharmaceutical Industries

Guide to Track & Trace Technology

Building an Effective Program

X-ray Inspection Solutions for the Pharmaceutical Industry

X-ray Inspection Solutions for the Pharmaceutical Industry

How to ensure brand reputation, protect consumers' welfare and comply with regulatory standards

Free Webinar: Quality Assurance of Liquid Pharmaceuticals

Free Webinar: Quality Assurance of Liquid Pharmaceuticals

How to Improve Product Inspection Along the Liquid Pharmaceutical Production Process