The focus of this book is to understand and apply the different SPC tools in a company regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA): those that manufacture pharmaceutical products, biologics, medical devices, food, cosmetics, and so on. The book is not intended to provide an intensive course in statistics; instead, it is intended to provide a how-to guide about the application of the diverse array of statistical tools available to analyze and improve the processes in an organization regulated by FDA. This book is aimed at engineers, scientists, analysts, technicians, managers, supervisors, and all other professionals responsible to measure and improve the quality of their processes. Although the examples and case studies presented throughout the book are based on situations found in an organization regulated by FDA, the book can also be used to understand the application of those tools in any type of industry. Readers will obtain a better understanding of some of the statistical tools available to control their processes and be encouraged to study, with a greater level of detail, each of the statistical tools presented throughout the book. The content of this book is the result of the author’s almost 20 years of experience in the application of statistics in various industries, and his combined educational background of engineering and law that he has used to provide consulting services to dozens of FDA-regulated organizations.

The purpose of this new edition is to offer an updated view of the risk management field as it applies to medical products. Since the publication of the first edition (2012), the emphasis on risk-based processes has growth exponentially across all sectors, and risk management is now considered as significant as quality management. ISO 9001 was revised and now requires that top management promote the use of risk-based thinking. ISO 13485:2016, which specifies the requirements for a quality management system specific to the medical devices industry, also now shows a greater emphasis on risk management and risk-based decision making. In addition, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is the most important reform of U.S. food safety laws in more than 70 years. This indispensable book presents a systematic and comprehensive approach to quality risk management. It will assist medical and food product manufacturers with the integration of a risk management system or risk management principles and activities into their existing quality management system by providing practical explanations and examples. The appropriate use of quality risk management can facilitate compliance with regulatory requirements such as good manufacturing practice or good laboratory practice. All chapters have been updated and revised, and a new chapter has been added to discuss some of the most common pitfalls and misunderstandings regarding risk management, specifically those related to the use of FMEA as the only element of risk management programs. One of the appendices includes 12 case studies, and the companion CD-ROM contains dozens of U.S. FDA and European guidance documents as well as international harmonization documents (ICH and GHTF-IMDRF) related to risk management activities, as well as a 30-question exam (with answers) on the material discussed in the book.

For quality professionals and manufacturers in the food safety and medical device industries, risk management is essential to ensuring organizations meet FDA regulations and requirements. Without these recognized standards, the lives of patients and consumers are placed in jeopardy. In this third edition of Quality Risk Management in the FDA-Regulated Industry, Jose Rodriguez-Perez provides an updated view of the risk management field as it applies to FDA-regulated products using risk-based thinking.

Risk management principles are effectively utilized in many areas of business and government, including finance, insurance, occupational safety, and public health, and by agencies regulating these industries. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and its worldwide counterparts are responsible for protecting public health by ensuring the safety and effectiveness of the drugs and medical devices. Regulators must decide whether the benefits of a specific product for patients and users outweigh its risk, while recognizing that “absolute safety” (or zero risk) is not achievable. Every product and every process has an associated risk. Although there are some examples of the use of quality risk management in the FDA-regulated industry today, they are limited and do not represent the full contribution that risk management has to offer. The present FDA focus on risk-based determination is requiring that the regulated industries improve dramatically their understanding and capability of hazard control concepts. In addition, the importance of quality systems has been recognized in the life sciences industry, and it is becoming evident that quality risk management is a valuable component of an effective quality system. The purpose of this book is to offer a systematic and very comprehensive approach to quality risk management. It will assist medical and food product manufacturers with the integration of a risk management system or risk management principles and activities into their existing quality management system by providing practical explanations and examples. The appropriate use of quality risk management can facilitate compliance with regulatory requirements such as good manufacturing practices or good laboratory practices. The content of this book will provide FDA-regulated manufacturers with a framework within which experience, insight, and judgment are applied systematically to manage the risks associated with their products. Manufacturers in other industries may use it as an informative guidance in developing and maintaining a risk management system and process. The two appendices add even more insight: Appendix A contains general examples of risk management, while Appendix B includes 10 case studies illustrating real examples of the quality risk management process across the medical product arena.

The number of FDA regulations and the agency’s increased expectations is staggering and their content tedious, creating a regulated industry need for compliance insight and appropriate detail. This book is the reference needed to successfully navigate through the FDA maze! The target audiences for this desk reference include: Regulatory professionals, who know their responsibility to keep their firm’s employees trained and competent on FDA device regulations and who need a preliminary desk reference that can be used throughout their enterprise to help train and ensure compliance Neophytes, who know nothing about FDA but need a resource that provides both broad and specific information in sufficient detail to be useful Beginners, who know a little about FDA, need to know more, and need a reference tool to help them be more effective and productive on the job Intermediates, who knows enough about FDA to know they need to know more and who need a reference tool that provides them with both more basics and executable detail Busy managers, who need to know regulatory requirements and FDA expectations in order to manage compliance in their specific activity Busy executives (CEOs, COOs, and operations managers, whom FDA holds responsible for all regulatory compliance), who also need a desk reference with specific information to quickly assess regulatory compliance, identify potential noncompliance, and review corrective, preventive, and compliance actions

For the past decade, process validation issues ranked within the top six of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) form 483 observation findings issued each year. This poses a substantial problem for the medical device industry and is the reason why the authors wanted to write this book. The authors will share their collective knowledge: to help organizations improve patient safety and increase profitability while maintaining a state of compliance with regulations and standards. The intent of this book is to provide manufacturing quality professionals working in virtually any industry a quick, convenient, and comprehensive guide to properly conduct process validations that meet regulatory and certification requirements. It will aid quality technicians, engineers, managers, and others that need to plan, conduct, and monitor validation activities.

The Biomedical Quality Auditor Handbook was developed by the ASQ Biomedical Division in support of its mission to promote the awareness and use of quality principles, concepts, and technologies in the biomedical community. This third edition correlates to the 2013 exam Body of Knowledge (BoK) and reference list for ASQ’s Certified Biomedical Auditor program. It includes updates and corrections to errors and omissions in the second edition. Most notably it has been re-organized to align more closely with the BoK.