Essential medicines and health products
GMP Question and Answers
Why is GMP important?
Poor quality medicines are not only a health hazard, but a
waste of money for both governments and individual
consumers.
Poor quality medicines can damage health
A poor quality medicine may contain toxic substances that have been
unintentionally added.
A medicine that contains little or none of the claimed ingredient will not
have the intended therapeutic effect.
GMP helps boost pharmaceutical export opportunities
Most countries will only accept import and sale of medicines that have
been manufactured to internationally recognized GMP. Governments
seeking to promote their countries' export of pharmaceuticals can do so
by making GMP mandatory for all pharmaceutical production and by
training their inspectors in GMP requirements.
What is GMP?
Good manufacturing practice (GMP) is a system for ensuring that
products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality
standards. It is designed to minimize the risks involved in any
pharmaceutical production that cannot be eliminated through testing the
final product. The main risks are: unexpected contamination of products,
causing damage to health or even death; incorrect labels on containers,
which could mean that patients receive the wrong medicine; insufficient
or too much active ingredient, resulting in ineffective treatment or
adverse effects. GMP covers all aspects of production; from the
starting materials, premises and equipment to the training and personal
hygiene of staff. Detailed, written procedures are essential for each
process that could affect the quality of the finished product. There must
be systems to provide documented proof that correct procedures are
consistently followed at each step in the manufacturing process - every
time a product is made. WHO has established detailed guidelines for
good manufacturing practice. Many countries have formulated their own
requirements for GMP based on WHO GMP. Others have harmonized
their requirements, for example in the Association of South-East Asian
Nations (ASEAN), in the European Union and through the
Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention.
Is GMP necessary if there is a quality control laboratory?
Yes. Good quality must be built in during the manufacturing process; it
cannot be tested into the product afterwards. GMP prevents errors that
cannot be eliminated through quality control of the finished product.
Without GMP it is impossible to be sure that every unit of a medicine is
of the same quality as the units of medicine tested in the laboratory.