Pharmaceutical manufacturing

Pharmaceutical manufacturing is the process of industrial-scale synthesis of pharmaceutical drugs by pharmaceutical companies. The process of drug manufacturing can be broken down into a series of unit operations, such as milling, granulation, coating, tablet pressing, and others.

Overview

The pharmaceutical industry is directly impacted by the research conducted with prescription drugs, vaccines, and OTC drugs being manufactured based on findings from the study of life sciences. Clinical trials are conducted to ensure that products being developed are tested on how well they work on individuals affected by the diseases or conditions they are created to treat.

Unit Operations

Milling

Milling is a unit operation where the raw materials are cut into small sizes to improve the mixing of the raw materials.

Granulation

Granulation is the process of forming grains or granules from a powdery or solid substance, producing a granular material. It is applied in several technological processes in the pharmaceutical industry.

Coating

Coating is the final process in producing a tablet. The tablet is coated with a substance that will make the tablet more stable, easier to swallow, and more palatable.

Tablet Pressing

Tablet pressing is the process of compacting a powder or granular substance into a tablet. The main advantage of the tablet dosage form is its convenience of administration, compactness, and ease of manufacturing.

Quality Control

Quality control in pharmaceutical manufacturing is critical because of the potential harm that could result from the use of a contaminated or substandard drug. Quality control involves the sampling, specification, testing, organization, documentation, and release procedures which ensure that the necessary and relevant tests are carried out, and that materials are not released for use, nor products released for sale or supply, until their quality has been judged satisfactory.

See Also

• Pharmaceutical industry
• Clinical trials
• Drug development
• Pharmaceutical formulation
• Pharmaceutical packaging

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