Lean Approach to Quality Control Laboratory of Pharmaceuticals

Abstract

Generally quality control laboratory in a pharmaceutical company is the rate limiting point to deliver product to customer. Because, products are tested in quality control laboratory after production and if the products meet required criteria, then the products are released to market or customer. Most of the time, lots of sample are waited in queue to be tested. Lead time varies for test of sample of a product or group of products. The goal of lean approach in QC lab is to use less effort, fewer resources and less time to test incoming samples.

Lean philosophy was developed in Toyota motor company after World War II in an effort to more production with less resources. The basic underlying concept of Lean was to eliminate any operations that did not add value to the company’s product or service from the standpoint of final customer. Later this philosophy was being adopted in different areas such as manufacturing, IT system. Quality control laboratory of Pfizer’s in Puurs, Belgium applied lean philosophy and they reduced 25% lead time for testing of their eight major products. And then, lean approach was rolled out in all site of Pfizer’s of the world. This example can be taken and implemented in quality control laboratory of pharmaceutical company.