FDA: Request for Quality Metrics Guidance for Industry

Quality metrics are used throughout the pharmaceutical industry to monitor quality control systems and processes and drive continuous improvement efforts in drug manufacturing. These metrics can also be used by FDA: to help develop compliance and inspection policies and practices, such as risk-based inspection scheduling of drug manufacturers; to improve the Agency’s ability to predict, and therefore, possibly mitigate, future drug shortages; and toencourage the pharmaceutical industry to implement state-of-the-art, innovative quality management systems for pharmaceutical manufacturing. This guidance includes an explanation of how the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) intend to collect data and use quality metrics to help ensure that their policies and practices continue to support continuous improvement and innovation in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.