New EU-GMP Chapter 8 published Complaints and Recalls

New Delhi, October 13, 2014 – The European Commission has published the final Chapter 8 of the EU Guidelines for GMP (Complaints, Quality Defects and Product Recalls). The chapter has been revised completely. Whereas the current one has less than two pages focusing on complaints and recalls only, the revision is six pages long, defining expectations for:

• Personnel and Organisation
• Procedures for handling and investigating complaints including possible quality defects
• Investigation and Decision Making
• Root Cause Analysis and Corrective and Preventative Actions
• Product Recalls and other potential risk-reducing actions

Throughout its chapters, the new version of Chapter 8 introduces Quality Risk Management principles and appropriate root cause analysis work when investigating quality defects and complaints. The scope includes complaints including quality defects (this is also new) and recall issues with respect to marketed medicinal products and investigational medicinal products (IMPs) that have been released to clinical trials. The new chapter 8 is better aligned with the wording of Directive 2003/94/EC with regard to when a quality defect/complaint should be reported to the competent authority.

Besides investigating and determining the cause(s) of quality defects/complaints, the revised chapter 8 also wants to ensure that appropriate corrective and preventative actions are put in place to avoid recurrence of the issue. CAPA has already been introduced in the revision of chapter 1 and is now also be recognised in chapter 8. The effectiveness “should be monitored and assessed”.

When it comes to product recalls, the new chapter also addresses risk mitigation and risk-based thinking into the recall decision-making process. In this context, the Manufacturer and Marketing Authorisation Holder shall ensure continuity of supply for critical medicinal products where alternative products may not be readily available. Consultation with the Competent Authority is inevitable.

The Qualified Person (QP) who is involved in the certification for release of the concerned product will play an important role. If the QP is not directly responsible for managing complaint and quality defect investigations and for deciding the measures to be taken, he or she “should be made formally aware of any investigations, any risk-reducing actions and any recall operations, in a timely manner”. For all respective actions like for example handling, reviewing and investigating complaints, sufficient personnel and resources should be made available.

The revised chapter details the requirements for written procedures like SOPs. They should at least address the following:

• The description of the reported quality defect.
• The determination of the extent of the quality defect.
• Handling of samples
• The assessment of the risk(s) posed by the quality defect.
• How decisions and assessments are made
• Notification to the relevant authorities and other internal and external communications
• Root cause analysis and CAPAs.

There should also be established written procedures in relation to recall activities or the implementation of any other risk-reducing actions, so that recall operations can be initiated promptly and at any time.

So called Mock Recalls are now also described in more detail. Evaluations of the effectiveness “should extend to both within office-hour situations as well as out-of-office hour situations and, when performing such evaluations, consideration should be given as to whether mock-recall actions should be performed. This evaluation should be documented and justified. ”

Overall, the goal is to achieve information-based and scientific decisions in relation to risk-mitigating actions. It should also be highlighted that there may be more than one cause associated with a quality defect/complaint. However all likely causes should be thoroughly investigated leading to more effective preventative actions being identified and put in place. CCI Newswire