Cost & Benefits Of Handheld Raman For Quality Control Testing Of Incoming Raw Materials In The Pharmaceutical Supply Chain

Competition in the pharmaceutical industry is driving drug companies to spread their manufacturing operations around the globe. Unfortunately, production delocalization results in more testing of the incoming raw materials for quality assurance, product safety and regulatory purposes, which results in an increased cost of doing business. The industry has done an excellent job of creating a strong demand for its products, while at the same time improving the quality and safety for the consumers.

In fact, many companies are running analytical controls above and beyond the regulatory requirements in order to guarantee superior quality of their products. However, pressure in the production chain from outsourcing is forcing some companies to over-analyze the incoming materials using traditional laboratory testing techniques laid down by the major regulatory organizations like the United States, European and Japanese Pharmacopoeias. The inherent problem with this approach is that it is not sustainable in the long term, because of the higher costs, increased manpower and additional resources required.