A supplier audit is one of the most effective ways to ensure your suppliers adhere to quality standards while meeting required promise dates. In addition to uncovering nonconformities and opportunities for improvement, audits remind suppliers that they must continually strive to fully conform to applicable customer requirements, standards, and regulations. 

Internal audits are an essential part of quality management. Working with external auditors ensures you avoid conflicts of interest and have an independent perspective. 
But how should your team interact with the auditor?

Companies selling medical devices or pharmaceuticals are required by applicable regulations and standards to monitor the quality of the raw materials, components, and services that go into their products. For this reason, it is crucial that manufacturers have systems in place to ensure that purchases meet acceptable quality requirements. One essential and prevailing tool for this is the supplier quality audit.

As the world continues to adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic’s adverse disruptions, consideration must be given to how the medical device and pharma industries can best ensure business continuity of supply chain monitoring. A pandemic can impact most, if not all, suppliers, and prioritizing on-site audits can help reduce business disruptions going forward. Although it is essential to have ongoing supplier audits, companies with dozens or even hundreds of suppliers worldwide face a myriad of challenges during a pandemic.

The medical field is continually evolving, and nowhere is that trend more evident than in the realm of medical devices. From wearable medical devices to increasingly smart data infrastructure, technology will take center-stage in 2021.  At the same time, regulatory bodies like the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are developing new guidelines to manage the increased reliance on these technologies so users and medical services providers can make the best choices possible. This article will explore seven medical device trends that the medical industry will continue to explore this year.

According to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, clinical medical intervention trials that companies use to support FDA drug approvals cost approximately $19 million per trial. While this may only be one percent of the total cost of developing a new drug or other medical intervention, it means creating a low-quality clinical trial — or getting low-quality data from the endeavor — can be very costly. It’s important to consider quality at every stage of the clinical study, from initial design to continual data checks and final analyses. This article will explore what quality means in a clinical trial setting and how to ensure quality throughout the project. That begins with understanding the nature of clinical trial strategy.

The importance of preparing high-quality regulatory documents should never be underestimated. Low quality or poorly written submission documents may lead to expensive delays or rejection of regulatory approvals that can result in launch delays, extra costs, and compliance risks. Typically, submissions come with costs, which can be enormous depending on the type of regulatory filings. 

Increasing the efficiency of your Quality Management System (QMS) should be a no-brainer. When you invest in an efficient QMS, you discover new growth opportunities, improve customer satisfaction, and gain a competitive edge. Improving the efficiency of your QMS can help you achieve business and quality management goals.  

When you need an industry expert’s advanced skills on an occasional or temporary basis, sometimes it may make more sense to contract with them, rather than hire them as full-time employees.