Rapid methods for the microbiological surveillance of pharmaceuticals
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 4, 2026

Microbial Control and Monitoring Strategies for Cleanroom Environments and Cellular Therapies
Published on: March 17, 2023
1Microbiology Division, Consumer Product Testing Co., Fairfield, New Jersey, USA. Papomicro@earthlink.net
Abstract:
The use of rapid microbiological methods in pharmaceutical laboratories has improved the quality control analysis of water, products, raw materials, and enhanced the antimicrobial effectiveness testing of pharmaceutical finished products. Rapid release of samples has resulted in the optimization of manufacturing, product testing, and release allowing high throughput and simultaneous analysis of pharmaceutical formulations. ATP Bioluminescence, Impedance, Direct Viable Counts, and Flow Cytometry determine the total microbial content in a given pharmaceutical sample while PCR and Immunoassays detect the presence or absence of specific microbial species. Rapid methods provide reliable and cost effective analysis for the microbiological evaluation of pharmaceutical environments. The dramatic reduction in detection times and analysis, e.g., from 30 hours to 90 minutes, by using rapid methods will ultimately lead the pharmaceutical industry closer to real time monitoring of processes and samples.
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Pharmacovigilance
This process, termed pharmacovigilance, aims to detect, evaluate, and minimize harmful effects related to medication use. The data collection for pharmacovigilance depends on spontaneous reporting systems, where healthcare professionals or patients voluntarily report suspected ADRs.
In some cases, there...

