Transformation in the pharmaceutical industry: transformation-induced quality risks--a survey

This paper is the fourth in a series that explores ongoing transformation in the pharmaceutical industry and its impact on pharmaceutical quality from the perspective of risk identification. The aim of this paper is to validate proposed quality risks through elicitation of expert opinion and define the resultant quality risk model. Expert opinion was obtained using a questionnaire-based survey with participants with recognized expertise in pharmaceutical regulation, product lifecycle, or technology. The results of the survey validate the theoretical and operational evidence in support of the four main pharmaceutical transformation triggers previously identified. The quality risk model resulting from the survey indicated a firm relationship between the pharmaceutical quality risks and regulatory compliance outcomes during the marketing approval and post-marketing phases of the product lifecycle and a weaker relationship during the pre-market evaluation phase.

In this paper through conduct of an expert opinion survey the proposed quality risks carried forward from an earlier part of the research are validated and resultant quality risk model is defined. The survey results validate the theoretical and operational evidence previously identified. The quality risk model indicates that transformation-related risks have a larger regulatory compliance impact during product approval, manufacturing, distribution, and commercial use than during the development phase.