Other Committees

Solids Processing and Tablet Compression Committee (SPTCC)

In November 1999, the Tablet Compression Committee and Solids Processing Committee were merged to form the Solids Processing and Tablet Compression Committee. (SPTCC)

Of the many topics where beneficial exchanges have been held, thirteen stand out, as follows:

• Lights out operation
• PAT implementation
• Shop floor organisation
• Compressor changeover & set ups
• Overall compressor performance - in conjunction with Fette
• Solids transfer & powder flow
• Tablet coating operating practices
• Dust collection & minimilisation
• Materials handling particularly bulk collection
• WIP/CIP
• Continuous processing
• Tool usage, maintenance & storage
• Maintenance performance improvement

Tablet Packaging Best Practices Committee (TPBPC)

This committee was started in July 1998 as a working party with the aim to make packaging lines more adaptable and flexible in line with demand for more pack sizes and colours.

It was found that most issues relating to adaptability were machine or line specific, and thus should be left to the individual pharma companies. However, it emerged that members had many operational issues in common where benefit could be gained by the type of roundtable exchange and benchmarking employed by the Solids Processing and Tablet Compression Committee. Exchanges from which members have derived considerable benefit include ones about:

• Managing low volume packing runs
• Line clearance improvements
• Personnel training and grading within a focused factory
• Identification of 'Golden Nuggets'
• Improvement in SOP structure / layout
• Problematic equipment and service suppliers
• In-line printing and security systems
• Use of CI tools and techniques
• Implementing pack rationalisation

Recently the committee has focussed on:

• Sharing outcomes, successes & failures, of Business Process Improvement projects
• Eliminating redundant in-process controls
• Assisting one another to improve Batch records, aiming to online release
• Sharing progress in industry effort to resolve serialisation issues

Sterile Operations Committee (SOC)

The SOC started in 1999 as a sub-committee of the General Membership Committee, focusing on the unique technical and operating problems facing engineers involved in supporting sterile / aseptic manufacturing.

The scope of SOC's meetings have now expanded to include sessions aimed at improving working practices, operator / technician training and production line efficiency.
Currently the SOC meetings feature sessions about:

• Major equipment maintenance
• Improving maintenance performance
• A review of the micro biological and micro monitoring scene
• Regulatory agency audits
• Calibration systems
• Integrity testing
• Aseptic product packaging
• The use of isolator versus barriers