21 Chapter 21: Importance of Visual Inspection

As discussed briefly in the last chapter, the visual verification of the final product is very important.  These are some of the important things to check the final preparation for:

• Colour
  • Look at the Master Formulation Record to verify the preparation looks as is expected.
  • This can often give you a hint as to whether the compound has all the correct ingredients
  • It can also be a clue if there is an ingredient that isn’t up to necessary quality, or has gone bad.
• Smell
  • As above, the smell can indicate if the correct ingredients have been used or if there is an ingredient that has gone bad.
• Quality (no streaks, lumps, contaminants)
  • There should be no streaks, lumps or contaminants (specks or particulate in the product)
• Quantity
  • If you are supposed to have a certain amount of the preparation and there is a significantly more or less that is expected, chances are an incorrect quantity was used.
  • There should be an expected yield listed in the MFR that can guide your final verification
• Label (including auxiliary labels)
  • The label must include the BUD, and special storage conditions and the prescription label with all of the legal requirements of a prescription label.
• Packaging
  • Ensure the correct size and type of packaging is used.
• Pharmaceutical elegance
  • The final product should be clean on the outside. There should be no finger prints, smudges or any compound on the outside of the container.
• Contaminants
  • a number of thing could be in the final preparation such as dirt, hair, a bug, a finger nail etc

In order to verify these thing, you must open the lid and look inside. and if a see through oval is used, look through the sides and at the bottom.